49ers vs. Lions: 3 Niners who set the tone with massive Week 1 game

For Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, the 49ers travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. Here are three players that are poised for big games.

It’s finally here. The San Francisco 49ers‘ first regular-season game against the Detroit Lions is this Sunday, Sept. 12. The Niners have a chance to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender this season, and this is where that starts.

If the 49ers are going to contend, they will need players who play at elite levels. Luckily, they have many players capable of that.

Here are three players who will have massive Week 1 performances, setting the tone for San Francisco not only this game but the entire season.

No. 1: 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa

First up on this list of players poised to have massive Week 1s is edge rusher Nick Bosa. This pick might be chalk, as Bosa is one of the Niners’ brightest stars, but that does not make it any less true.

Bosa is coming off of an ACL tear and is by some accounts better than he was before. The 49ers will need Bosa to be back at the superstar level he was in his rookie season when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year if they are going to contend this season.

The good news is he appears to be at that level.

Against the Lions this weekend, Bosa will have the chance to prove that not only does he still have it, but that he’s improved. Bosa did not play for San Francisco in the preseason as he worked his way back from injury, so Niner fans have not had the chance to see him in action.

Hopefully, he is worth the wait.

If Bosa is back to form, the Lions will be a great team to showcase it against. The Lions are in the midst of the rebuild after trading away quarterback Matthew Stafford for their new starter, Jared Goff, and bringing in a new head coach, Dan Campbell.

FanSided currently has the Lions ranked 29th of the 32 NFL teams in their latest power rankings.

Personally, I think that may be a tad optimistic.

The Lions are not going to be a good team this season, and Bosa will benefit from that in Week 1. Goff was sacked 23 times in 2020, and that was with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay calling plays. Without McVay behind the wheel, expect Goff to be sacked even more, and expect Bosa to land a sack or two in Week 1.

Bosa is due for a huge 2021 season, and he is going to start it off with a strong Week 1 performance.