San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle could be major block for New Orleans Saints in playoff

Bob Marshall, The Lens By Bob Marshall, The Lens
on January 13, 2012 at 3:45 AM

SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- There's a one-word key to a Saints win Saturday over the 49ers: "Smith."

49ers13.jpgSan Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Justin Smith, right, has been wreaking havoc in the NFl for 11 season, making 171 starts without missing a game. Known for his strength, quickness and for studying opponents, he is adept against the run and the pass and has 7.5 sacks this season.

Your Who Dats' chances of a victory dance will decline in direct proportion to the number of times they hear that name while the Saints are on offense.

Now, you may think that's a reference to rookie linebacker/pass rush specialist Aldon Smith. Certainly, there's a lot to talk about there; he has 14 sacks, two forced fumbles, has knocked down four passes and scored a safety. No doubt the pass-happy Saints have been working on a plan to keep the 6-foot-4 speed rusher from introducing his 263 pounds to Drew Brees.

Yet, the real Smith menace for the Saints is the other one, defensive tackle Justin Smith. He's a force against the run as well as the pass, the player mentioned along with All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis as the heart of the unit ranked No. 2 in the league.

Most football fans probably never heard of him until this season, when he garnered Pro Bowl honors and is being mentioned as an NFC Defensive MVP. But he has been well known to offensive linemen ever since he was drafted fourth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001.

Here's why: 171 consecutive starts, 510 solo tackles and 72.5 sacks -- including 7.5 this season. Those numbers break down to these yearly averages: 46.6 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, no games missed.

Just surviving for 11 years making a living in the most violent real estate in American sports is remarkable. To perform at that consistently high level is why defensive coaches love this guy, and offensive coordinators would love to see him retire.

For Smith, 6-4, 270, the key to his excellent career isn't just his strength and quickness. It's also the football I.Q. he's nourished over 11 years of studying opponents.

A prime example was the play he made batting down Eli Manning's last-chance fourth-down pass in the Niners' 27-20 win over the Giants. According to his coaches and teammates, Smith told fellow defensive lineman Ray McDonald to get his hands up on the rush, because Manning would be throwing the ball over the "B-gap" -- right over their heads. And he did.

"He was thinking it through, and just as he had foreseen, that ball came his way, and he was there to knock it down," 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh said.

That attention to study and detail was on display this week as Smith talked about facing the Saints' powerful, versatile offense.

"A lot of their passes are set up because they can run the ball," he said. "So I think a big challenge for us will be stopping the run, taking away some of those chipping routes where they just sort of sit down after they leak out from max protection."

He has been dissecting how Brees, just 6 feet, is able to find passing lanes over much taller linemen.

"He looks at where the linemen are lined up prior to the snap," he said. "He knows where his B-gap windows are going to be before he snaps the ball.

"He's just a really smart guy the way he attacks the pass rush. He knows where that open B-gap window's going to be, and he baits the outside rushers by dropping back, and then he steps up and slides to where he needs to be for his open receivers."

Smith knows what the 49ers' outside rushers have to do to help counteract Brees' technique.

"This game is going to be big about our pressure in making sure both three-techniques don't get outside pass rush and open those lanes up for him, because he can step up and carve you up pretty good," Smith said. "We're going to have to overcome that. We're going to have to make sure we still get pressure without committing to the blitz a whole lot. To me, that's the key to the game defensively."

Knowing inside pressure on Brees is a key to keep him from moving to find the passing lanes means the 49ers' down linemen will need a good game. But Smith is also smart enough to know that won't be easy facing a pair of All-Pro guards in Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans.

"They're big guys. They move their feet -- all the things you want. The way they move their hands, their hand placement, their foot quickness, and being 6-5 and 355, 360 (pounds) doesn't hurt either," Smith said.

"They just have everything you want in a big guard, especially the way they pass protect -- short set up front, let the tackles get beat around the edges so Brees steps up in the pocket. Those guys are really good at what they do."

If they're really good Saturday, the Who Dat Nation won't be hearing the "Smith" called out too often when the Saints have the ball.

That's the key to a Saints win.


Bob Marshall can be reached at or 504.826.3539.