SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Dekoda Watson had an immediate impact on the 49ers' defense in his season debut.
Watson spent the first half of the season on injured reserve. His presence improved the 49ers' struggling pass rush in their 34-3 victory over the Raiders. The defense dominated the Raiders’ patchwork offensive line, and sacked quarterback Derek Carr seven times and A.J. McCarron once.
Coach Kyle Shanahan was complimentary of Watson’s contribution in elevating the pass rush.
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SIGN UP HERE “I thought Dekoda played very well,” Shanahan said last week, “and I thought it helped a lot. Dekoda has probably got our best speed off the edge. Just coming off the ball fast and he can turn it into power very quickly.
“So, having that speed on the edge that Dekoda brings, and also the bull rush that he has condenses the pocket got him some production, but also helps other people around him.”
Watson finished the night with 1.5 sacks, two solo tackles, one combined, one tackle for a loss and three quarterback hits. He is up to 5.5 sacks in his career.
Shanahan said he was pleased with the improvement of the defense as a whole.
“It was just a huge group effort, Shanahan said. “I think all of the guys, they won their one-on-one battles, whether it was just speed beating them off the edge, whether they were just being physical pushing the pocket.
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“Some guys moved the quarterback and helped other guys get sacks. I thought we held up in coverage very well, too, to where we got the quarterback to lose his patience a little bit and leave the pocket. We got some sacks before he got to the line of scrimmage.
“From a coverage standpoint, from a rush standpoint, individual efforts in the games and some of the pressures, I thought all around they just did a good job.”
Teammate Cassius Marsh also spoke highly Watson’s impact.
“Dekoda was wreaking havoc all night,” Marsh said. “The defensive line is always a group effort.”
The 49ers hope their pass rush continues to improve when they face the New York Giants in a week on Monday night.