SANTA CLARA — Nick Bosa is forever linked with Kyler Murray as the 2019 NFL Draft’s top two picks. Both won NFL Rookie of the Year honors on their respective side of the ball, and, both have come back from anterior cruciate ligament tears.
Whereas Bosa rebounded in 2021 from his knee injury, Murray is 2-2 in his return this season heading into Sunday’s game between the 49ers (10-3) and host Arizona Cardinals (3-10).
“He looks great moving around. He’s actually playing this scheme better than the previous regime there,” Bosa said. “He’s kind of sitting in the pocket and playing quarterback more. Then obviously the run game and the scrambles, he’s an added element there, so we have to be ready.”
Under first-year coach Jonathan Gannon, Murray is completing a career-low 60.8-percent of his passes (79-of-130, 864 yards), and he has as many touchdown throws as runs, with three apiece.
The 49ers are freshly prepared for Murray’s regained mobility, having bottled in Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts with a hesitating pass rush on Dec. 3 in Philadlephia. Look for the 49ers to at least attempt some version of that tactic, while on alert for his zone-read runs.
“He is a problem,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We all know how fast and quick he is and if you give him, no matter what you do in coverage, if you give him those open gaps, he’s going to get 15 faster than anybody.”
Bosa and Murray have faced off five times, out of the nine games played between their teams since 2019. Murray has missed the past four matchups because of injuries. Bosa’s lone sack against him came just before halftime of a 17-10 loss in Arizona in October 2021.
“He’s another mobile quarterback and he’s probably as good as it gets. He’s just a one-of-one type of athlete,” Bosa added. “Plays you should have him bottled up, he’ll score, he’ll get the first down. He can play quarterback and sit in the pocket for a guy who’s not as tall.
“Their whole team is buying into what they’re doing.”
The Cardinals opened 1-8 under Gannon, with their lone win coming in a Week 4 upset of the Dallas Cowboys, after which they followed with a 35-16 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
“We had to play flawless on offense to beat them, but that was a real tight game,” Shanahan said. “Since then they have how many ever games it is, nine more games of reps. They’re playing very hard, they’re playing together. They’ve added some really good players, especially (safety) Budda (Baker), who they didn’t have (available). They’ve always been real talented on special teams. They’ve also gotten a very great talented quarterback back.
“They remind me a lot of us our first year where we started out 0-9 and finished 6-10. I think everything they’re doing is the right way and I think they’re a real tough football team.”
The Cardinals’ offseason overhaul included hiring Gannon to replace Kliff Kingsbury, and general manager Monti Ossenfort to replace Steve Keim.
Keim, in an April interview with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowher, shared this pre-draft story about Bosa: “We’re leaving the dinner and we’re walking out of Maestro’s in Fort Lauderdale and I’ll never forget, he puts his arm around me and Kliff Kingsbury — both of us — in basically a headlock and he said, ‘I think you guys are probably gonna end up taking that little quarterback (Murray). And if you do, he looked over at me, ‘Steve, I will haunt you for the rest of your career.’ We got into the SUV, Kliff and I did, to go back to the hotel and I remember we both looked at each other with wide eyes and I said to Kliff, ‘God I hope he can’t catch him’ and he really never did, which is a good thing.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com