TRANSCRIPTS: Rams-49ers Postgame Quotes
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TRANSCRIPTS: Rams vs. 49ers - Postgame Quotes - October 13, 2019
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening remarks)
“Congratulations to the 49ers, they did a good job today. There is a lot of things that…All I know how to do is just go back, let’s look at the film, let’s figure out what we can do to be better. The guys continued to battle, but really, it’s just about let’s stay together, let’s not let this little bit of adversity that we’re going through divide us. It’s my job to make sure that we continue to work as hard as we can to look inward, find the solutions, and just get better. There is nothing we can do about this performance other than learn from it. That’s all that I know how to do, that’s what we will do, and we’re going to work as hard as possible to do that.”
(On how he will navigate through losing three games in a row for the first time in his head coaching career)
“The same way that you navigate through a win or a loss and that’s go back to work, try to find a way to just continue to get better, use every opportunity as a learning experience. Was it a humbling day for us? Absolutely, but it’s something that we’re going to learn from. We’re not going to let it demoralize us. That’s a good football team, they did a nice job, we didn’t do enough collectively. We’ll all look inwardly and we’ll figure out how to be better moving forward.”
(On if he has any injury updates on T Joe Noteboom and S John Johnson III)
“I don’t have any updates on those guys right now.”
(On how much the 49ers defensive line dictated his play calling when the protection may not quite have been there)
“It does. Credit them, they did a nice job. We started out and there was a handful of things that went on. That’s really why you can’t wait to just go back because there were so many situations that took place after that first drive where we had some opportunities, when you get it in there and you don’t punch it in from inside the one (yard line), with a couple chances. There are some things that, really throughout the game, it’s kind a little bit of a whirlwind. No excuses, but we’ll all look at it. We’ll figure out how we can be better moving forward.”
(On what went into the first drive of the game)
“I thought the guys came out ready to go. To be able to have a seven-play drive, seven runs all manageable down-and-distances, there was a good enthusiasm, there was a good juice. That was the way that you wanted to start. We’ve got to do a better job after that of being able to continue that momentum and those are things that we’ll look to figure out how to do that.”
(On the defense having two takeaways and what they were able to provide)
“They gave us a chance. I thought they did a lot of really good things, they played hard. There was opportunities to be had that we didn’t capitalize on. It’s about playing better as a team and that’s what we have to do.”
(On the running by RBs Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr.)
“Yeah, I thought really in some spurts – again, until you go back and look at the film, it’s always hard to say, but there were some good, hard physical runs. Clearly the first two runs that (R
Darrell (Henderson Jr.) had were really exciting where you could see the speed and the athleticism. Then there’s always some things that we can look at to be better at. I think we’ve all got to do that. I certainly am a part of that and that’s what we’ll do. But, I thought those guys had some positive moments and until you really go back and evaluate the entirety of the film, it’s hard to say kind of an overall approach.”
(On if he has a handle on where the team is mentally at this point)
“Yeah, I mean I trust that this is a mentally tough team. We’ve got mentally tough people in our building. This is a real opportunity to be what we say we are. We’re just going to go to work, we’re going to stay together, we’re not going to let the outside and in influences create a divide with us. That’s something that I trust that we will do and we’re going to work as hard as possible just to continue to be solution-oriented and that’s all I know how to do.”
(On the abnormally low passing yards by QB Jared Goff in this game)
“Yeah, it was hard. I mean really when you look at it, I want to say there was maybe six throws we had in the first half. We only had 25 or so plays, so in a lot of instances because we were running it and there were some different things where they did a nice job controlling some possessions that led to that. Then by the time you end up getting into some of those situations where you are throwing it a little bit more, they’ve got a great defense and they’re kind of pinning their ears back and going and it’s kind of hard to be able to get into a true rhythm there.”
(On the adjustments he will make to improve the team’s continuity)
“Well I think really it’s just figuring it out. Just kind of like what you ask is, ‘All right, let’s figure out the best way to maximize guys’ skillsets, get that rapport going,’ and that’s a very vital part of football. Football’s the greatest team sport there is, and we’re going to continue to do that, continue to try to develop guys. That’s the only way that we can go and move forward and try to be, like I said, solution-oriented.”
(On the fumble by Henderson on a pitch in the fourth quarter)
“I think he probably just dropped the ball. Kind of just a very rare occurrence, but when that does happen, that ended up being a big play for the first play of the start of the second half. It just didn’t work out in our favor.”
Rams QB Jared Goff
(On what the offense needs to do to be more consistent)
“It goes back to the consistency I’ve always talked about. It’s something that we are struggling with right now offensively, and we need to do a better job of it. There’s not one answer to it, there’s not one thing that needs to pick it up. It’s everyone, it’s myself included and I just need to be better and execute better. I think we’re practicing hard, I think we’re playing hard. I think it just comes down to in-game execution.”
(On what losing three consecutive games feels like and how they move forward)
“It’s a gut check. Are you who you say you are? I know this team is – I know these players are – I know these coaches are. We’ve got so much faith and belief in (Rams Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and everyone else. We’re going to get right back on track, we’re going to do it, and, again, it takes a few plays here and there. We’ve seen it, we’ve done it, we’ve watched it on film, we know what we’re doing. We just need to be consistent with it and – play-in and play-out – stay focused and don’t let the little things slide.”
