There's been a lot of media discussion this week on the San Francisco 49ers' task of stopping — or at least slowing — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. For Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who spent four seasons (2011-14) in the same role with the 49ers, the task is slowing down the 49ers' dominant pass rush.
One of those players who must be accounted for at all times is rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, who is having an impressive first NFL season. He already has eight sacks on the year and is ranked as Pro Football Focus' most productive pass rusher among qualifying defenders.
Bosa's 54 pressures this season are the 10th-most in the league, tied with veterans Von Miller of the Denver Broncos and Nick Bosa's brother, Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Nick Bosa has made a huge impact, and when you watch the tape, he is extremely disruptive," Roman told reporters on Friday. "Their defensive line is taught in a style that is very aggressive, and he certainly fits that bill. He is an excellent player, run and pass, and he's quite productive.
"The guy's got a motor that goes and goes and goes. He's a buzzsaw. I mean, you turn on the tape and watch a couple of plays, you pretty much got him figured out. He's a handful."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked on Friday about Bosa's ability to transition so well from the college game to the NFL.
"Just watching him in college, he was as technically sound and seemed developed at his position as any college player I'd seen," Shanahan responded. "We used to joke about it, but it looked like his dad was taking him through pass rush drills at three and doing cone drills and things like that because he just was so efficient with his hands and his steps.
"I think a lot of guys in college just went off pure ability, and then you get to the NFL, and that might work the first time a tackle sees you, but then they adjust, and you've got to learn how to rush a lot smarter and more efficiently. Bosa has some freakish ability, but he also has that skill set that he's been working on his whole life."
