It’s hard to put together a more dominant showing than 49ers rookie defensive end Nick Bosa did in the team’s 31-3 demolition of the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. He notched four tackles, 2.0 sacks, three tackles for loss, five QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on his way to NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Bosa was simply the best player on the field for San Francisco on a night where they dominated every facet of the game. He’d been outstanding through three weeks, but his productivity wasn’t showing up in the box score. It finally did Monday night, and it still feels like the No. 2 overall pick left a couple sacks on the table.
One play in particular stands out. At the end of the first half, Bosa wrapped up Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield for what looked like a sack, but Mayfield threw the ball away and was flagged for intentional grounding. 49ers team reporter Keiana Martin found a photo that showed Bosa should’ve been credited for a sack on the play.
Bosa’s relentlessness showed up early in the game too in a way that won’t show up in the box score. His rush off the edge on the first play of Cleveland’s second series forced an early throw from Mayfield that he left well short of his target and into the hands of 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.
It was evident during training camp the 49ers had something special in their rookie defensive end. He showed just how high his ceiling is Monday night, and he was rewarded with his first Defensive Player of the Week award. After watching him dominate against the Browns, it’s hard to believe this will be his only DPOW this season.