(On if he is surprised with how the recent results despite the team returning most of its offensive and defensive starters from last season)
“No. Every game’s different. It’s a great league, we’ve played a lot of great teams and we need to be better. It has nothing to do with who we have or anything like that. We’ve got the players that we need and we’ve got the coaches that we need. We just need to be better and haven’t been. Again, it’s myself included and everyone else on the offense. We will get it fixed and be better.”
(On what he thought he didn’t do well today)
“I don’t know. We tried to move the ball down the field late in the game. We were running the ball so well early and were trying to stick with that. We just never really got in a rhythm. Their defense was able to settle in and that’s part of it. I’ve had bad games before and try to limit them. It happens and just going to keep building, keep getting better and look inwardly and keep getting better.”
(On what happened during RB Darrell Henderson Jr.’s fumble)
“It was just a mishandle. He (RB Darrell Henderson Jr.) just mishandled it.”
(On if he thought L.A.’s offense could be disrupted like it has)
“No. You never think that’s the case. I think you come out confident every week and we will come out confident again next week. Again, I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again: we’ve got the players, we’ve got the coaches. We’ve got everybody we need to make it happen. We just need to execute on gameday. We practice hard, we practice smart. We execute in practice, we do everything we’re supposed to do. We just need to come out here on gameday, settle in and do our thing – and we will. I’ll be better, we’ll all be better, and we’ll get it fixed.”
(On the reasoning behind not taking many chances down the field)
“It’s just the flow of the game was really weird. It’s no excuse, but, in the second half, we had that turnover on the first play and then we put ourselves in really bad spots on the next two drives on third-and-longs. On those first two plays not executing. If we execute on first down in that second drive, who knows who type of game it is, because we didn’t on that drive. When we did that three drives in a row, we really put ourselves in a bad spot. It’s those little plays, those little things – the timing, the execution, me knowing where I am in the pocket, everything – there’s a million things that we can be better at, and we will be. Again, I know we have the guys to do it and coaches to do it.”
(On if going on the road for an extended period of time could be a good thing for the team)
“You hope so. You hope it’s galvanizing. We will be in Atlanta for a little while, but it’s one week at a time. We got to go out and get better and do a lot of things better next Sunday to beat Atlanta. They’re another good team and we’ll be in their place. It’s another good opportunity for us and we’ve got a good chance to make it happen.”
(On if San Francisco’s overall improvements this season surprised him)
“No, it’s not surprising. They’ve got a lot of good players, they’ve got a lot of good coaches. They’re coached very well and defensively, they’ve got some dudes up front who do their thing. They’re going to give a lot of teams some problems, but it’s a team that we’re going to play again and hopefully get another shot at and play better next time.”
(On what changes for him when there are multiple changes on the offensive line)
“It’s only been at the guard spot a couple times. It shouldn’t change much. We’ve got faith in those sixth and seventh guys and it shouldn’t do much, honestly. We’ve got a lot of good players and had chances to do some stuff, just didn’t take advantage of it.”
Rams RB Malcolm Brown
(On how he felt running the ball and how the offense felt)
“It felt great, man. I just prepared myself to the best of my ability throughout the week and got in, try to do my thing and do as much as I can to contribute to the team, and that’s it.”
(On facing so many first-round draft picks on the 49ers defense line)
“We knew they were a solid group. Like you said, they’re first-round draft picks for a reason. Those guys can play, kudos to them. But like I said, we’ve just got to go in and watch the film and see what we can do better.”
(On how much of the gameplan was to run the ball and not get into third-and-long situations)
“That’s definitely important for us. We want to run the ball and be efficient with that. I don’t call the plays or make up the gameplan, so whatever play is called, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
(On if it surprises him that the Rams did not have more success against the 49ers after the way in which they scored on their first drive)
“We definitely always want to win, but those guys are professionals as well. They make adjustments to what we’re doing and, like I said, we’ve got to go in and make some adjustments ourselves and try to get better from this.”
Rams WR Cooper Kupp
(On how they move forward from here)
"We just stay together. We have a process about how we handle things and we just have to go back, look at the process and the process is going to tell us a lot about this thing moving forward. We hold ourselves to very high standards, we just have to go back to them and we just have to be better. We have to execute better, it's just part of the game."
(On if there was a concern going into the week that maybe they wouldn't bounce back from their two losses)
"No, no way. It's a game of adjustments – that goes in your preparation as well. You make sure that – whenever the practice plan is coming into it – things change, you have to make sure you’re focused. You have to get the most out of it regardless of whether you're getting full-speed reps or you're getting those mental reps. You just have to be locked in and be able to get it done."
(On if he feels like they are in trouble in any way)
"We know where we're at, we know that there's adjustments - there's things that we have to do better, but in no way is there panic. We just have to continue to stay together. Like I said – the guys I know are in this room, the guys there – there's no animosity towards each other. It's about coming together, pushing each other, playing for each other and we're going to do just that."
Rams WR Robert Woods
(On if it feels different losing three games in a row)
“Not really, I feel like it’s a lot of games left. Just got to turn it around. It’s like at what point are we going to finally click and turn it. I feel like we’re right there just got to stay connected, stay consistent, pay attention to the film, pay attention to the corrections and capitalize fix the problems.”
(On the amount of success they have had and if the losses are shocking)
“We can pick right up and just keep it going. It’s the NFL you make changes and adjustments. Teams have made adjustments to offense. I think we just got to be better and make some adjustments as well. Kind of limiting our offense, limiting our passing game. The struggle with that I feel like if we turn that around I feel like it turns around our offense, turns around this team and it’ll pick up and starts this bus.”
