Nick Bosa is the key player for a 49ers victory against the Buccaneers

Second overall pick Nick Bosa returned to the field today for the first time since sustaining an ankle sprain on August 7th. Limiting him this week in practice is critical because he is the key player for a 49ers victory against the Buccaneers.

Rookie defensive end Nick Bosa returned to practice today for the San Francisco 49ers after suffering an ankle sprain on August 7th. His return to the field is a great indicator that he will be good to go come Sunday for the NFL regular season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Having Bosa back at this time given his widely questionable status is huge for the 49ers. That is because Nick Bosa is the key player for a 49ers victory against the Buccaneers.

Without him I do not envision a scenario where the 49ers emerge victorious. Now I know that it may seem crazy to consider a rookie player such a critical piece to a win for week one. However, without Bosa the 49ers pass rush will be incomplete. They need to have all pass rushers on deck for their matchup in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers pass protection is by no means a talented one, especially after being exposed by the Cleveland Browns.

#49ers Nick Bosa said his motivation to make NFL debut fueled him past 3 weeks while recovering from first-ever high ankle sprain. “He’s playing,” lockermate DJ Jones vowed pic.twitter.com/DakDbKOqoS

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 2, 2019

It was a terrible outing for the Buccaneers offensive line against that vaunted Browns defensive line. There was just too much talent to account for the Buccaneers to account for. That same terrible outing can be replicated if the Nick Bosa is active for the 49ers on Sunday. Both the Browns and 49ers pass rush are similar. The 49ers can easily replicate what they did in that preseason game to generate pressure on Winston.

It's why Bosa is the key player to a victory against the Buccaneers. Outside of him and Dee Ford, there is no one on that depth chart that can impact the game. That's why I have pounded the table for the 49ers to limit Bosa in practice for the rest of the 2019 season. It is not worth it for him to practice all out when is presence on Sundays is so crucial. Offenses will not fear the pass rush that much if Bosa is missing. Sure there is still Ford and DeForest Buckner, but Bosa's presence just pushes everyone down in terms of priority.

Offenses can't scheme around each of these talented pass rushers. They are going to have to pick their battles with one of them and hope the offensive line does their job by blocking the rest. The Buccaneers tried that against the Browns, but they were just too loaded with talent. I know it was just a preseason game, but when it comes to the trenches there isn't much being changed come the regular season. The 49ers can definitely pick up on that weakness of the Buccaneers, which is their pass protection.

Not to mention that Jameis Winston is known for panicking when the pressure is in his face. It's a great sign that Nick Bosa is back in practice, as well as cornerback Jason Verrett, but it will be all for naught if the 49ers do not limit him. Save him for the game on Sunday because it will be a tough one regardless. West coast teams in eastern time zones do not fair well. The 49ers backs are already against the wall, which just caps off another reason why Bosa is the key to victory. Let's see how they will treat and monitor Bosa throughout the week leading up to Sunday.