# 49ers Offensive Line Deserves Apology

> 49ers offensive line's Week 1 performance proves they're not the worst in NFL.
- Title: 49ers Offensive Line Deserves Apology | Shortify
- Summary: 49ers offensive line's Week 1 performance proves they're not the worst in NFL. San Francisco 49ers offensive line led NFL in yards before contact per rush…
- Keywords: san francisco 49ers, offensive line, christian mccaffrey, kaelon black, brock purdy, los angeles rams, nfl, week 1, sports, 49ers, Offensive, Line
- Source: San Francisco 49ers On SI — https://si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi/one-49ers-position-group-deserves-apology
- Published: 2026-09-16T15:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: san francisco 49ers, offensive line, christian mccaffrey, kaelon black, brock purdy, los angeles rams, nfl, week 1, sports
## 49ers locked in against Rams
The San Francisco 49ers were fired up, energized, and motivated to make the Rams pay for choosing them as their opponent in Australia.
## Offensive line performance
They arguably had the best performance of all the position groups with the offensive line taking a lot of flak from fans.
## Yards before contact
The 49ers running backs led the league in yards before contact per rush with +2.79 yards.
## Pass protection
Brock Purdy wasn’t sacked once in the game with the offensive line holding up strong.
## Pressure time
Their average time to pressure allowed was nearly three seconds for most quarterbacks.
## Criticism
The 49ers offensive line has always been fine, a middle-of-the-pack unit not a bottom-feeding unit.
## Apology needed
They deserve an apology from fans who are unnecessarily critical of them after one game.
## Long-term concern
One game isn’t enough. An entire season might not be enough if Purdy gets pressured despite holding the ball too long.
## Key takeaway

San Francisco 49ers offensive line led NFL in yards before contact per rush with +2.79 yards after Week 1 win over Rams.