(On the team being on the road for nearly a month)
“I think that might be better for the team. Isolation - stay connected, just worry about ourselves. Go into some hostile environments and all we have is ourselves, our brothers who we’ve been working with in the weight room all season. Just play together, stay connected, play connected. Really just no outside factors should be an impact. It’s all Rams, all brothers and it’ll all come together.”
Rams T Andrew Whitworth
(On how to get out of the division hole)
“Just continuing to harp on the fundamentals. The techniques the things we want to do every week to execute. Just keep your head down. Some of that is you executing fundamentals, some of it’s the ball starting to go your way and things starting to happen. You know what we’re in the middle of both kind of going against us right now. We just got to keep our heads down, stay stubborn, be relentless and just keep preparing in a way that we know it’s going to break through at some point.”
(On what was wrong with the passing game)
“It’s one of those things where you want to execute well enough just like the running game. If you don’t complete passes and throw the football successfully in the NFL you’re going to have a hard time winning. We weren’t able to do that.”
(On the way they ran the football on opening drive and what happened the rest of the game)
“I think they adjusted a little bit and then we didn’t adjust as well back. Honestly, we just started having limited opportunities. Fumbled a ball, had a bad snap here and there, a penalty to get you out of running situations. Or you put yourself in situations where you run it and… These short yardage type of things you don’t get. Those little things add up and the bottom line is like I said you know it all comes down to trying to execute well enough to win.”
Rams DT Aaron Donald
(On what they have to do to get out of their slump)
"We just have to play better. I still have to watch the film to see, but we have to play better as a team – try and eliminate the mistakes and try to make big plays. We have got to watch the film and see what happened."
(On if they are getting to be in panic mode)
"Well, you want to win and you never want to lose three games straight, but with the players we have and the team we have, with the coaches – we'll be fine. We just have to get ourselves going, keep playing as a team. There's going to be a lot of talk, a lot of things outside this locker room – we just have to stay together, stick together and keep working, trying to get better."
(On if he feels his team is in trouble in any way)
"No, we're fine. I think we're still in a good position. Three losses, still early in the season. We just have to get ourselves back on track."
(On the kind of mistakes that he has seen the past couple weeks)
"Just penalties, little mistakes, communication things and things like that. We have to clean that up."
49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh
(On what was running through his mind on the first fourth-down play on the goal line)
“I’m not going to lie, I black out during those moments. I get excited for the guys and their success. When they make big plays, I feel like I’m right there with them. When we fail, I’m right there with them too. So, we’re always together.”
(On what adjustment he made after the first drive)
“You know what, we just had to get a grasp on what kind of runs we were getting and then what we could do without disrupting the structure of the defense. So, the adjustments we made in between series right there, we’ll keep it in house obviously, thought the guys did a great job executing it, the coaches did a great job coaching it and we were able to put all that stuff to bed.”
(On if there’s something different about the defense this year that allows them to make corrections and move on)
“We were just talking about it in the locker room. There’s no panic. They just ran nine plays in a row, great move by him (Rams Head Coach Sean McVay) to do that, but there was no panic on the sideline. ‘What’d we get? What do we need to do? How can we fix this?’ And the guys went out there and still played and kept their relentless energy. There’s absolutely no panic. Didn’t need to change our calls, didn’t need to change the structure of the defense. We felt good going into this game about our ability to stop the run with our front, just our front, without having to do anything like that 6-1 that other teams have been giving them. It was good by them, the way they came out on that first drive, but the guys did a really good job adjusting.”
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
(Opening Remarks)
“Had number of guys go out, the returners, we’ll find more about some of them tomorrow. All I’ve got for you guys right now is (49ers CB Richard) Sherman left with a stinger and (49ers C K’Wuan (Williams) with his hand.”
(On 49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s injury)
“(49ers WR) Deebo (Samuel), something with his quad. I think it’s… hopefully just a strain.”
(On what it was like for George Kittle battling through an injury throughout the game)
“He battled his tail off. Competed in everything, he did a good job in the pass game when he had the opportunities. But all the guys in the run game, the people they were putting in the box and it’s not fun when it’s two yards a carry but to get 41 runs means that those guys are grinding out there and he grinded that whole game. You could tell he was hobbling there at the end so we got him out of there at the end.”
(On what a win like today means with all the players that were not able to play)
“I thought it was huge. Just the way they battled all day. That first drive, I haven’t been a part of many first drives where you see the team run at eight times in a row just right down your throat. They only ended up with seven, right? Yeah, for that to be it, that’s the way the guys recovered after that. That was a hell of a deal, they kept battling. You guys know we went in with some guys down which was a huge challenge, but (49ers R Tevin (Coleman) for times in the game, (49ers RB Matt) Breida, Deebo, (49ers WR) Marquise (Goodwin), there was a lot. We had to use everyone, and the guys toughed it out and it makes it a lot easier when our defense plays that way. Them going 0-9 on third down, 0-4 on fourth down, we played very good defense.”
(On how the defense played in the second half and 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh)
“I think he’s done a great job. Take away that first drive, I fell like it was the entire game after that. You get a feel for that, especially as an offensive play caller too, just watching them when they go and it just gives you a lot of confidence watching that. We gave them a chance to get back in the game with the fumble on that one third down, but the ‘D’ stepped it up right again, held them on a fourth down. After that, kind of had a feeling that if you just don’t turn it over, we’ll win this game. Haven’t had that feeling very much in my career and the defense definitely gave it to me almost the whole game.”
