Bosa prepares to get after Gore
Longtime running back and former 49ers great is ‘the enemy’ this week
Nick Bosa sulked in the San Francisco 49ers’ locker room after their Super Bowl loss when a team legend came up to console and encourage him.
It was Frank Gore.
“He just told me to keep my head up and gave me a few words of good advice,” Bosa recalled Thursday of first meeting Gore. “He seems like an unbelievable dude. But he’s obviously the enemy this week, so, I’m going
to get after him.”
Bosa and the 49ers look to rebound from Sunday’s season-opening loss by traveling back east Friday for back-to-back games against the New York teams, starting with the Jets whose best player might be a 37-year-old running back — Gore.
The 49ers’ defensive front could be without one of their best players, however. Defensive end Dee Ford missed Thursday’s practice with a neck injury, to which defensive coordinator Robert Saleh would only say he is “not overly concerned.”
Saleh deferred further comment to coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers medical staff, who were not immediately made available. Shanahan is not slated to speak until Friday.
Neither Ford, Bosa nor any other defenders could prevent the Arizona Cardinals and elusive quarterback Kyler Murray from a 24-20 comeback win.
The Jets (1-0) are more appetizing, all due respect to their young quarterback, Sam Darnold, and to Gore, the 49ers’ all-time rushing leader via his 2005-14 service.
“We’re playing a team that allows us to play our scheme this week, and we’re excited about that,” Bosa added.
A year ago, Bosa was drafted No.
2 overall, ahead of the Jets’ Quinnen Williams at No. 3. Although the 49ers have said Williams was a finalist for them, Saleh claimed Thursday it was “Bosa or bust,” to which Bosa responded how he is “just real happy” how it all transpired.
As for the 49ers’ top pick this year, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw’s debut was “super encouraging” to Bosa and Saleh was “very pleased” with Kinlaw’s “tremendous amount of violence.” Bosa said Kinlaw is “probably at 50 percent of his potential, just to give you an idea.”
Kinlaw assisted on just one tackle. He and the 49ers are not measuring by stats but rather, in his words: violence, aggressiveness, knock-back and surge. “My performance Week 1 was very below average to me, probably that way for a lot of people,”
Kinlaw said.
Kinlaw had a fantastic closing line to his media session via Zoom: “Go punch it in the face. That’s how I deal with adversity. Just go punch it straight in the mouth.”
HEALTH CENTER >> Tight end George Kittle (knee sprain) missed 49ers practice for a second straight day, while Ford, cornerback Jason Verrett (hamstring) and wide receiver Richie James (hamstring) were the only other 49ers not to participate.
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was limited as he comes through the concussion protocol and likely will start in place of Richard Sherman (injured reserve). Center Ben Garland practiced in full for a second straight day.
After totaling three tackles and no quarterback hits or sacks in the opener, Ford practiced in full Wednesday. He missed two weeks of practice toward the end of training camp last month because of a calf issue.