There were plenty of players who stood out for the San Francisco 49ers during their one-sided 51-13 victory over the visiting Carolina Panthers in Week 8. But if running back Tevin Coleman was the Niners' offensive standout, EDGE Nick Bosa should take away the defensive honors.
After all, Bosa merely added three sacks on the game, to go with four tackles in what ended up being yet another solid effort from San Francisco's defense against Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen, who entered Week 8 undefeated and not having yet tossed an interception.
Both of those streaks ended for Allen and the Panthers, however, and Bosa was a big reason why.
In addition to his three sacks, which comprised nearly half of the Niners' seven quarterback takedowns of the day, Bosa also added his first interception at the NFL level just before the third quarter came to a close:
Nick Bosa: Man amongst boys as a rookie. pic.twitter.com/rPR3zFbrtC
— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dieter) October 27, 2019
"They had been cutting us a bit on the pass," Bosa said when asked about how he read the interception. "The play before, he cut me pretty good. So I just played the cut that time. I saw the quarterback's eyes, and I just jumped. It went right into my hands."
Nick Bosa describes what happened on his interception.
That, with three sacks against the #Panthers, and it's safe to say he had a big day. #49ers #CARvsSF #49wz pic.twitter.com/fK6jOlaZJ2
— Peter Panacy (@PeterPanacy) October 28, 2019
Bosa then returned the interception 46 yards down to the Panthers' 9-yard line. He looked to be in a position to score a pick-six touchdown, yet Carolina wide receiver D.J. Moore was able to tackle him.
"I don't think I've ever run that fast for someone," linebacker Fred Warner said of Bosa's interception. "I started sprinting all the way down the field trying to catch him. He got all the way down there and didn't get in, but that was a crazy play."
Bosa essentially took over the Niners' prior victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football back in Week 5. He then put the finishing touch on San Francisco's waterlogged win against the Washington Redskins in Week 7, sacking Redskins quarterback Case Keenum as time was expiring.
With three sacks and an interception against Allen and the Panthers, it's safe to say Bosa took over the 49ers' Week 8 matchup from the defensive side of things, too.
"He's a special player," head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Bosa after the game. "Definitely hasn't arrived yet. He has a lot more to go, but he's been playing extremely well."
Just consider how good Bosa can be once he develops even further, as Shanahan pointed out.
Regardless, the Niners are already commanding a massive return from their top pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he's a big reason why the team is 7-0.
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Written by:Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
