Colton McKivitz details how Nick Bosa's return builds confidence for 49ers
49ers offensive lineman Colton McKivitz speaks to reporters after San Francisco's final practice before leaving for Australia for the season-opener.
Colton McKivitz details how Nick Bosa's return builds confidence for 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Did a 12-hour to Europe, and I think I got into a ball.
I think you can get one leg straight and then the other kinda in the aisle, so if you sleep like that, maybe.
But we'll see, see if we can get eight hours is the goal, but I doubt it.
I don't usually sleep well on flights, so we'll see.
How encouraging is it to have Nick back on the practice fields?
There's a lot of guys, but specifically Nick.
Yeah, it's Nick Bosa.
You love the competition.
It just means that, you know, having him back out there is, we got another guy on the edge who, who is the guy, that can get after the quarterback.
So to see that he's, finally back out there and kinda ready to go, it, builds a lot of confidence for us on the defense.
From your vantage point, did it seem like the Bosa of old?
Oh, yeah.
Bosa's Bosa.
You guys are starting abroad a- against a team that's, it's a huge game right off the top of the division.
What is just the general importance of this game as you want, you guys are taking this opposite approach with the flights.
Yeah.
I mean, just feel it's really big to start this year.
Yeah, it is division.
I think we have the toughest division in football, so, to get off to, you know, it doesn't really matter who's doing what, we think it's the best way for us to, to go there and get used to the time difference and all that, and, and practice and get in a routine.
So, you know, it's just, it is, it is bigger than , you know, it's the first game of the year obviously, but, when you're in this division, it's, it's a big one, and it's the Rams too, so, it's a big one for us.
Now that you guys have officially started practice, what have you seen from Carver Willis that's encouraging, maybe that you like or that you've been able to pick up- Yeah since he's been out there in practice going up against you guys?
His confidence and physicality.
I think that's kinda one of the big things is, he's always been able to catch the ball, but for him to come in and, and play fullback a little bit as well, and for him to be able to knock guys on the ground and just play, you can see he's playing with confidence, and he's confidence in, in his physicality.
So when you can see that, a guy where he's at in his career, come out and play well, and it shows that, you know, he made the roster and he did enough to, to show that he deserved to be here.
Colton, what's your mental approach for Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett potentially being on the field at the same time?
I don't know.
We'll see.
it's definitely, you know, you gotta be on your A game, but, you know, with those two guys out there, it's, it's hard to Usually you can have a plan for one of those types of players, but when there's two on the field, you know, we're gonna have to do a lot of different things to kinda protect us and protections, but, you know, also, you know, guys gotta be aware of plans, how they play.
Obviously we'll watch some film when AD was in there.
But you know, Myles, Myles is Myles and AD's AD, so, you know, we'll see how many he's gonna play, being the first week and coming out of retirement.
But, it's gonna be a fun week.
Colton, how, how did the, Rams D-line look in the, in the preseason when you watched them?
Didn't watch them in the preseason.
Yeah, it's, I'm sure they had a drive, but, preseason ball's a lot different.
We'll go back, watch the last couple games of the year.
We've got a lot of history, so a couple of, you know, game tapes from when we've played 'em, but, you know, preseason ball is preseason.
You know, guys aren't gonna really show a whole lot in it.
They're gonna get in, get their reps, kind of, kinda walk through and, and then you're ready to play.
So, you know, we're gonna see on week one, and, and that's where it starts.
What have you taken away from Christian McCaffrey, Jalen Black, Jordan James running this, this preseason?
Running hard.
Running hard, running fast.
You know, guys are confident running it, so, it makes our job a lot easier and, and they also kind of a better understanding of, you know, what we're trying to do offensively of where balls are supposed to hit.
Not that we're predetermining stuff, but- Yeah they kind of have an understanding of where the play's designed to hit, and it's just they've got more confidence in that and, it's making us more confident too.
Does Christian seem like Christian?
He does.
Yeah, Bosa's Bosa and, and, McCaffrey's McCaffrey.
All the, the water stuff he does and, you know, all the different flow stuff he's doing, it's paying off.
Does it feel like that it, it's the, I know every team is different and a new team.
Does it feel like this new team is kinda like the old team a little bit with the guys coming back?
I wouldn't say old team.
You know, every year is new, but, you know, last year we didn't really have a plan.
It was just getting better.
We're trying to build off that.
So, I'm not gonna say we're the 2019 Niners or the 2023 Niners, or even last year's.
You know, this is a new team, it's, we gotta have goals of our own, get better every week, and then we'll see, see where it goes from there.
But everything starts week one.
