49ers Struggle Without Bosa in Loss to Jaguars

San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco 49ers faced a tough challenge on Sunday, marking their first game without star defensive end Nick Bosa. Bosa is out for the season due to an ACL injury. In his absence, the 49ers struggled, suffering a 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 49ers were unable to record a single quarterback hit against Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about the team’s difficulties in pressuring the quarterback during his Monday conference call.

Shanahan said, “We didn’t blitz a ton in the game. When we did, there was pressure, and he got rid of it. I would love to have gotten more on him, but I thought they did a good job of getting rid of it quick.” He noted that the Jaguars countered the 49ers’ four-man rushes with effective chipping and double teams.

Bosa’s absence leaves a significant gap in the 49ers’ pass rush. The team showed inconsistency in getting to the quarterback, which poses a risk when blitzing, especially against quarterbacks like Lawrence who can quickly process and deliver the ball.

Looking ahead, the 49ers are set to go up against the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford on Thursday. Stafford has been particularly effective against blitzing defenses this season, completing 64.4% of his passes and averaging 9.2 yards per attempt under pressure.

Without Bosa, the 49ers may have no choice but to increase their blitzing, which could leave them vulnerable to the Rams’ talented receivers like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The 49ers are evaluating their options as they navigate the challenges created by Bosa’s injury.

As the team prepares for the next game, they hope that their Week 4 performance was an anomaly and that they can find a way to improve their pass rush moving forward. If not, they may need to consider trading for another defensive end or altering their game strategies.