(On what the sideline was like when the call on the goal line stayed)
“We were pumped, it’s huge. They got one on us when they got the turnover on the third down. For us, to do that again, that was their chance to get back in the game. Put some ‘D’ in some tough positions and it’s not always easy to run it in on the one. When all your guys commit to it, you fill up those gaps and we hold them like we did, it was their chance to get back in the game. It was great.”
(On if he is an eite team in the NFL right now)
“No. Not going to ever used that word, good trick (laughs). But I’m very happy with how we played. We’re 5-0 which is a great thing, but we’re not playing our best ball. We could do a lot of things better than that and it seemed like our defense played an extremely high level, obviously minus the first drive. We can continue to get better on offense, we can continue to get better on special teams. I also think our defense is just getting started too.”
(On if he thinks today will be a statement game for the people who criticize their record because of the teams they have played against)
“You can ask the naysayers, whoever those people are. That’d be up to them. You get an opportunity every Sunday, sometimes Thursdays, sometimes Mondays, but you 16 of them and you make the best out of it. Regardless of who has helped you, who you’re playing against, it’s hard to win in this league. I don’t care if you go versus the team that hasn’t won or a team that’s undefeated, it’s not much different in this league. I don’t think there’s going to be bad teams, just sometimes teams will play their best and it’s up to us to make sure that happens with teams who are playing against us.”
(On what the next steps are for the defense and what he would like to see)
“They did score seven points. Our defense is playing great, I just got a lot of confidence in them. You guys can see the pass rush. The seven guys behind them are good players too and they’re playing better and better. Especially when they can change their mentality to work with that D-line and how long they’ve got to do things for and I think our coaches are getting used to it and are scheming stuff. I do believe we can keep getting better like I believe we have in the first five weeks.”
(On if he got the chance to see what Saleh did to the defense after the first drive)
“No, I didn’t. I hear a little bit because I can hear it on the headset, but I think it was just not to panic. We’ve got to start tackling better. They had some cutbacks in a few gaps. We missed a few stunts and they gapped us out a little bit. When that happens, you’re going to get a lot of yards before contact. So we just had to settle down a little bit, keep your guys the right gaps and when we did that and there wasn’t as much space and we started tackling a lot better.”
(On how big it was starting the second half with 49ers DL Arik Armstead getting the fumble and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo got the touchdown)
“It was huge, it was huge. When the game started out, it was kind of opposite there and in the third quarter. For our defense to get that turnover right away and to go ahead and capitalize. We missed a few opportunities down there in the red zone with the turnovers, but that was huge.”
(On if still being undefeated is on the mind of anybody)
“No, not at all. Honestly, not at all.”
(On if being intercepted in the endzone was a poor decision)
“No, we got exactly what we wanted. (49ers TE George) Kittle couldn’t get away from the guy grabbing him. He threw it up to Kittle, thought Kittle had him beat, but he just couldn’t get away from him grabbing him. Then another guy who was guarding someone else came into it. I wasn’t too upset with (49ers Q Jimmy (Garoppolo) on that play. That was the call that I made and liked the look. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the call. But yeah, wish I didn’t call it after I saw the result. I wasn’t upset with Jimmy after that.”
(On QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s bounce back from injuries)
“(Q Jimmy (Garoppolo) is a dog out there. We love Jimmy. I would wear his jersey on the sideline if I could. I love his mentality, I love watching him play. He’s had some unfortunate things with just not being able to stay healthy, but when he is healthy, he’s one of the better players. You guys see what he does what he does. He’s extremely physical out there, he’s not scared of anything, he’s not scared to fail, he challenges guys in coverage. It’s been fun having him out there these two weeks.”
(On how difficult of a challenge was it not having both starting tackles Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley and how proud he was with the offense)
“I’m very proud of those guys. It’s tough. There is a lot of different factors that go in. You always kind of change things up when you’re missing tackles, when you’re missing two, changes with the fullback. (TE Ross) Dwelly did an awesome job with playing fullback most of the day. We gave (TE George) Kittle a couple also, the receivers going in and out. Some of the stuff that they were playing us, just trying to stop the run, that could get frustrating for receivers and stuff because you want to throw it but you’ve got to be smart too. We’ve got a team that’s not just trying to get stats, we are trying to figure out how to try to win the game. I think it makes it easier for our receivers when they understand all the stuff that goes into it. They block their tails off, help to stick with their run, and if the defense plays like that, it’s an easy way to win.”
(On if he ever gets concerned that Kittle would not play)
“Yes, I definitely did. After practice, when was that Friday? Something happened in practice that he was nervous about. Usually when I ask (TE) Kittle if he’s hurting, he always tells me no. So when he was in a little bit of pain, definitely had some concern, and it was legit. I think you could see that in the game when it started to bother him as the game went, but he was able to finish it for the most part except for I think the last series. Hopefully, he will rest up. We’ve got two days off and he will be good to go in one.”
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo
(On how aware he is of the defense throughout the game)
“It’s tough. Obviously, we’re trying to look at our pictures and get ready for the next series. But, when the crowd erupts like that and you know something good happened, it sparks our whole team. So as an offense, all we’re trying to do is go out there, score and complement the defense and I think that’s what leads to winning football.”
