The San Francisco 49ers’ defense surprisingly struggled against Jarrett Stidham and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and defensive lineman Nick Bosa made an unusual admission about why that might have been.
Though the 49ers escaped with a 37-34 overtime win, Stidham threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start. The Raiders put up 500 total yards on the 49ers, no small feat against a defense that came in allowing less than 300 yards per game.
Afterwards, Bosa suggested that the 49ers may have underestimated Stidham, and that the Raiders quarterback was poised enough to take advantage of their mistakes.
Nick Bosa admitted the #49ers defense might've underestimated Raiders QB Jarrett Stidham.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) January 2, 2023
"We gave him way too many open lanes in the pass rush. He was poised… Tough player and smart." -Nick Bosa on Jarrett Stidham
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) January 2, 2023
It is not often you hear anyone suggest they may have taken an opponent too lightly, so credit to Bosa for his candor. The 49ers’ defense has been confident all season and rightly so, but it may have strayed into overconfidence this week. Perhaps it will serve as a necessary wake-up call with the playoffs looming.
Bosa, at least, chipped in during the 49ers’ win. While he did not get any sacks, he was certainly a nuisance for Stidham with five QB hits.
