When Nick Bosa went down late in the second quarter it looked like the 49ers and their 16-7 lead might be in trouble. Bosa has spearheaded their pass rush all season and without him on the edge their weakened defensive line might make their secondary susceptible to an explosive Dallas passing attack. A trio of 49ers defensive linemen stepped up to sack Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott four times in the second half, and that trio was made up entirely of unlikely heroes for San Francisco.
Charles Omenihu, Samson Ebukam and Arden Key led the way for the 49ers with Bosa sidelined. Omenihu was acquired in a mid-season trade with the Texans, Ebukam signed a relatively modest two-year, $12 million contract this offseason, and Key joined the club on a one-year deal worth just over $1 million.
That trio Sunday accounted for 13 pressures, three sacks, one QB hit and nine hurries.
