Yosh Nijman’s impressive 2021 preseason led to an opportunity for his first career start for the Green Bay Packers during their Week 3 meeting against the San Francisco 49ers. Nijman was called on to replace Elgton Jenkins at left tackle after Jenkins was ruled out on Saturday with an ankle injury.
Nijman allowed just one sack in 88 snaps as a pass blocker during the preseason. However, nothing could prepare him for a menacing 49ers pass rush on short notice. Somehow, in an impressive yet improbable debut performance, Nijman did not allow even a single pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.
The game didn’t start great for Nijman, who earned a costly penalty on the opening drive. The Packers were driving down the field before stalling in the red zone after Nijman grabbed the face penalty of Nick Bosa. The penalty backed Green Bay’s offense up 15 yards and later forced Mason Crosby to kick a 54-yarder which he made.
After that, though, the Packers gave him help and Nijman was able to settle in.
“I think I just needed the first drive to get the jitterbugs out,” Nijman said after the game, per Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think later on in the game, I kind of settled down a little bit, got in the flow of it and everything. With that mindset, I was trying to stay cool, calm, and collected.”
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers operated from a clean pocket for most of the night. The team used double teams, chip blocks, and quick passes to help Nijman stave off Bosa. After making a sack in each of his first two games in 2021, Bosa failed to do so against Green Bay.
When it became known that Jenkins’ status may be in jeopardy, Rodgers was surprised when offensive line coach Adam Stenavich told him Nijman would be the one protecting his blindside.
Stenavich is entering his third season as the Packers offensive line coach. Time and time again, he’s shown to be one of the best in the business at getting guys ready to play. On Sunday night, Green Bay started four offensive linemen with less than three years of experience. However, it didn’t matter as Rodgers took just one sack and the offense scored 30 points and racked up over 350 yards of total offense.
On a magical night that saw the Packers secure a late comeback win, Nijman proved he is more than capable of filling in during a pinch. When you help neutralize a talent like Bosa, you definitely deserve a ton of praise.
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8 takeaways from Packers’ 30-28 win over the 49ers
