Dominick Puni got his first regular-season NFL game under his belt, and the San Francisco 49ers rookie performed well in Monday night's win over the New York Jets. For an offensive lineman, if you aren't the focus of replays, you've likely held your own against pass rushers. That was the case for Puni.
However, this weekend will present a different challenge. After the comfort of a home crowd at Levi's Stadium in Week 1, the 49ers will now face the raucous Minnesota Vikings fans at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Veteran tackle Trent Williams spoke with reporters in the 49ers locker room following Thursday's practice. When asked if he had given Puni any advice on preparing for what will likely be a challenging environment, the 36-year-old Williams seemed almost surprised by the question—a huge compliment to the rookie.
"No, I didn't talk to him about that," Williams admitted. "I forget he's a rookie sometimes. He's just so mature for his age. Yeah, I'm pretty sure we'll have time to discuss it. He's so ahead of the curve, though. He probably don't need much from me."
Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster was also pleased with Puni's performance against the Jets, stating, "He was solid. A solid performance."
The coach added that Puni rarely gets rattled, and Monday night was no exception.
"If he was rattled, I didn't notice it," Foerster said. "I got on him a little bit, but he doesn't get rattled, so I didn't notice that. And it's probably how he did feel, first game, on Monday Night Football. I don't think they were doing a lot towards him, but he felt it. It's a big game, the first game. It's hard. And he did a really nice job, but we [all] could have been better."
Williams also commented on Puni's regular-season debut, noting that nothing negative stood out.
"I didn't notice anything," Williams shared. "He's on the other side, so it's kind of hard for me to keep up with everything, all the intricate stuff he's going through. But I didn't notice anything. The film looked good.
"He communicated well on the sideline, letting folks know what he's seeing, which, sometimes, that can be the hardest part for a rookie to be able to come back and give that information that you're seeing on the field in real-time, so you can make real-time adjustments. He did a great job doing that, so I think he's okay."
