Getty Nick Bosa sacks Carson Wentz on October 24, 2021.
Is this the year we see the first San Francisco 49ers defender since Dana Stubblefield in 1997 to claim the NFL Defensive Player of the Year nod?
And is Nick Bosa the man who will break that long dry spell?
The fourth-year edge rusher is among the trendy picks for the nod this season, particularly after coming off a career-best 15.5 sacks last season. But if he’s going to make his march toward the highest individual honor for defensive players in the league, it all begins on Sunday, September 11 in Chicago.
And that’s where one insider delivered a bold prediction of how Bosa’s season debut will go.
Hockey Term Attached to Prediction for Bosa
ESPN NFL insider Nick Wagoner weighed in on the 49ers’ chances against the Bears on Friday, September 9 in the panel’s breakdown of games.
What does Wagoner predict for Bosa? A second-career mark for him by referencing a hockey term.
“Niners defensive end Nick Bosa will post three sacks. Bosa had two sacks in a Week 8 win against the Bears last year, and though Chicago worked to bolster its offensive line in the offseason, there aren’t proven tackles at either spot equipped to slow Bosa. The Bears will undoubtedly throw multiple blockers Bosa’s way, but his freedom to flip sides on any given play will give him enough opportunities to get his second-career hat trick,” Wagoner wrote.
In tracing back to that 33-22 road win last year that helped ignite the 49ers’ run to the NFC Championship game, the Bears game was one of a quartet of two-sack games delivered by Bosa. The disruptive Bosa even fought through one hold to bring Justin Fields to the grass.
Nick Bosa bringing down Justin Fields here. Looks like the bears subbed in an extra tackle to go one on one with Bosa and it doesn’t work out all. The holding penalty was declined.
Bosa lined up on 56 plays as an outside edge rusher and was never plugged inside. With rookie Drake Jackson soon to make his debut plus a healthier Javon Kinlaw getting plugged inside, all signs are indicating that the 49ers and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans will keep Bosa aligned outside to try to draw more one-on-one matchups — which Bosa has masterfully defeated off of his hands, pursuit angles and tenacity.
But lining up at that spot isn’t considered the only advantage Bosa has heading into this opening meeting versus the Bears.
Newcomer & 2-Time All-Conference Performer to Cross Paths With Bosa
Sunday will mark the debut of rookie offensive tackle Braxton Jones, who comes to the Windy City as an All-Big Sky Conference First Team selection from Southern Utah.
The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder was dominant enough in the Football Championship Subdivision the past two seasons that the Bears decided to make him the 25th selection in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s now worked his way into the starting lineup…with the daunting task of keeping Bosa away from quarterback Justin Fields.
Jones spoke to NBC Chicago on Wednesday, September 7 about being assigned Bosa for his first NFL game. What’s his mindset in lining up against the 2021 All-Pro?
“The mindset is the same,” Jones said. “I think all these players in the NFL are here for a reason, you know. Obviously, when you’re going against a pass rusher like that you might be a little more alarmed, but I think even the rushers that don’t have the biggest names will get you because you aren’t preparing the same way. You have to prepare the same way for everybody. It’s my first NFL game. I have to prepare the same way for anybody. It’s just a better testament and it will just show how good my preparation.”
Early signs are indicating that this battle between rookie and dominant defender is swinging toward the latter. While Jones was known to “overwhelm his level of competition with size and length” and can explode out his stance and be skilled at kick slides (a pass blocking technique) as noted by nfl.com draft expert Lance Zierlein, he was docked for inaccurate hand placement on running plays and was described as having “shoddy footwork” in his lone game last season versus a Power 5 opponent in Arizona State. But he did deliver these violent blocking finishes in that same contest:
Southern Utah LT Braxton Jones is an intriguing prospect. Listed at 6’7″ 310 with prototypical length, he uses his hands really well, can generate impressive control on blocks, & consistently looks to finish.
But in the end, Bosa presents the rookie’s first insurmountable challenge — and Bosa’s first 2022 game is already predicted to be a hat trick type afternoon.