Mullens is ready to take on Bears
SANTA CLARA » Nick Mullens said it was his own fault last weekend that Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark was able to come free on a stunt up the middle and plant him into the Levi’s Stadium turf.
Still, Mullens got the ball out, bounced right back up after the incomplete pass and stayed in the game that the 49ers went on to win 26-23 in overtime. Mullens didn’t commit a turnover and threw for 275 yards.
“It’s just kind of how I’ve been raised and taught. Just get back up and play the next play,” Mullens said. “It’s kind of how I’m wired, how I’ve been taught growing up. It’s just kind of how I am. Get hit, put it past you, play the next play.”
Mullens will need to carry
that same mentality into Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears in the 49ers’ home finale. The Bears are tied for fourth in the NFL with 45 sacks and lead the league with 26 interceptions.
As tough as it was to play the Seahawks twice in three weeks, facing a Bears team that is third in the NFL in total defense presents its own challenges. Chicago clinched the NFC North title with its 24-17 win over Green Bay last weekend and has forced five turnovers in its past two games.
“They’ve always had a pass rush,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “They do different ways of it. They do have some pressures and stuff, but they rarely run pressures that make their coverages vulnerable.”
“They can sit on certain routes because they know the pass rush is going to get there quicker,” said Mullens, who has thrown for 1,754 and 10 touchdowns in six starts. “So, they can take a couple more risks. They do a good job of that.”
After avoiding being sacked in his first two games as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, Mullens has been dropped for loss 13 times over the past four weeks.
Unfortunately for 49ers quarterbacks this season, those numbers aren’t particularly unusual. Jimmy Garoppolo, C. J. Beathard and Mullens have been sacked a combined 44 times this season, tied for seventh-most in the NFL.
What’s different about Mullens is the way he’s protected the ball. He has thrown six interceptions in six starts this year, but he has fumbled only twice. Garoppolo had four fumbles in three starts and Beathard had five in six games.
“There’s certain times in the pocket where things get tight, you kind of understand that you’re about to get sacked,” Mullens said. “So, it’s very important you hold on to the ball and not make a bad play worse. So, that’s important. It’s something that I’ve tried to focus on. If you have a bad play, take the bad play, don’t make it worse.”
Mullens’ maturation at the quarterback position has allowed Shanahan to take a few more chances with his play- calling.
“There’s definitely a number of times I haven’t called a good play and it hasn’t ended up bad,” Shanahan said. “That’s what allows you as a play- caller to be more aggressive. You always want to call the perfect one. Sometimes, you’ve got a smaller chance of get- ting it, but if the risk isn’t as low, then you feel a lot better doing it more.”
Said Mullens: “My mindset’s not going to change. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. Just stick to your progressions, stay calm in the pocket, lead the offense and distribute the football. They do a good job in the secondary, but we’re pretty excited about what we have planned.”
• Enjoying a breakout year, 49ers defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said he’s trying not to think about a possible contract extension right now with two games left in the regular season. Buckner is in the third year of a fouryear deal worth $18.2 million that he signed in May 2016, just a few days after he was drafted seventh overall out of Oregon by the 49ers. The deal included a $11.4 signing bonus, and carries a team option for 2020.
Buckner, 24, is eligible for a contract extension as soon as the season ends, and he said he’s talked in recent weeks with his agent ahead of an upcoming visit about his next deal. “I talked to my agent the past couple weeks. He’s going to come out during the offseason and we’ll talk a little more.”
Buckner has 11 sacks this season, tied for 14th most in the NFL, and 20 for his career. Despite this, he was not selected to the Pro Bowl, but instead as an alternate to the Jan. 2019 game in Orlando, Fla.
“They’ve got me as an alternate so at least they know my name,” Buckner said. “Now I’ve got to get them to remember it.”
•A day after he was limited in practice, safety Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder) did not take the field Thursday. Linebacker Mark Nzeocha (groin) did not practice for the second straight day. Running back Matt Breida and linebacker Mal- colm Smith were limited in practice for the second straight day. Safety Antone Exum (hip), center Weston Richburg (knee), tackle Joe Staley (not injury related) and cornerback K’Waun Williams ( knee) were full participants.