Ford a big part of 49ers’ turnaround.
Dee Ford’s speed has helped turn Niners’ defense around
If the NFL held a 4yard dash competition, Dee Ford might own the title of Football’s Fastest Human.
Lightning off the line, that’s the 49ers’ defensive end.
“He presents a lot of problems,” said 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, who sees a lot of Ford in practice. “He can use his speed to spook a lot of offensive linemen. One of the worst things that can ever happen to you as an offensive lineman is to feel late, and I think about 50% of the time when you’re trying to block him, you have that feeling, because he’s so good at getting off the ball and getting around your edge. (His speed) makes it really, really hard for guys to stay in front of him.”
Ask the experts to explain why the 49ers improved from 412 last season to 133 this season, and most will point to the addition of two defensive ends — Ford, obtained by trade from Kansas City, and Nick Bosa, drafted in the first round. With two lightning edge rushers, a mushy defense hardened up like quickdry concrete.
Ford/Bosa wasn’t so much an addition as it was an infusion, an IV
Niners defensive end Dee Ford (55) sacks Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game at Levi’s Stadium last Saturday.
jolt of speed and energy. Ford sat out five of the final six regularseason games with hamstring issues, but came back strong in the 49ers’ playoff win over the Vikings last weekend. He’s healthy (relatively speaking) for Sunday’s NFC Championship against the Packers, and that’s a big factor in the 49ers being favored by a touchdown or more.
Ford played in a conference championship game a year ago, a game he might like to put further behind him with a win Sunday. In the final minute of regulation in that AFC title game against the Patriots, Ford was flagged for lining up in the neutral zone. That penalty wiped out a Kansas City interception, gave the Patriots new life, and they won in overtime.
In a oneonone interview Thursday, I asked Ford if the memory of that play gives him extra incentive in this conference title game.
“No, that was a sloppy play on my end, and an unfortunate circumstance,” Ford said. “I felt terrible for some time about it, but the biggest motivation for me is the same — I want to help my team get to a championship, and unfortunately I just wasn’t able to do it there. At the end of the day, all I have is what’s in front of me, which is getting my mind right for the next opportunity, and now we’re here.”
The 49ers are here in no small part due to Ford’s play. Even with nagging injuries (he’s also got a knee issue), he’s still got plenty of the lightning that is his calling card.
Asked to explain his speed/ quickness, Ford said, “It evolved as a gift, and I kind of took it to another level, and tried to master it. Just understanding that speed kills, and if speed kills, I want to be the fastest you’ve ever seen. That’s kind of been my approach . ...
I’m not the fastest, but I’m the most effective at being fast, if that makes sense.” Sort of, but please explain. “There’s a lot of guys that on paper, we can all run the same 40 (dash time) . ... There’s guys that run 4.4, I ran 4.4 before. But that speed won’t always translate to rushing. It’s certain hip flexibility that you have to have, it’s a certain skill set that you have to have. So you have to know how to use that speed, you see what I’m saying? It has to translate.
“Say a guy who runs a 4.6, if he’s really good at coming out of his stance, if he can stay low to the ground and not falsestep, and keep his running form and explode out, he will be faster than the guy who runs a 4.4 who can’t come out of his stance. It’s all the little things that people ignore. It’s a lot of work, though, a lot of work. You got to master that craft.”
Ford said he knew when the trade was made that he was coming to a team on the rise, which explains why he signed a fiveyear deal when he got to the 49ers. He said K.C. coach Andy Reid told him, “You’re going to help that team be great again.”
Said Ford: “I already knew they was good . ... Now, I didn’t know it would happen this fast, I knew our team would play great, but we really caught on early. I’m talking as early as OTAs. That’s just the fruits of your labor, I feel like. When you put your heads down and work, I believe you will shock yourself. We look up and we’re 50, it’s like, ‘Damn, we’re here now!’ ”