In two of their first four games this season, the 49ers have allowed the opposing quarterback to lead their team in rushing.
In Sunday’s 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Levi's Stadium, quarterback Carson Wentz didn’t lead the Eagles on the ground, but he came in a close second with seven carries for 37 yards.
In the season opener, Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray torched the 49ers' run defense with for 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. In Week 3, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones led his team with 49 yards on five attempts.
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The 49ers may not face a mobile quarterback in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, but coach Kyle Shanahan admits the defense needs to fine-tune its coverage when facing a mobile quarterback.
“Yes, definitely,” Shanahan said. “You’ve always got to adjust to that. Adjusting it doesn't always get the results done. We got that ran at us twice before I thought we executed it correctly. The third time we did it right and we were right there.”
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Facing a mobile quarterback is a problem the 49ers will continue to face throughout the 2020 season. They still have to face Seattle Seahawks star Russell Wilson twice and travel to Arizona to face Murray a second time.
Shanahan didn't say whether or not the 49ers' issues stem from a lack of discipline, but he knows the 49ers must address their problem with running quarterbacks immediately. Wentz getting away from the defense was a point of frustration Sunday night.
“I was just a little disappointed we didn't hit it the first time,” Shanahan said. “[It’s] something we're trying to execute and work on throughout the week.
“We’ve got to make sure we do a better job of coaching it throughout the week and getting it out of our players, so when it happens the first time, we shut it down and don't need to wait for the next time.”
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In Week 5 the 49ers host the Dolphins, who announced Tuesday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at quarterback. But with Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, waiting in the wings, the 49ers should look to clean things up against mobile quarterbacks on the off chance Tagovailoa enters the game.
Eagles' rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts saw four snaps of game action against the 49ers on Sunday and carried the ball three times for 18 yards.
The Dolphins could test the waters in the exact same way and the 49ers' defense needs to be prepared.