The defense accomplished that task.
Nick Bosa had two of the defense's six sacks on Saturday. His seven pressures, two sacks, four hurries, one hit, and one pass defensed earned the rookie defensive end Pro Football Focus' highest-overall grade from the game.
"Bosa, you can't say enough positive things about him," cornerback Richard Sherman said after the win, "and his play and his impact, run game, pass game. He's just a dominant player. He wants to be dominant every down. He never gets complacent. He's always working, motor is always going. We're grateful to have him."
Bosa could see the Vikings offense start to get frustrated late in the game, and the defense took advantage.
"Yeah, I mean, later in the game, they were starting to jaw at each other," Bosa told reporters. "Yeah, we were bringing it on them, so they started to have some frustration, but we just kept bringing it."
Bosa and the defensive line refused to let up. That's the mentality that has been instilled in the unit by defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
"Yeah, that's one of Kris' things," Bosa continued, "put the foot on the throat and twist it. Yeah, I mean, when you have somebody down, you definitely don't want to let up."
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Vikings.
- Kendrick Bourne, WR, 84.2
- Ben Garland, C, 82.8
- George Kittle, TE, 78.5
- Mike McGlinchey, RT, 78.1
- Tevin Coleman, RB, 75.6
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.
- Nick Bosa, DE, 91.6
- Dre Greenlaw, LB, 91.2
- DeForest Buckner, DT, 88.8
- Fred Warner, LB, 79.5
- K'Waun Williams, CB, 79.3
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers' Nick Bosa appears to celebrate Ryan Clark's ESPN exit
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa rarely posts on social media, but he broke his online silence this week with a reaction to ESPN parting ways with analyst Ryan Clark, the former NFL safety—seemingly celebrating the move. 👌 https://t.co/hH903xy6zy— Nick... -
First look: 49ers DE Nick Bosa practices with teammates after ACL injury
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was not among the four players placed on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to open training camp, signaling that he has been fully cleared to participate. Bosa is returning from the torn ACL he suffered last... -
49ers' Nick Bosa has huge financial incentive in pivotal 2026 comeback
The absence of defensive end Nick Bosa had a devastating impact on the San Francisco 49ers defense last season. With the team's premier pass rusher sidelined by a torn ACL, the defense managed just 20 sacks—the fewest in the NFL. The 49ers attempted to bolster their pass... -
49ers' Trent Williams, Fred Warner amazed by Nick Bosa's recovery after ACL injury
For the second time in his NFL career, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa had his season cut short by an ACL injury. The latest setback occurred in Week 3 of the 2025 season. The good news is that the timing of the injury allowed Bosa ample time to recover and prepare...