Past Matchups Will Benefit 49ers’ OL Against Frank Clark

One of the main reasons that inexperience has not derailed the 49ers during their playoff run is due to the handful of high stakes, down to the wire games they've been in. That experience has been used to make them battle hardened so they handle any intense situation that the playoffs will put them in.

The same can be said for how well the offensive line has held up against top pass rushing talent. Over the last two playoff games, the 49ers have had to deal with the top-tier pass rushers in the game.

It started first with the Vikings who have Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter. The following week was with the Packers who are rolling out Za'Darius and Preston Smith.

Facing those high-caliber talented players will benefit the 49ers' offensive line immensely against the Chiefs on Sunday.

Players like offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey will be battle hardened when he matches up against Frank Clark. Like the saying goes, "iron sharpens iron" and by going up against top talent - it greatly benefits the offensive line going forward.

When I asked McGlinchey if the last two weeks facing top of the line talent will benefit him against Clark, he answered "Yea I think so. Any kind of game experience that you get is always valuable, especially in the playoffs. I think we've played great players all year long and that's what the NFL is."

"Every week you get somebody. Everybody's got a great pass rusher, it's not like college where you only see one a year if that. Every Sunday you gotta bring it. Frank's another example of that. He's a really really great player. He's had a really good year, really good couple years. I saw him twice last year. He brings a lot of challenges by the way that he plays, how talented he is and the relentlessness he plays with. It's gonna be a fun little challenge on Sunday."

This is how players in the league grow. It's not so much the reps they get in practice, but facing against premier talent. If you wanna be the best, you have to beat the best. That is why when the 49ers in late November had that three week stretch of opponents with over a .700 winning percentage, it only made this team improve.

Using those games are needed to see where the team is at. Just like how the offensive line has been facing phenomenal pass rushing talent. Facing them allows them to see where they are at and how to improve on themselves. They'll know what to expect from a mental standpoint and what to do differently from a mechanics standpoint.

Not to mention that the 49ers faced Clark twice last season when he was with the Seahawks. That familiarity could be useful for the offensive line, but it isn't something that McGlinchey will key in on during film study.

"Not too much. Parts of me can't even recognize the player that was on film, for me personally last year. I know it's the same for him. It's a different system, he's doing different things. Obviously, a couple individual one-on-one reps that you see during that kind of a film, but it's kind of hard to scrape through that. I'm a different player, he's a different player. It's gonna be a new matchup when we come in on Sunday."

Clark is the main threat on the edge for the 49ers, with Chris Jones anchoring the middle. Handling both of these players will be critical for the 49ers in both the run and aerial game. If they can keep these players in check, then the offense should be in a strong position to produce points.

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