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Nick Bosa said the 49ers figured out Jalen Hurts: ‘Hopefully the Cowboys watch the tape’

The Niners edge rusher is hoping the Cowboys follow their “blueprint” to a win over Birds on Sunday.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts passes as San Francisco defensive end Arik Armstead closes in.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts passes as San Francisco defensive end Arik Armstead closes in.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

After dismantling the Eagles on Sunday, Nick Bosa and the 49ers think they’ve figured Jalen Hurts out — and hope they’ve given the Cowboys a blueprint to follow.

The Niners held the Birds to 19 points and Hurts to 26-of-45 passing for 298 yards and two touchdowns, plus seven carries for 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Those aren’t bad numbers, but it was Hurts’ lowest completion percentage and second-lowest total of rushing yards in any game so far this season. Hurts also took three sacks.

“Jalen is looking at the rush every play,” Bosa told reporters on Wednesday. “So you just have to be disciplined and not give him that quick escape route. ... When you play on a good team like this, a really good team, you have to sometimes give up some of the selfish-type statistics, rushing out of your gap, stuff like that, for the bigger picture, and I think we did that great. We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B gaps [between the tackle and guard], and it paid off.”

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After the win Sunday, the 49ers are back in the race with the Eagles for the top spot in the NFC. With the Birds traveling to Dallas to face the Cowboys this Sunday, the Niners are turning to an unlikely ally to give them extra help in the race.

During the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Cowboys on Nov. 5, Hurts’ three touchdowns, including two passing TDs in the third quarter, made the difference in the game. Hurts passed for only 207 yards, but he was efficient, completing 17 of 23 attempts.

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With similarly elite pass rusher Micah Parsons up to face Hurts and the Eagles on Sunday, Bosa said he hopes the Cowboys learn from what the Niners did right — and help his team catch the Birds in the standings with a win on Sunday night.

“We put the blueprint out there,” Bosa said Wednesday. “Hopefully the Cowboys watch the tape.”