49ers encouraged with preparation during first-round playoff bye

SANTA CLARA — While the outside world debates the 49ers' ability to stay sharp during their long layoff between games, San Francisco's players believe they have been given the perfect recipe for success. Coach Kyle Shanahan has had the challenging job of building a schedule to keep his players healthy while still maintaining a sense of urgency during the first-round playoff bye. Defensive end Nick Bosa believes that a fast-paced practice on Thursday before putting on the pads for Friday's session was the ideal mix. "I think Kyle set it up well for us," Bosa said on Thursday. "We had a couple of days off to get feeling good. The game obviously wasn't too much for me. I got a little time there, and we have two solid practices. "Felt good, fresh today. Just working on our stuff a little bit. Tomorrow will be pads and then we have another two days off. I think it's a perfect mix of getting fresh but also staying sharp." While Bosa was on the field for eight defensive plays in Week 18, linebacker Fred Warner was active for a little longer, totaling 13 plays — 12 on defense and one on special teams. The All-Pro linebacker believes the time off will be used wisely, just as it was...