Arik Armstead is the Main Reason the 49ers Can’t Contain Mobile Quarterbacks
Arik Armstead is a gift and curse to the 49ers.
He's an excellent athlete who plays extremely hard. Has nine quarterback hits through four games -- that's excellent.
But the 49ers don't always need Armstead to disrupt the quarterback. Sometimes they just need him to play his position correctly. And he doesn't always do that, especially when he plays defensive end and faces a mobile quarterback, as he did Sunday night when the 49ers lost 25-20 to Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mostly they lost to Wentz, one guy, because Armstead continuously let him escape the pocket.
Here's the evidence.
Exhibit A. 5:43 First Quarter. Third and 2 at PHI 43.
Armstead has to know he's going against a quarterback whose passer rating coming into the game is in the 60s. Wentz has none of his starting wide receivers and his offensive line is terrible. You don't have to sell out to sack him. Keep him in the pocket, make him play quarterback with a bad supporting cast and let him self destruct. That's the smart play against an atrocious offense with a mobile quarterback who only will hurt you if he runs and extends plays.
Keep him in the pocket. Let him self destruct.
Armstead doesn't do that. He makes the cardinal sin of rushing past Wentz and opening up the B gap for him to rush through. Wentz sees it and runs takes it, of course, because no one is open, and he scramble for a first down.
Exhibit B. 2:01 Second Quarter. First and 10 at PHI 42.
Armstead takes a wide track around the edge to the quarterback and creates a huge B-gap, which Wentz immediately goes for. That's his first read -- scramble. Armstead tries to correct his mistake, so he frantically jumps inside to the B gap, but Wentz jukes him and Armstead falls on his face. Then Wentz rolls to his right and completes a pass downfield to a receiver who wasn't open when Wentz was in the pocket.
Exhibit C. 8:20 Third Quarter. First and 10 at PHI 21.
This is a play-action bootleg to Armstead's side. You think that's by accident? It's not. The Eagles have made their halftime adjustments and want to take advantage of Armstead's over-aggression and lack of discipline. So Wentz fakes a handoff and rolls toward Armstead, who bites on the play-action fake and gives Wentz acres of open grass. This is how the Rams and most opponents with semi-mobile quarterbacks will attack Armstead as well.
Exhibit D. 7:38 Third Quarter. Second and 6 at PHI 25.
The next play. The Eagles still want to go after Armstead -- this time with a screen. Armstead engages tight end Richard Rogers and jams him, but then rushes past him and tries to sack Wentz as Wentz flips a screen pass to Rogers and he gains 23 yards.
Exhibit E. 7:07 Fourth Quarter. Second and 22 at PHI 39.
This time Armstead does everything right for the first two seconds of the play. Doesn't rush past Wentz. Doesn't give up the B gap. And so Wentz starts to panic. He tries to scramble to his left, but Javon Kinlaw cuts him off. Kinlaw does his job correctly. Wentz then spins back to his right, and sees Armstead. Checkmate, right? No. Armstead tries to sack him. Mistake. Wentz simply gives ground and runs around Armstead, who dives and misses and Wentz throws a rocket downfield for a completion.
The 49ers pay Armstead way too much money for him to make these mistakes every game. If he can't play with more discipline at defensive end, the 49ers have to move him back to defensive tackle because he's ruining the integrity of their defense.
Watch the full breakdown below.
