3 Stats That Show How Impressive the 49ers' Pass Rush is so far

The sacks and pressures may not be there for the 49ers, but there's three stats that show how impressive they've been and give reason to be hopeful.

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) runs from San Francisco 49ers cornerback Upton Stout (20) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

One of the many reasons the San Francisco 49ers wanted Robert Saleh back as their defensive coordinator was to revitalize the pass rush.

The 49ers lacked an effective pass rush with low sack and pressure numbers. Now, those numbers are still low through two games.

However, three stats show how impressive the 49ers' pass rush has been so far. These stats are also reasons to be hopeful and excited for what's to come this season.

Team average pass rush get-off

Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams (98) tackles New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One trait that the 49ers focus on with their defensive linemen is their get-off time from the moment the ball is snapped. The 49ers call this G.T.F.O. with their own metrics.

They heavily value this more than most teams. Sure enough, it's proving fruitful so far through two games. The 49ers have the second-best team average pass rush get-off time at 0.76 seconds.

The rankings may be a bit skewed with lightning-fast players like Nick Bosa and Bryce Huff. But since it's been an emphasis of the 49ers with their defensive linemen, I'd imagine it's more than those two.

Having an amazing get-off is so beneficial to a pass rush. It gives the 49ers a chance at catching offensive linemen in a weak position, allowing them to get to the quarterback faster.

Time to pressure

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to make a pass against San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Since the 49ers' average push rush get-off time is elite, it's only natural that their time to generate pressure is as well. The 49ers have the fourth-best time to pressure at 2.38 seconds.

Now, they're overall pressures and sacks are in the middle of the pack. But this stat shows that when the 49ers do get pressure, they do it promptly.

Either they're going to make a quarterback uncomfortable early, or it's going to take a bit longer. Given how many rookies the 49ers are relying on, I'd imagine the pressures will come as they develop.

Time to throw

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The last stat that shows how impressive the pass rush has been is the time to throw. The 49ers allow the sixth-best time to throw in the league at 2.64 seconds.

All three of these stats are a perfect example of cause and effect. When the 49ers have a great get-off time with their pass rush, it leads them to pressure early.

When they pressure early, it doesn't take them long to force the quarterback to get rid of it or bring him down. In any case, the 49ers have an impactful pass rushing unit.

This is a far cry from what it was last year. They still had an amazing get-off pass rush time, but it never lined up with their time to pressure and time to throw allowed.

This is part of the shake-up on the defensive line and the addition of Saleh as defensive coordinator. I would expect all of these numbers to sustain with the pressures and sacks increasing.

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