Nick Bosa is Cementing NFL Defensive Player of the Year Candidacy

Defensive end Nick Bosa is off to a fiery start this season; what he accomplished in Week 4 is a potential glimpse of things to come.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa has made his mark on opposing offenses this season -- both figuratively and literally. 

The former No. 2 pick had yet another outstanding performance in Week 4, as he consistently wreaked havoc in the L.A. Rams backfield throughout the night. 

Even moreso, Bosa's performance rivaled what entire NFL defensive units can accomplish.

Nick Bosa had a career-high 14 QB pressures last night. His pressure rate vs. LA was 31.8%. To put that into perspective, the NFL average pressure rate for AN ENTIRE DEFENSE this season is 31.9%. #49ers

— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) October 4, 2022

So let's take a deeper dive into more specifics of what the fifth-year veteran achieved on Monday night.

Nick Bosa outperformed everyone - including the Rams defense.

How often do you hear that one defensive player outperformed an entire opponent's unit in terms of sacks or pass rush? The answer is, usually, not often.

Nick Bosa not only embodied that statement, but he also took it to another level. 

Pressures last night....

Nick Bosa: 14
Rams whole team: 5

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 4, 2022

Another excellent defensive performance by the Demeco-Ryans-coached Niners defense was spearheaded by the NFL's leading Defensive Player of the Year Candidate.

Defensive Player of the Year for Bosa? 

It is still early in the 2022 NFL season, but discussing potential awards is never too soon. 

With the way the NFL's current leader in pass rush pressure rate, pressures, sacks, and quarterback hits is playing, it would be hard-pressed not to discuss this award for Bosa.

This is all while head coach Kyle Shanahan recently has taken arms up with the NFL league office. Shanahan states that his star defender is being held on most plays, and the officials aren't calling it. 

“It’s something I’ve seen a lot with him since he’s been here, going back to his first year in the Super Bowl. So it’s always been tough. We turn everything in every week. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t.” ~ Kyle Shanahan via PFT.com

Opponents can only hope to contain Niners star, and thus far, they have been unsuccessful at slowing him down legally and illegally. 

The sky is the limit for what the former Ohio State standout can achieve this season; with his fiery pace - anything is possible for both him and the Niners' defense.