The 49ers defense unsettled second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett in Week 1 and held veteran Matthew Stafford in Week 2.
They now face a unique challenge at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday night: New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones is far from a perfect quarterback, but he can extend plays and drives with his legs. On Tuesday, 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa shared a stat highlighting the defense heading into their prime-time clash.
In 16 career games in which Jones completed less than 60 percent of his pass attempts, the Giants are 1-15.
“He’s good in the pocket,” Bosa told reporters Tuesday in Santa Clara. “…If we can put a lot of pressure on him and keep his completion rate low, we have a good chance.”
Jones lost five such games as a rookie in 2019 and three each in 2020, ’21 and ’22. In the Cowboys’ 40-0 win over the Giants to open the 2023 NFL season two weeks ago, he completed only 53.6 percent of his pass attempts.
The only time Jones completed less than 60 percent of his attempts and won was the Giants’ 19-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020. The opposing quarterback in that game was current 49ers backup Brandon Allen, who was for filled in for the injured Joe Burrow on a four-win Bengals team.
Jones and the Giants’ offense will be without Saquon Barkley on Thursday, who is tied for the team lead with nine receptions this season. Tight end Darren Waller, who New York acquired last offseason, will be New York’s best active pass catcher. Waller had nine catches for 112 yards in the first two games.
“It will be pretty much the opposite of what we just did with Stafford,” Bosa said. “Could definitely hold it for a bit. We just have to keep him in check, he’s going to try to take advantage of every chance he gets, so we’ll just try to pass him and be good in our main lanes and we might have a good day.”
The 49ers will look to keep Jones’ completion percentage low, starting with applying pressure in the pass rush. Bosa, looking for his first sack since signing a record five-year contract extension earlier this month, plans to face Jones all night Thursday.
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