(On if it was nice to hear the crowd)
“Yeah, it turned into a home game pretty quickly. It was a lot of red out there and we knew it before the game. It’s just awesome to see The Faithful travel like that. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s awesome.”
(On if they see themselves as playoff contenders)
“The mindset that we have in that locker room is one game at a time. It’s been like that the whole season and I don’t think it’s going to change. I think as long as we keep that focus and don’t look too far ahead, don’t dwell on what happened in the past, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
(On how he’d describe the emotional swing after the defense’s goal-line stand)
“Oh it was awesome. Like I said, it sparks everybody. Coaches, players, everybody. Everyone is hooting and hollering on the sidelines. It’s just so much fun out there and to have a group like that that’s so tightly knit on offense, defense and special teams where everyone’s interacting with each other, it makes it a lot of fun.”
(On if being undefeated is on his mind)
“Well, it’s always good to be undefeated. It’s hard to win games in this league, so whenever you get the opportunity to go out there and win, we’ve been taking advantage of it. We got to keep this thing going. It’s a good start, like I said, but we have a long way to go.”
(On the plays to TE George Kittle and the interception)
“On the interception, I’m just trying to get him the ball and he kind of got tackled by the defender. I don’t really know what happened with the refs on that one, but that kind of is what it is. The other one, (TE) George (Kittle) is one of those guys where if you give him the ball in space, he’s going to make guys miss. He’s going to make big plays for you. You know, you give the playmaker the ball and let them go to work.”
(On how he finds the open receivers)
“Yeah, it’s just the job of the quarterback. The coaches do a great job of putting in plays to let us be successful and give us a chance out there and it’s our job to go execute it. I thought the receivers battled today though, especially in the run game, kind of setting the tone, getting down to the safeties and everything and then running routes to win. It was a good day for those guys.”
(On if it makes it easier when the defense is playing well)
“Yeah, that’s just the kind of complementary football. Whether it’s the run game or the pass game, we play all these games differently. That’s what a good football team does. We’re not reliant on one spot or the other. It’s everyone playing together.”
(On if he was concerned about if Kittle would play)
“George is an animal. He’s an interesting individual and I don’t know how he does what he does on a daily basis. You just have to tip your hat to him. The guy comes in, puts in the work, battles, he fights. It’s awesome to have a guy like that.”
(On how Kittle is an interesting individual)
“I mean, you guys know him pretty well. He’s not much different in the locker room, so it’s just the energy he brings. Gameday, practice, walk-thru, whatever it is, he’s going to show up and you can rely on a guy like that.”
(On what the key is to a good QB sneak)
“Just be willing. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but you just get low, do what you got to do, find the open space. Those guys up front, though, cleared the way. (C) Wes (Richburg), (LG) Lake (Tomlinson), (RG) Mike (Person), all those guys. I think the two rookies did great on the outside too, (LG) Dan (Brunskill) and (LT) Justin (Skule). You know, battling all day, we really didn’t have that many issues up front and for going up against a D-line like that, it was impressive.”
(On if this team has really learned how to win)
“Yeah, I think we’re in the process of it still. I think there’s, like I said, a long way to go and things to clean up and make things smoother and easier. Like I said, all of these games have been won differently. You know, different styles, rushing for 200-plus yards and all these different things. I think that’s what makes a good football team is when you could win in different ways.”
(On if he has been gun shy coming back from his injury)
“I didn’t think I was gun shy or anything. It’s always good when the O-line is blocking like that. I mean it makes you comfortable back there in the pocket. Those guys set the tone from the beginning to the end, and it just makes me feel very comfortable back there.”
(On if the 5-0 start feels like the 2017 run)
“Yeah, I mean that 2017 – was a lot of things coming together at once all of a sudden at the end. You put a lot of work in in the offseason. Guys dedicated a lot for this, given up a lot for this and it’s starting to show out there. So, I’m just proud of the guys and we’ve got a long way to go.”
49ers TE George Kittle
(On if there was any doubt he was going to play in this game)
“No chance. Like I said, this is a game I’ve had on my calendar for a year. I haven’t liked the way we’ve played against them the past two years. This is a ‘dub’ (win) that we needed to get.”
(On if any of their injuries on the offensive side of the ball changed their approach)
“Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. (Head) Coach (Kyle) Shanahan, (Run Game Coordinator Mike) McDaniel and (Passing Game Coordinator Mike) LaFleur came in and gave us a great gameplan. It was actually one of our easier gameplans, not all the tricks and stuff like we usually do with stuff like that. I have to give it to (TE) Ross Dwelley for being able to step in there at fullback. He was incredible (inaudible). I think we did a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage. 4.4 yards per play I think is what we had, it’s better than the 3.3 that they had.”
(On how much he gets to watch the defense during the game and what his thoughts are about that unit)
“There’s nothing more that I love than watching our defensive line play. I was sitting there in the third quarter and I was like, ‘Huh, I think the day that (Q Jimmy G (Garoppolo) threw five-straight interceptions might have had something to do with our D-line being in his face for five-straight plays. They’re pretty dang good. It’s really fun to watch them and it definitely fires us up…Our defense is just giving our offense an opportunity to win the game. You definitely want to be able to get more points up there, we left a couple on the board but when you have a defense like that, and you show up like that, that’s all you need.”
