The 49ers' ability to pressure and sack Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers qualifies as a primary storyline heading into Week 11.


We discussed it here Wednesday.

Since then, Hank Gargiulo of ESPN Stats & Information passed along information showing how long Rodgers held the ball before each of the 41 sacks he has taken this season.

We weren't sure what to do with the file. Many factors could influence how long a quarterback holds the football and whether he held it too long. Was it a three-step drop? Was a receiver held? Did protection break down immediately? Did the quarterback move the wrong direction? How long do other quarterbacks generally hold the ball? How long did Rodgers hold the ball when he didn't get sacked?

And so it is with those disclaimers that I pass along the information.

Hank also calculated corresponding information for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, who has taken 10 sacks after holding the ball for significantly shorter periods than Rodgers (2.9 seconds to 3.45 seconds on average).