49ers Notebook: Saleh’s high praise for Collins; Mykel Williams’ growth; Jones still not throwing; Football nightmares

The San Francisco 49ers spoke with reporters after Thursday's practice as they prepare for Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Fresh off an overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers aim to keep their momentum rolling.

Robert Saleh's high praise for Alfred Collins

On Wednesday, linebacker Fred Warner applauded rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins for his late-game forced fumble and recovery at the goal line against the Rams—a play that prevented a go-ahead score and forced overtime.

"I for sure never made close to that type of play in my rookie year. He's far ahead of where I was, so the sky's the limit," Warner said.

On Thursday, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh weighed in on Collins' effort, saying, "That was probably one of the coolest individual efforts I've ever seen in a game of football."

Saleh noted that during the pre-draft evaluation, the 49ers were impressed with Collins' "tremendous length," which was evident on that standout play.

"It showed up there," Saleh explained. "The amount of strain and individual effort that it took for him to split the double team and a violent punch out, it was probably one of the coolest and most impressive individual efforts I've seen from an interior lineman that close to the goal line. So, that clip will be on teach tapes for a very, very, very long time. I could promise that.

"Alfred, he did get off to a slow start in training camp, but that young man, he's made of the right stuff, his day-in and day-out attitude, his work ethic, his strain, all of it. It's important to him. He loves this game, and he's going to be a problem."

Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins continuing to grow

Collins isn't the only rookie defensive lineman drawing praise. First-round pick Mykel Williams has also impressed, especially in the run game. However, Saleh said both Williams and Collins are still refining their pass-rush skills.

"Yeah, he's doing a great job," Saleh said of Williams. "From a run perspective, he's doing a really nice job setting edges. You know, him and Alfred, for example, they're still trying to find their ways as pass rushers. There are times where Alfred, being the big man that he is, it looks like he's trying to play finesse. And there's times where Mykel's trying to run through people and just having that changeup where Mykel might have to play a little finesse and Alfred might run through somebody's face.

"They're learning their style, they're learning what works for them. The cool thing is that they've got tremendous intent. They play with tremendous strain. They're smart, they're upbeat. So, we're excited to work with them. They'll continue to get better."

No panic over 49ers' pass rush

Since losing Nick Bosa to a torn ACL, San Francisco's defensive line has struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks. Still, Saleh insists the team isn't panicking—especially with the 49ers sitting at 4-1 and atop the NFC West.

With so much youth on the roster, several players are still finding their footing, and the best is potentially yet to come.

"We'll continue to grow," Saleh said. "I'm not hitting any panic buttons. There's a lot of young guys in there still trying to find their way through the NFL. I thought even against the Rams, I felt like [DL Bryce] Huff was just a breath away from ending the game a couple of times there in the fourth quarter.

"But can it be better? Absolutely. Could it be worse? Absolutely. But I'm not at that point where we're going to panic. We're going to keep working with these young guys and giving them opportunities to rush the passer, and they'll get better as the year goes."

Mac Jones' status vs. Buccaneers

The 49ers are hopeful that quarterback Mac Jones will be ready to make his fourth start of the season on Sunday against the Buccaneers. Starter Brock Purdy remains sidelined as he recovers from a toe injury, keeping Jones' availability in the spotlight.

The concern, however, is that Jones has been limited in practice this week while managing knee and oblique injuries. He has done little beyond light throwing before team drills, raising questions about his readiness.

When asked if he would feel comfortable playing if the game were held today, Jones replied, "I mean, the game's not today, right? I don't really do theoretical questions, but I definitely feel like I have a good plan in place. And the game's on Sunday, and we'll see how I feel when we get there."

Jones added that he has been conserving throws during practice to ensure he is ready for game day.

"There's a lot of volume out there, and at the end of the day, gotta be ready for Sunday," Jones explained. "And like I said, we've got a plan, so I'm taking it day by day."

During a radio interview, head coach Kyle Shanahan provided his own update on Jones: "Yeah, he wasn't able [to throw] today, so he just focused on handoffs and stuff like that. So, really trying to rest it up. Should be good to go on Sunday, but definitely wasn't good enough to go today. So hopefully, that'll continue to improve."

Trent Williams' football nightmare

Saleh has repeatedly admitted that his mind is so consumed by football during the season that he's been known to have nightmares about upcoming games. A reporter asked left tackle Trent Williams if he ever has football-related nightmares like his defensive coordinator. The offensive lineman's nightmares are a little different.

"I get one frequently," Williams said. "I'm pretty sure a lot of us get that—but oversleeping the game, pulling up at halftime. So yeah, wake up in a sweat on that one."

Chase Lucas is in awe of Fred Warner

San Francisco 49ers defensive back Chase Lucas may be the same age as All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner—28 years old—but he speaks about Warner with the admiration of a rookie learning from a veteran star.

Lucas holds Warner in the highest regard and believes he can elevate his own game by modeling his approach after the 49ers' defensive leader.

"I ain't gonna lie, everything that he does, I try to copy off him," Lucas admitted. "You can just see it in his intent. I've never seen him miss a practice, never seen him miss a game, I've never seen him miss a rep. Me being the same age as him, I look at him like he's just this great player, man. He already got the gold jacket on him."

Lucas added that Warner's leadership carries weight throughout the locker room.

"I think everything he does, he says, he says it and he means it," Lucas noted. "All of us just kind of buy into it. I think I buy into it a little bit more because I see how great he is, and I just wanna be on the same path."