Getty Nick Bosa hopes the Cowboys took notes.
San Francisco 49ers star defensive lineman Nick Bosa has one wish for the Dallas Cowboys, which play the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14.
But it’s not something that the 49ers didn’t do themselves in light of a 42-19 win over the Eagles for Week 13. The 49ers (9-3) became the first team to beat Philadelphia (10-2) decisively this season in the process.
“Yeah, I mean, you see it on tape, though. Obviously, we put the blueprint out there. Hopefully the Cowboys watch the tape,” Bosa told reporters on Thursday.
If the Cowboys (9-3) successfully follow the blueprint, and the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks (6-6), San Francisco would take over the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs. That would erase the consequences of a three-game losing streak in October by the 49ers, which the team bounced back from to win four-straight games.
If game film isn’t enough, Bosa broke down what worked against Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and company. The 49ers limited Hurts to one of his worst games of the season and the Eagles’ second-lowest scoring output as a team this year.
“We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B-gaps, and it paid off,” Bosa said. “Because Jalen is looking at the rush every play, so you just have to be disciplined and not give him that quick escape route where he can get to his guys quick.”
Hurts rushed for 20 yards and a touchdown — a one-yard plunge in the third quarter. He threw for 298 yards on 26-45 passing, but he took three sacks amid 27 yards lost.
“You definitely get frustrated as pass rushers when the quarterback is holding the ball for that long, no matter what your game plan is,” Bosa said. “But when you look at what we set out to do and what we planned on doing, we did exactly that.”
Eagles Will Make Plays, Nick Bosa Says
Philadelphia certainly made plays in the game. The Eagles cut it to a score in the third quarter, and Philadelphia drove down field for a score once in the fourth quarter.
“When you play on a good team like this, a really good team, you have to sometimes give up some of the selfish-type statistics [such as] rushing out of your gap, stuff like that, for the bigger picture,” Bosa said. “And I think we did that great.”
Dallas played the Eagles close the first time out in a 28-23 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 9. The Cowboys have a stout defense and limited opponents to 17 or fewer points for three-straight games before a 41-35 squeaker against the Seahawks in Week 13.
49ers Ready for ‘Explosive’ Seahawks
San Francisco certainly looked at the Seahawks tape versus the Cowboys and learned quickly that the NFC West rival can’t get overlooked. The 49ers beat the Seahawks 31-13 in Week 12, but the Seahawks looked different against the Cowboys.
“Explosive plays,” 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks told reporters on Thursday. “D.K. [Metcalf], of course we know at any time he can make those kind of plays, that’s what popped off.”
DK METCALF 73 YARDS ‼️
#SEAvsDAL on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus t.co/YcXzMZb8jY
“I know they’re running the ball well, trying to run it more. That was really Coach Carroll’s mindset and trying to get these guys going which is going to open up the play action for him. I assume [Kenneth] Walker’s going to be back,” Wilks added. “That’s my mindset. That’s our mindset.”
“It’s going to be a difficult task. And like I said before, Thanksgiving Day, last week doesn’t have anything to do with how we’re going to perform and win this football game. That’s our mentality. So, we’re going to have to go out and earn it and I know it’s going to be a tough, hard battle,” Wilks concluded.