The San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-23 win on Sunday, overcoming a tight first half to generate a double-digit lead until the last play of the game, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Now, the 49ers are getting ready to host their season opener, and it comes in primetime, as San Francisco will play the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at Levi's Stadium this week.
The Giants have started their season with two very different games, losing 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the opener before making a comeback in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals for a 31-28 win.
However, they may be without star running back Saquon Barkley, who suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2, potentially putting an even bigger onus on quarterback Daniel Jones against the 49ers.
How will the 49ers defense prepare against Jones and his dual-threat ability?
Defensive end Nick Bosa shared some thoughts on the 49ers' gameplan, pointing out the differences between the Rams and the Giants with their quarterback utilization.
"Definitely, [I envision opportunities for the defense in comparison to last week]," Bosa said. "Yeah. It's going to be pretty much opposite of what we just did with Stafford. "
How will the 49ers counter? With the dual-threat capability that Jones possesses, the goal will be to keep the quarterback in the pocket, as Bosa understands the additional value that Jones provides with his legs.
"Definitely could hold it a little bit and we just have to keep him in the pocket. He's going to try and get out any chance he gets," Bosa said.
"So, yeah, just trying to close it in on him. Be good in our rush lanes and we could have a good day."
Jones was sacked a whopping seven times in Week 1, while being limited to 43 rushing yards on 13 attempts, whereas he was sacked three times in the Week 2 win, while rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.
If the 49ers can contain Jones, which has been a struggle in the past when matching up with dual-threat quarterbacks, San Francisco could have a field day defensively.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
