SANTA CLARA – Nick Bosa, isn’t there anything you can do this time around to finally draw a holding penalty on the Kansas City Chiefs?
“I never know that it’s happening. It’s hard to tell whether I’m getting held or not,” Bosa said ahead of Sunday’s visit by the Chiefs (5-0) to the 49ers (3-3). “I’m just trying to get to the quarterback.”
Two Super Bowl matchups, two 49ers defeats, and not one holding penalty called on Kansas City’s unindicted protectors of Patrick Mahomes.
Bosa, in his sixth year, was intrigued to learn the Chiefs have committed the NFL’s third-most offensive holding penalties this season. But it’s not his style to campaign or plead for such infractions, especially not during games when he’s oblivious to potential lawbreakers.
“I just feel myself not moving and I feel I’m being blocked or not closing enough on the quarterback,” Bosa said. “Until you watch the tape it’s hard to tell.”
The 49ers Faithful wasted no time splicing film of Bosa being held after each Super Bowl defeat from the 2019 and ’23 seasons. Bill Vinovich refereed both of those games, and with him working the Seahawks-Falcons game in Atlanta on Sunday, the man announcing penalties at Levi’s Stadium will be Alan Eck, a second-year referee.
“It seems different every week,” Bosa said of how holding is officiated.
Sunday’s rematch with the Chiefs – reminder: no trophy is at stake this time – has the 49ers painfully reliving key plays from their Super Bowl meetings, not to mention the Chiefs’ 44-23 rout at Levi’s Stadium two Octobers ago.
The most obvious, overlooked call was Eric Fisher’s unpenalized hold on Bosa during Mahomes’ “Jet Chip Wasp” completion to Tyreek Hill that sparked the 49ers’ downfall. Greg Papa, the 49ers’ play-by-play voice, mentioned on KNBR 680-AM on Thursday there were other holding penalties not called in the last Super Bowl, specifically two by former 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon on third-down conversions.
The Chiefs’ starting offensive line and their holding penalties this season: left tackle Wanya Morris (none), left guard Joe Thuney (none), center Creed Humphrey (one), right guard Trey Smith (two), right tackle Jawaan Taylor (two). Morris entered the lineup after rookie Kingsley Suamataia had three holding calls the first two games. Taylor has committed five false-start penalties this year, after leading the NFL with 20 penalties overall last season.
Opponents have been called for only four offensive holding penalties this season, with two cited on Bosa’s blockers – in the opener against the Jets and in the Week 3 loss to the Rams.
Conversely, Bosa has only three sacks this season, and fellow defensive end Leonard Floyd just two. After Bosa produced 14 pressures yet no sacks in last Thursday night’s win at Seattle, he’s obviously on the Chiefs’ radar.
“Their defensive front, it starts with those guys,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid told reporters in Kansas City. “They’ve got an All-Pro linebacker (Fred Warner) sitting right there, along with their secondary. They’re well rounded but it starts with the defensive front. Those guys set the tempo.”
PRACTICE UPDATES
While wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) remained out of practice, rookie Ricky Pearsall was a full participant for the third straight practice. There’s been no official word whether Pearsall will be activated off the non-football injury list for Sunday’s game, seven weeks after he survived a gunshot wound through his chest in a San Francisco robbery attempt.
Running back Jordan Mason (shoulder) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (wrist) remained limited and in no-contact jerseys.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (knee) returned after missing Wednesday; back from a rest day were left tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Leonard Floyd.
Kickers Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (back, shoulder) were not present, so it appears Anders Carlson will come up from the practice squad and serve as the 49ers’ third kicker in as many games.
CHIEFS’ COMPLIMENTS
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dished out plenty of respec to the 49ers on Thursday: “Listen, this offense is still a headache to defend. I know they’re minus the running back (Christian McCaffrey), but I think the guys that are plugged in there for him still make that whole system effective.”
While Spagnuolo then spoke highly of Mason’s fill-in abilities for McCaffrey, it’s quarterback Brock Purdy who drew the most specific compliments: “I can’t find a weakness in this quarterback. Every time I get the film on, I’m more and more impressed. … The quarterback is really good against zone and finding those pockets and spaces, and the receivers adjust routes to do that. … To me, the most impressive thing is, even if he isn’t getting it out quick on a blitz, he has a unique way of getting away from it.”
