If you were disappointed with Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance in game one against the Viking’s elite defense Youth Richard Sherman Jersey , well, Lions fans were disgusted with Matt Stafford’s effort against the somewhat-less-impressive New York Jets. At Pride of Detroit, Jeremy Reisman wrote that:Stafford had four interceptions, and it was far from the first time that has happened. Since he entered the league in 2009, he leads all quarterbacks with five games of four interception each. And he had Calvin Johnson to throw to for most of that time.This brings up a long-running debate: does Stafford fold under pressure? It matters because he can expect to face a lot of pressure Sunday, against a 49ers pass rush finding its stride and facing a Lions offense with no discernible running game and a shaky offensive line. Lions starting right guard T.J. Lang is confirmed out, injured, so the newly effective front line of DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas will be facing the likes of rookie center Frank Ragnow and marginal veteran guard Kenny Wiggins, who wasn’t even good in the preseason.Stafford has faced accusations of folding under pressure since 2012, when Chicago Bears safety Major Wright said:In 2015, he was benched in the second half against Arizona after throwing his third interception of the night, and Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post wrote that:Later that year, the Lions brought in offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter Womens Alfred Morris Jersey , who put in a quick- (and short-) passing offense that limited Stafford turnovers as well as his big plays. Not a mark of great confidence.Of course there are some hometown voices who are more positive. Last year, Ty Schalter of LionsWire emphasized the fact that that in 2017, “Pro Football Focus charted him No. 3 in yards thrown under pressure.” This is true, but notice that Schalter’s not quoting passer rating under pressure, just total yards.What this statistic is really telling you is that Stafford was under pressure all the time last year, because their offensive line was terrible.A more nuanced take comes directly from PFF, in their Lions preview this year.While they were optimistic about Detroit’s off-season investment in the OL — which hasn’t paid off so far due to injury and the talented Ragnow’s lack of experience — they broke down Stafford’s numbers this way.Their basic point is that, at this point in his career, Stafford isn’t bad under pressure. What he is, is great when he’s NOT under pressure, and mediocre when he’s sweating. I’ve bolded the key parts of this paragraph:There aren’t many quarterbacks who don’t decline when under pressure. Jimmy G might be one of them, but Matt Stafford is definitely not. As long as Robert Saleh and new pass rush coach Chris Kiffin can continue their success in game one, the Niners defense should give Stafford a lot of problems on Sunday.It’s time for 49ers to consider some changes to their defensive line rotation The San Francisco 49ers have made it pretty clear they are going to rely on their defensive line to pressure the quarterback. They are near the bottom of the league in blitzing, instead choosing to send their front four as the primary pass rushers.Through two weeks Authentic Richard Sherman Jersey , the 49ers rank No. 19 in adjusted sack rate at Football Outsiders. From an individual perspective, DeForest Buckner has been the most productive of the team’s pass rushing options. Arik Armstead has a greater win rate inside (18.5 percent to 13.2 percent), but Buckner’s volume coupled with having more decisive wins results in a higher pass rush grade at Pro Football Focus.The group has work to do, but I suppose it’s not nearly as awful as it could be. If the team looks at some adjustments, we could see the group take a step forward. Most notably, second-year defensive lineman Solomon Thomas deserves more time inside. He has done great work as a run stopper on the edge. That is his strength, and thus far has been the role that has generated the most success.However, in the few instances Thomas has been able to rush the passer from the interior, he has found success. Thomas has played 71 snaps on the defensive line through two weeks. Of that, 60 have been as either left or right edge rusher, and 11 have been what would qualify as the defensive interior, according to PFF. From those 11 snaps, Thomas has rushed the passer on nine. PFF gives him a win rate of 22.2 percent on those snaps. It is a small sample size, but it is higher than that of Armstead and Buckner. Odds are he would not hold up that rate Womens Mike McGlinchey Jersey , but it does show some measure of success inside.The 49ers have given DeForest Buckner more work outside than in previous years. Last year, he was an edge defender on two percent of snaps, according to PFF. In two games this season, that rate has increased to 17 percent. The 49ers are not going to make a significant shift in this direction, but getting Thomas inside more frequently in passing situations seems like a good way to beef up the pass rush. You could potentially have a line that includes Buckner, Thomas, Armstead, and Marsh, and maximize the pass rushing talent.Thomas took a step forward in Week 2, offering up a little more in both run and pass defense. He continues to do great work getting a hand on ball carriers in the run game. He also finished the game with four hurries, and looked solid rushing the passer from the inside. It has not exactly looked like what you would expect from a third overall pick, but it also seems like it has been enough to earn a bigger role. The 49ers defense faces a huge test this weekend against the Chiefs, and it might be time to try some new things to beef up the pass rush consistency.