JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Growing up in the state of Florida, Nick Bosa thrives in the humidity, which was exemplified by his performance in the 49ers' 34-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium.
On the field for only 37 defensive plays (65 percent), Bosa racked up 1.5 quarterback sacks, two hits, two solo tackles -- one for a loss -- and one forced fumble that he also recovered to go with a pass break up.
“Right when I stepped off the plane, I felt the humidity, and it was just so, so good,” Bosa said after Sunday's win. “Really good team win. Just complementary ball all around, and a good kind of reset for us to keep going.”
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Bosa didn't fill up the stat sheet through the 49ers' first eight games of the 2023 NFL season, but coach Kyle Shanahan believes the defensive lineman still has made an impact on the field. It was just a matter of time before his star player put up the numbers to back it up.
“I thought he was great,” Shanahan said. “I think Nick has been playing great all year, but for him to get the sack and stuff, cause a turnover -- I know how much he loves playing in Florida, too, so it was cool to have a big game for him today. I thought all of them played big.”
Bosa enjoyed his on-field reunion with Ohio State teammate Chase Young, who now is his 49ers counterpart along the defensive line. The two pass rushers sealed off the edges, allowing more opportunities for Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead to get their hands on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Hargrave recorded 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits Sunday, while Armstead was credited with 0.5 sacks and a quarterback hit.
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“Nothing different,” Armstead said of Bosa's performance. “Nick has just been doing what he has been doing -- we finally had a quarterback who held on to the ball for a little bit, and we were able to show up in the stat sheet today. But Nick has been playing great all year.”
Armstead believes that receiving a sizable contract extension brings scrutiny to a player’s performance. While Bosa’s sack totals don’t compare to his 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year campaign, he continues to affect the game by applying multiple pressures on opposing quarterbacks.
“Whatever the criticism that comes with getting a big contract, Nick has been dominant in the pass and run game,” Armstead said. “He has been all year. It showed up in the stat sheet today, but he's been doing that all year.”