49ers DL Solomon Thomas
(On when it becomes a feeding frenzy throughout the game and knowing someone is going to make a play)
“The energy is infectious. It’s amazing just to be out there, you feel it. Everyone just has this swag to them. We go out there and we play our game. We know how good we can be, so we know every time we have a chance to go out there, we can set a new standard for how great we are. That’s what we try to do every time we go out there.”
(On the limiting the Rams to zero conversions on third and fourth downs)
“We were just trying to get after the quarterback. Our backend did a great job, gave us time to get there and we all did a great job getting there. That’s what we need to do every game and continue this win streak.”
(On what the game meant to your team)
“A lot. L.A. has gotten after us a lot the last couple of years. So, it was a game for us to come out here and just show that we are back and for real. We try to show that every week. Coaches do a great job, players do a great job and we all buy in. This team is amazing, we all love each other, we are all in it together.”
49ers LB Fred Warner
(On the statement the defense made in the game)
“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. We are playing an explosive offense, a great team and we knew it was going to be a battle all the way until the very end, which it was. So, we got after them.”
(On what was done differently on defense against the Rams than playing other teams)
“I think we just played our style. We had to stop the run, first and foremost. I think that first drive showed, that they’re running the ball effectively and they got into the end zone. So, once we came to the sideline and had a gut check and figured out what we were going to do, the rest was history.”
(On stopping the Rams at the goal line on fourth down)
“I think that’s what you work for all offseason. In that moment, it was a long drive. They get down there and that’s the time where you’ve got to suck it up and you’ve got to just play ball. I think guys up front, they got off really hard and it was handled.”
49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley
(On what clicked for their defense after the Rams’ first drive of the game)
“We just locked in. After the first series, we came to the sideline and told each other, ‘Let’s do better.’ We know we can do better, and we did the exact gameplan that we went out there to do and it worked.”
(On the defense making a statement by stopping the Rams on third and fourth down)
“It’s a big statement, but credit to our D-line. Like I said, the D-line, (Defensive Coordinator Robert) Saleh with the calls, linebackers and ‘DBs’ (defensive backs) doing their jobs and making it happen.”
(On the statement of being 5-0)
“It’s big, we are 5-0, but we’ve got to go back to the drawing board and keep going. We can’t get complacent.”
49ers CB Richard Sherman
(On if this type of defensive performance should just be seen as business as usual)
“It’s business as usual. The previous performances should have been enough to get these guys the respect they deserve. (DL) Dee Ford played outstanding today. (DL) Deforest (Buckner), (DL) Arik Armstead again made a huge impact in the run game, pass game, Dee Ford always. (S) Jaquiski Tartt, I feel like he’s not getting enough love because they just don’t know how to say his name, so I’m just helping everybody out. Jaquiski Tartt, he’s playing at a high level right now. (D Jimmy Ward, those are people that you probably should keep track of and start to pay attention to. You don’t hold an offense like that to under 100 yards passing, and barely 100 yards total, without playing outstanding football on the back end. Obviously, (L Kwon (Alexander) and (L Fred (Warner) have done an amazing job. (DL) Ronald Blair III, (DL Nick) Bosa, obviously. (C Emmanuel (Moseley) came in and had another phenomenal day. I don’t know if he gave up a catch at all. ‘KK’ (CB K’Wuan Williams) has been the best nickel in football and it’s not even close. (D D.J. Reed (Jr.) came in and played admirably. Everybody is disrespecting us, ‘Oh my god, this is going to be a tough game.’ We came in here without both of our starting tackles. We came in here without our starting corner, we lost our nickel in the middle of the game, without our fullback. We could make every excuse in the world, but we don’t. We just go out there and execute and play at a high level. Another testament to (Defensive Coordinator Robert) Saleh, and ‘DB’ (Safeties Coach Daniel Bullocks) and (Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator) Joe Woods because they came up with an incredible gameplan, very sound and we executed.”
(On why he didn’t mention D.J. Jones as players with standout performances)
“(DL) D.J. Jones, D.J. Jones, D.J. Jones! Doesn’t get enough credit. We don’t get to stop all those run games without him. He takes on double teams constantly. He’s incredibly stout and he doesn’t get enough respect and he doesn’t get enough love.”
(On how there was no panic on the sideline after that first drive and how that’s different from last year)
“It’s different for sure but I think it’s having veteran players and trusting one another even more. Having Fred another year older, another year more mature. The secondary has been playing together a lot longer now, a lot more games under our belt,D-line. You just have such a trust in one another that guys are going to execute at a high level so there’s nothing to panic about. You go to the sideline, they did a great job. You have to give the Rams all the credit in the world. They drew up some great plays in that first drive and hit us right in the mouth. That’s the great thing about football, how you respond is big.”
--RAMS--
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
(Opening remarks)
“Congratulations to the 49ers, they did a good job today. There is a lot of things that…All I know how to do is just go back, let’s look at the film, let’s figure out what we can do to be better. The guys continued to battle, but really, it’s just about let’s stay together, let’s not let this little bit of adversity that we’re going through divide us. It’s my job to make sure that we continue to work as hard as we can to look inward, find the solutions, and just get better. There is nothing we can do about this performance other than learn from it. That’s all that I know how to do, that’s what we will do, and we’re going to work as hard as possible to do that.”
