Why Corey Lemonier Is the San Francisco 49ers' X-Factor in Week 2

The San Francisco 49ers’ X-factor in Week 2 was one of the few players who found himself on the wrong end of the box score the Sunday prior.

Here’s a hint: He plays linebacker, and his number comes outside of the 50s.

Corey Lemonier logged just two solo tackles against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. The second-year outside ‘backer did not register a single quarterback pressure and was a non-factor overall as a pass-rusher.

He wears No. 96 in case you were wondering.

Only two 49ers defenders earned a lower composite score from the advanced statisticians at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His minus-2.8 included negative grades in run defense, pass coverage and when rushing the Cowboys’ Tony Romo.

Yet, it wasn’t that Lemonier missed a host of tackles or was an obvious liability in Dallas. It was more about him not making any plays or producing a significant impact.

And preseason or not, the fact that he led the 49ers with two sacks and was second with nine total quarterback pressures made his regular-season debut just that much more disappointing.

Credit: Pro Football Focus

So, when San Francisco hosts the Chicago Bears during its home-opener at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Lemonier must show up in his August—and not September—quality form.

Stated more directly, Aldon Smith’s replacement must put together a much more Aldon Smith-like performance on Sunday.

Let’s now break down how he’ll materialize as the 49ers’ X-factor in Week 2.

Covering Matt Forte—The Pass-Catcher

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press/Associated Press

The NFL world is well-aware of the dual threat that Matt Forte poses from the running back position.

Over his six previous seasons, Forte has collected at least 1,000 yards rushing and 450-plus yards receiving in all but two and one season, respectively. His 2013 Pro Bowl campaign featured 12 total touchdowns and the third-most yards from scrimmage (1,933).

Only three running backs amassed more yards through the air and just two hauled in more receptions, albeit by negligible amounts.

Forte led the Bears with eight catches for 87 yards against the Buffalo Bills last week. He connected with quarterback Jay Cutler on all but one of his nine targets.

Most notably, six of those eight receptions came in the short-left area of the field. This is where a certain 49ers defender comes into the picture.

Lemonier is responsible for the opposing offense’s left. As the right outside linebacker, the former third-round-pick-with-first-round-talent covers that side of the gridiron.

Furthermore, Chicago utilizes a pass-heavy attack. Head coach and play-caller Marc Trestman had Cutler drop back 51 times compared to just 18 run plays versus the Bills.

With Dan Skuta suiting up primarily against the run, according to PFF, Lemonier will see more on-field action. The same applied against Dallas—a similar pass-first offense.

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At this point many would counter that inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite is the one tasked with covering pass-catchers out of the backfield. Said detractors would note that Niners defensive coordinator Vic Fangio uses the outside ‘backers as pass-rushers, while putting Patrick Willis on tight ends and Wilhoite on opposing backs.

Although that is indeed accurate, Wilhoite’s strength isn’t predicated on lockdown work as a cover man. Just last week he earned the lowest PFF grade (minus-2.1) on the 49ers for his coverage play against DeMarco Murray and Lance Dunbar.

So, with the All-Pro NaVorro Bowman out for the foreseeable future, Lemonier must serve as the pass-defending X-factor against Forte. He must use his top-three 4.60 40 speed (registered during the 2013 combine among OLB/DL), lengthy 34.5” arms and massive 10” hands to corral Chicago’s dynamic weapon on the outside.

The 49ers secondary will have its hands full with the receiving trio of Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Santonio Holmes. The same goes for Willis versus 6’7” tight end Martellus Bennett.

That means Lemonier has Forte.

Even though he’ll get second-level help from safeties Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea, Lemonier is the first line of defense. He must execute as such when the Bears come to town on Sunday.

Neutralizing The Source—Jay Cutler

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

It’s of supreme importance that the red-and-gold-clad defenders contain Forte out of the backfield. To that end, neutralizing him at the source would qualify as the operative task.

Put another way, the 49ers must prevent his chain-moving, drive-furthering production from occurring in the first place.

And that means stopping the man who delivers the pass.

Like any gunslinging quarterback, Cutler prefers a clean pocket. He finds it much easier to do his job when would-be sack artists aren’t clogging his throwing lanes and disrupting his rhythm.

To wit, Cutler threw five interceptions and just three of his 19 touchdown passes when facing pressure last year. His completion percentage also dropped from 63.1 to 50.8.

His rating from Pro Football Focus similarly decreased in Week 1 of this season. It fell from plus-0.9 without pressure to minus-2.9 with pass-rushers in his face.

Credit: Pro Football Focus

The 49ers certainly hope for more of the latter from Cutler this weekend.

In terms of the Bears’ pass protection, right tackle Jordan Mills is the far inferior pass-blocker compared to his left-side counterpart Jermon Bushrod. Mills wasted no time picking up where he left off in 2013, surrendering a sack and another quarterback hurry just last week.

San Francisco’s pass-rushing tandem of Ahmad Brooks and tenacious rookie Aaron Lynch should feast accordingly.

The more underrated, X-factor-like aspect of this defensive assignment, then, entails a certain one-two punch on the other side of the line.

Lemonier must realize his inner No. 99. He must team up with Justin Smith and execute the duo’s patented inside-outside stunt. Smith occupies the left tackle with an outside rush, while his linebacker partner in crime breaks late toward the interior over left guard.

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

In this case, the misdirection will allow Lemonier to dart his way over Chicago’s Matt Slauson with a speed rush. Slauson gave up a sack in limited action last week before leaving with an ankle injury.

His replacement, Michael Ola, is a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Hampton University. Ola has a grand total of 53 snaps to his name—the very ones that he registered against Buffalo.

Despite the high marks he earned from Pro Football Focus, he’s still inexperienced and untested. And that means being susceptible to complex schemes, not to mention the speed and power of these Niners pass-rushers.

So, whether it’s Slauson or Ola lining up next to Bushrod, the task of pressuring Cutler from his blind side falls to Smith and, more specifically, Lemonier.

The former imposed his sack-generating will against Romo on opening day. Now it’s No. 96’s turn to do the same to Chicago’s pressure-fearing quarterback.

Final Thoughts

The football axiom that says a team’s pass defense is only as good as the pass rush up front couldn’t ring any truer for the 49ers' next matchup.

Applying pressure and creating general chaos in the pocket will neutralize Cutler, which will then curtail the effects of the Bears’ upper-echelon pass-catchers. That, in turn, will facilitate the coverage duties for San Francisco’s mid- and second-level defenders.

If Lemonier isn’t the one attacking the source, he must help eliminate its No. 1 target.

Accomplishing either task will create a positive domino effect—one that takes Chicago’s high-scoring offense off the field, puts the Niners’ balanced, clock-eating unit on it and delivers a team win to a deserving crowd at Levi’s Stadium.

Any number of different 49ers assets will play an integral role toward that end.

But it’s Lemonier who earns the nod as the X-factor in Week 2.

All player and team stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and NFL.com. Advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required). 

Joe Levitt is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, waxing academic, colloquial and statistical eloquence on the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him on Twitter @jlevitt16.