Another week, another difficult matchup for Green Bay Packers right tackle Zach Tom, who will have to contend with edge rusher Nick Bosa and the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive front.
Bosa finished the regular season with 95 pressures, the third-most among all edge rushers. The majority of Bosa’s snaps came lined up on the left side of the defensive front, which would pair him with Tom. However, the 49ers do some rotating as well.
So, in addition to having to face Bosa, Tom will also have to deal with Chase Young and Randy Gregory. Young recorded the 17th most pressures at edge rusher in 2023, while Gregory has taken on a rotational role since joining the team in Week 6.
“Big, strong, quick,” said Jon Runyan of the 49ers pass rush. “They rush the passer as good as anyone and try to get off the ball as fast as possible. They’re strong and fast. They got some first-round picks all over their defensive line, so it’s another exciting challenge for us.”
This certainly won’t be the first top-edge rusher that Tom has had to face this season. Tom is coming off a matchup with Micah Parsons, who recorded only one pressure against the Packers, and at various points, he’s also faced Aidan Hutchinson, Maxx Crosby, Khalil Mack, TJ Watt, and Danielle Hunter, all of whom rank in the top 10 in pressures generated this season.
Overall, Tom has surrendered only two sacks the entire season, and he ranks 18th out of 89 eligible offensive tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.
“I have all the confidence in the world in Zach,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Wednesday. “Bosa is a great player. This is gonna be a great test for Zach, and it’s gonna be a great matchup. We had Parsons last week, now you got Bosa this week, and as you go in the playoffs, you’re gonna face those great defenses and those great D-linemen. It’s just another test for him.”
Of course, it’s not only Tom on the Packers’ offensive line that has the challenging matchup. Whether its Bosa or Young lined up on Tom, that means the other will be facing Rasheed Walker.
Walker has navigated well the learning curve that comes with being a first-time starter in the NFL and is playing his best football right now. After beginning to rotate series with Yosh Nijman in Week 9, Walker eventually won the left tackle job outright. Since Weeki 15, he has given up only one sack and, on average, is allowing fewer than two pressures per game, including none against Dallas.
Then, along the interior are Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, and Javon Kinlaw, who all rank 12th, 25th, and 39th, respectively, among all interior defensive linemen in pressures generated.
“Man, that’s a really good group,” said Josh Myers. “And the threats they have, like Fred (Warner) at linebacker, some of those third down blitz packages they’ve got Chase Young on one side, Nick Bosa on one side and then Fred is standing over you. It’s like Jesus. Yeah man, they are super talented,. They play well together. It’s a great front.”
Jordan Love is about as well-equipped as any quarterback can be to handle potential pressure, with him being one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football when under duress since Week 14. But even so, that doesn’t mean the Packers want him dealing with pressure constantly against San Francisco.
As is the case just about every week, success for the Packers offense starts up front with the offensive line. Love regularly being hurried while facing one of the NFL’s top pass defenses is likely not a recipe for success. Having a run game to lean on will be vital as well to help open up opportunities in the passing game and to keep the Packers out of long down-and-distance situations.
“You look at their roster,” added Stenavich, “and not only are most of them first-round picks, but most of them are top-10 picks. So they have talent. They have a lot of talent. I have a lot of respect for how they’re coached. I have a lot of respect for how they play.
“They play physically. They get up the field. They do a really good job in their scheme, so it’s going to be a huge challenge for us. I’m excited for that challenge. This young group that we have, I’m really excited to see how they come out there and how they play. It’s going to be a great environment vs. a really good opponent, so it’s going to be a huge test for us.”
