The 49ers did not look good in their Week 3 loss to the Denver Broncos. Yet NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco believes it would be a complete overreaction to say that the Niners season is over at this point.
SANTA CLARA — Tashaun Gipson only has been a member of the 49ers' roster for a little over a month, but his chemistry on the field with Talanoa Hufanga was nearly instant.
The veteran safety spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area this week and shared how quickly the bond with his fellow safety developed. With a 10-year age difference between the two, their compatibility on the field was not necessarily a given.
“To be honest with you, when I first got here, he was one of the first guys to really welcome me in,” Gipson said. “It’s a beautiful thing because although he is one of the younger guys on the team, he has such a mature soul and it’s just a blessing to be able to play with someone like that.”
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As a result of their communication and cohesion, Gipson and Hufanga are the highest-graded defenders on the 49ers' defense by PFF.com through Week 3 for players with at least 100 snaps.
Gipson revealed that is a result of the extensive amount of time the two spend together. Hufanga is constantly picking the veteran’s brain, asking questions, and vice versa. When they aren’t on the field together, they are lifting weights, watching film and in meetings together.
“He is playing lights out, like one of the best players in the NFL, if not the best,” Gipson said. “But he’s still a student of the game. He wants to learn. He is always asking questions. He is not a guy who is too high on himself.”
Gipson views it as a blessing to be resource for a young player like Hufanga. The 32-year-old was humbled hearing the sophomore safety share he has learned new aspects about the game he had never known from the veteran.
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What Hufanga offers to Gipson is his infectious energy and dedication to improving both on the field as a player, and off of it as a person. Both players' passion for the game is evident when hearing them talk about one another and the game.
“We’ve been able to build that bond, just being familiar with each other,” Gipson said. “I told him when I got here, my job was to help him be the best safety in the league. I want him to accomplish every goal and I’m going to do everything I can.”
Jimmie Ward, who has been rehabbing from a hamstring injury suffered during training camp, could return as soon as next week. Having depth at the position is a good thing, as defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has pointed out.
RELATED: Why Ward's return to 49ers 'great problem to have' for Ryans
There is no definitive plan for how the 49ers will use all three defenders, but keeping the best players in the game would mean finding a way for the trio of safeties to be on the field together as much as possible.
Until then, Gipson and Hufanga will be using their double-headed approach to keeping opponents from moving the chains.
“Me and Huf, we are locked in for life,” Gipson said. “We just have a bond, and I have so much respect for him. He’s like a little brother for me for sure. It’s just a blessing to play along side of him for these last three games.”
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