(On how he will navigate through losing three games in a row for the first time in his head coaching career)
“The same way that you navigate through a win or a loss and that’s go back to work, try to find a way to just continue to get better, use every opportunity as a learning experience. Was it a humbling day for us? Absolutely, but it’s something that we’re going to learn from. We’re not going to let it demoralize us. That’s a good football team, they did a nice job, we didn’t do enough collectively. We’ll all look inwardly and we’ll figure out how to be better moving forward.”
(On if he has any injury updates on T Joe Noteboom and S John Johnson III)
“I don’t have any updates on those guys right now.”
(On how much the 49ers defensive line dictated his play calling when the protection may not quite have been there)
“It does. Credit them, they did a nice job. We started out and there was a handful of things that went on. That’s really why you can’t wait to just go back because there were so many situations that took place after that first drive where we had some opportunities, when you get it in there and you don’t punch it in from inside the one (yard line), with a couple chances. There are some things that, really throughout the game, it’s kind a little bit of a whirlwind. No excuses, but we’ll all look at it. We’ll figure out how we can be better moving forward.”
(On what went into the first drive of the game)
“I thought the guys came out ready to go. To be able to have a seven-play drive, seven runs all manageable down-and-distances, there was a good enthusiasm, there was a good juice. That was the way that you wanted to start. We’ve got to do a better job after that of being able to continue that momentum and those are things that we’ll look to figure out how to do that.”
(On the defense having two takeaways and what they were able to provide)
“They gave us a chance. I thought they did a lot of really good things, they played hard. There was opportunities to be had that we didn’t capitalize on. It’s about playing better as a team and that’s what we have to do.”
(On the running by RBs Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr.)
“Yeah, I thought really in some spurts – again, until you go back and look at the film, it’s always hard to say, but there were some good, hard physical runs. Clearly the first two runs that (R
Darrell (Henderson Jr.) had were really exciting where you could see the speed and the athleticism. Then there’s always some things that we can look at to be better at. I think we’ve all got to do that. I certainly am a part of that and that’s what we’ll do. But, I thought those guys had some positive moments and until you really go back and evaluate the entirety of the film, it’s hard to say kind of an overall approach.”(On if he has a handle on where the team is mentally at this point)
“Yeah, I mean I trust that this is a mentally tough team. We’ve got mentally tough people in our building. This is a real opportunity to be what we say we are. We’re just going to go to work, we’re going to stay together, we’re not going to let the outside and in influences create a divide with us. That’s something that I trust that we will do and we’re going to work as hard as possible just to continue to be solution-oriented and that’s all I know how to do.”
(On the abnormally low passing yards by QB Jared Goff in this game)
“Yeah, it was hard. I mean really when you look at it, I want to say there was maybe six throws we had in the first half. We only had 25 or so plays, so in a lot of instances because we were running it and there were some different things where they did a nice job controlling some possessions that led to that. Then by the time you end up getting into some of those situations where you are throwing it a little bit more, they’ve got a great defense and they’re kind of pinning their ears back and going and it’s kind of hard to be able to get into a true rhythm there.”
(On the adjustments he will make to improve the team’s continuity)
“Well I think really it’s just figuring it out. Just kind of like what you ask is, ‘All right, let’s figure out the best way to maximize guys’ skillsets, get that rapport going,’ and that’s a very vital part of football. Football’s the greatest team sport there is, and we’re going to continue to do that, continue to try to develop guys. That’s the only way that we can go and move forward and try to be, like I said, solution-oriented.”
(On the fumble by Henderson on a pitch in the fourth quarter)
“I think he probably just dropped the ball. Kind of just a very rare occurrence, but when that does happen, that ended up being a big play for the first play of the start of the second half. It just didn’t work out in our favor.”
Rams QB Jared Goff
(On what the offense needs to do to be more consistent)
“It goes back to the consistency I’ve always talked about. It’s something that we are struggling with right now offensively, and we need to do a better job of it. There’s not one answer to it, there’s not one thing that needs to pick it up. It’s everyone, it’s myself included and I just need to be better and execute better. I think we’re practicing hard, I think we’re playing hard. I think it just comes down to in-game execution.”
(On what losing three consecutive games feels like and how they move forward)
“It’s a gut check. Are you who you say you are? I know this team is – I know these players are – I know these coaches are. We’ve got so much faith and belief in (Rams Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and everyone else. We’re going to get right back on track, we’re going to do it, and, again, it takes a few plays here and there. We’ve seen it, we’ve done it, we’ve watched it on film, we know what we’re doing. We just need to be consistent with it and – play-in and play-out – stay focused and don’t let the little things slide.”
(On if he is surprised with how the recent results despite the team returning most of its offensive and defensive starters from last season)
“No. Every game’s different. It’s a great league, we’ve played a lot of great teams and we need to be better. It has nothing to do with who we have or anything like that. We’ve got the players that we need and we’ve got the coaches that we need. We just need to be better and haven’t been. Again, it’s myself included and everyone else on the offense. We will get it fixed and be better.”
(On what he thought he didn’t do well today)
“I don’t know. We tried to move the ball down the field late in the game. We were running the ball so well early and were trying to stick with that. We just never really got in a rhythm. Their defense was able to settle in and that’s part of it. I’ve had bad games before and try to limit them. It happens and just going to keep building, keep getting better and look inwardly and keep getting better.”
(On what happened during RB Darrell Henderson Jr.’s fumble)
“It was just a mishandle. He (RB Darrell Henderson Jr.) just mishandled it.”
