Nick Bosa has a tough test waiting for him at Allegiant Stadium.
The 49ers star defensive end has been clinical in San Francisco’s run to Super Bowl LVIII, tallying two sacks in the comeback 34-31 win against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
On Sunday, Bosa and Co. will attempt to generate a similar impact defensively against an ever-dynamic Kansas City Chiefs offense led by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
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The 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year’s worries, however, might not come from the Chiefs’ star power but from the offensive lineman he’s going to have to overpower in Las Vegas: Jawaan Taylor.
Taylor, the Chiefs right tackle, allowed the longest average time to pressure among all offensive tackles with at least 300 pass blocking snaps this season (3.97 seconds, including playoffs), per Next Gen Stats.
If there’s something Bosa is known for, though, it’s his ability to apply constant pressure on signal-callers from the left edge position.
During Super Bowl LIV, the 26-year-old pressured Mahomes nine times.
San Francisco 49ers
Years later, Bosa’s impact on the field hasn’t lost steam.
The 49ers All-Pro defensive end needs 11 pressures on Sunday to set the single-season record since 2018, per NGS.
With 104 pressures entering Sunday, Bosa ranks in the top four since the start of the season, making the edge rusher’s matchup against Taylor a must-watch as both teams rush for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.