‘Youngstown 49ers’ set for Jets

Associated Press

east rutherford, n.j.

Patrick Willis is a play-making, tackle-lovin’ linebacker — who misses his puppy.

Zeus, a blue-nosed pit bull, is back home in San Francisco while Willis and the 49ers are on an extended road trip for the second straight season.

Rather than head back to the West Coast after a loss in Minnesota last week, Jim Harbaugh’s team practiced at Youngstown State all week — giving the 49ers a much shorter trip to New York to play the Jets today.

“They always say, ‘There’s no place like home,”’ Willis said. “Obviously, we’d like to be sleeping in our own beds. I have a puppy, so I’d love to be seeing him, but other than that, it’s good to try to get away from the distractions back home. And distractions, I don’t mean it in a bad way, but we have to focus more on football.”

Especially coming off their surprising 24-13 loss to the Vikings. For a team considered by many to be the best in the NFL, last week turned out to be a big dud. So, a little time together on the road might be the perfect remedy for the 49ers (2-1).

“It gives us the chance to do what we need to do, and hopefully be more focused and just continue to build team camaraderie between us,” Willis said. “My take on it is good. It’s going to benefit us in a lot of ways, more than one.”

San Francisco hopes that translates into a victory at MetLife Stadium, where the 49ers will play for the first time against the AFC East-leading Jets (2-1).

After all, it worked last season when the 49ers won in Cincinnati, stayed in Youngstown and then rallied from a 20-0 deficit to stun the Eagles 24-23 in Philadelphia.

“What are the risks? What are the rewards?” coach Jim Harbaugh said, referring to the list he made of pros and cons for not going back to San Francisco. “The rewards, to us, outweighed the risks.”