The 49ers' ferocious defensive line took a hit Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, as star edge rusher Dee Ford aggravated his hamstring injury and will miss the rest of the game.
Ford has been in and out of the 49ers lineup all year, and he missed San Francisco's last two contests after injuring his hamstring in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals.
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Ford, in his first year in San Francisco, is tied for third on the team with 6.5 sacks. He has been a steady force on the edge when healthy, but Ford has not played more than 50 percent of the team's snaps since Week 1 as he nurses knee, quadriceps and hamstring injuries. Given Ford re-injured his hamstring immediately after trying to give it a go, the 49ers might be wise to give him even more time to heal before their playoff push.
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As of publication, the 49ers led the Saints 35-30 in the third quarter of a wild game the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.