NaVorro Bowman is Recharged and Ready to go

When the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-6 on Sunday, offense was not the standout factor. It was the defense and NaVorro Bowman that finally played like they did before last season’s disaster. Aside from some field goals, the majority of the Niners’ points came from touchdowns by the defense and special teams.

A nose tackle for the 49ers, Mike Purcell, had a shocking touchdown after his 37 yard interception return. People have the right to be thoroughly bored by the preseason, but his pick six certainly woke up the crowd at Levi’s Stadium. Based on the first preseason game against the Houston Texans, things didn’t seem to be coming together yet. However, the defense of the San Francisco 49ers looked recharged and ready to go in the victory against the Cowboys.

There has been a lot of speculation in the offseason over things the offense must do for success, but the old cliche, “defense wins championships,” is definitely true. Last year, the Niners’ defense took away any shot of even making the playoffs.

With both NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis injured last season, the 49ers’ defense was in disarray. Penalties absolutely killed them, and the performance was a mess.

Honestly, it’s good that Bowman sat out all of last season because the 49ers’ obviously didn’t want to risk further injury. The Niners don’t have Willis to lead the defense anymore, but Bowman seems ready to be the main anchor for this team.

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Bowman played extremely well in his one and only series against the Dallas Cowboys. He looked quicker than ever as he surged for tackles. In the three tackles Bowman made, two of them were for a loss. If fans are worried about the upcoming season, just put your faith in NaVorro Bowman. He’s certain to turn the San Francisco 49ers around.

49ers.com had an article about his emotional return to the field, and it made some interesting points. It talked about how Bowman improved his football intelligence by standing on the sideline all of last season. They quoted Bowman saying:

"“I saw it from the coaches’ view,” Bowman said. “That’s what the greats do; they find different ways to learn. That’s what the year gave me. I wanted to show that I’m a student of the game, not just a player.”"

With that, my excitement for Bowman this season blasted to a new level. It’s great to know that he is truly dedicated to perfecting his craft of defensive football. For now, the 49ers don’t want to push Bowman’s knee too much. That’s why he only played one series in the game. Bowman is clearly using this preseason to gradually make himself feel ready for a full game’s worth of reps in the regular season.

Of his return to the field, 49ers.com also quoted Bowman saying, “my adrenaline was rushing. It felt good to hit someone else; to just go out there and make some plays.”

Opposing offenses should be genuinely worried about the San Francisco 49ers. Bowman is coming off of an injury, so teams might not think of him as a threat. However, NaVorro Bowman looks strong and ready to rip off some heads. A fresh linebacker who’s recharged and as good as Bowman should scare any team.

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