(On if he thought L.A.’s offense could be disrupted like it has)
“No. You never think that’s the case. I think you come out confident every week and we will come out confident again next week. Again, I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again: we’ve got the players, we’ve got the coaches. We’ve got everybody we need to make it happen. We just need to execute on gameday. We practice hard, we practice smart. We execute in practice, we do everything we’re supposed to do. We just need to come out here on gameday, settle in and do our thing – and we will. I’ll be better, we’ll all be better, and we’ll get it fixed.”
(On the reasoning behind not taking many chances down the field)
“It’s just the flow of the game was really weird. It’s no excuse, but, in the second half, we had that turnover on the first play and then we put ourselves in really bad spots on the next two drives on third-and-longs. On those first two plays not executing. If we execute on first down in that second drive, who knows who type of game it is, because we didn’t on that drive. When we did that three drives in a row, we really put ourselves in a bad spot. It’s those little plays, those little things – the timing, the execution, me knowing where I am in the pocket, everything – there’s a million things that we can be better at, and we will be. Again, I know we have the guys to do it and coaches to do it.”
(On if going on the road for an extended period of time could be a good thing for the team)
“You hope so. You hope it’s galvanizing. We will be in Atlanta for a little while, but it’s one week at a time. We got to go out and get better and do a lot of things better next Sunday to beat Atlanta. They’re another good team and we’ll be in their place. It’s another good opportunity for us and we’ve got a good chance to make it happen.”
(On if San Francisco’s overall improvements this season surprised him)
“No, it’s not surprising. They’ve got a lot of good players, they’ve got a lot of good coaches. They’re coached very well and defensively, they’ve got some dudes up front who do their thing. They’re going to give a lot of teams some problems, but it’s a team that we’re going to play again and hopefully get another shot at and play better next time.”
(On what changes for him when there are multiple changes on the offensive line)
“It’s only been at the guard spot a couple times. It shouldn’t change much. We’ve got faith in those sixth and seventh guys and it shouldn’t do much, honestly. We’ve got a lot of good players and had chances to do some stuff, just didn’t take advantage of it.”
Rams RB Malcolm Brown
(On how he felt running the ball and how the offense felt)
“It felt great, man. I just prepared myself to the best of my ability throughout the week and got in, try to do my thing and do as much as I can to contribute to the team, and that’s it.”
(On facing so many first-round draft picks on the 49ers defense line)
“We knew they were a solid group. Like you said, they’re first-round draft picks for a reason. Those guys can play, kudos to them. But like I said, we’ve just got to go in and watch the film and see what we can do better.”
(On how much of the gameplan was to run the ball and not get into third-and-long situations)
“That’s definitely important for us. We want to run the ball and be efficient with that. I don’t call the plays or make up the gameplan, so whatever play is called, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
(On if it surprises him that the Rams did not have more success against the 49ers after the way in which they scored on their first drive)
“We definitely always want to win, but those guys are professionals as well. They make adjustments to what we’re doing and, like I said, we’ve got to go in and make some adjustments ourselves and try to get better from this.”
Rams WR Cooper Kupp
(On how they move forward from here)
"We just stay together. We have a process about how we handle things and we just have to go back, look at the process and the process is going to tell us a lot about this thing moving forward. We hold ourselves to very high standards, we just have to go back to them and we just have to be better. We have to execute better, it's just part of the game."
(On if there was a concern going into the week that maybe they wouldn't bounce back from their two losses)
"No, no way. It's a game of adjustments – that goes in your preparation as well. You make sure that – whenever the practice plan is coming into it – things change, you have to make sure you’re focused. You have to get the most out of it regardless of whether you're getting full-speed reps or you're getting those mental reps. You just have to be locked in and be able to get it done."
(On if he feels like they are in trouble in any way)
"We know where we're at, we know that there's adjustments - there's things that we have to do better, but in no way is there panic. We just have to continue to stay together. Like I said – the guys I know are in this room, the guys there – there's no animosity towards each other. It's about coming together, pushing each other, playing for each other and we're going to do just that."
Rams WR Robert Woods
(On if it feels different losing three games in a row)
“Not really, I feel like it’s a lot of games left. Just got to turn it around. It’s like at what point are we going to finally click and turn it. I feel like we’re right there just got to stay connected, stay consistent, pay attention to the film, pay attention to the corrections and capitalize fix the problems.”
(On the amount of success they have had and if the losses are shocking)
“We can pick right up and just keep it going. It’s the NFL you make changes and adjustments. Teams have made adjustments to offense. I think we just got to be better and make some adjustments as well. Kind of limiting our offense, limiting our passing game. The struggle with that I feel like if we turn that around I feel like it turns around our offense, turns around this team and it’ll pick up and starts this bus.”
(On the team being on the road for nearly a month)
“I think that might be better for the team. Isolation - stay connected, just worry about ourselves. Go into some hostile environments and all we have is ourselves, our brothers who we’ve been working with in the weight room all season. Just play together, stay connected, play connected. Really just no outside factors should be an impact. It’s all Rams, all brothers and it’ll all come together.”
Rams T Andrew Whitworth
(On how to get out of the division hole)
“Just continuing to harp on the fundamentals. The techniques the things we want to do every week to execute. Just keep your head down. Some of that is you executing fundamentals, some of it’s the ball starting to go your way and things starting to happen. You know what we’re in the middle of both kind of going against us right now. We just got to keep our heads down, stay stubborn, be relentless and just keep preparing in a way that we know it’s going to break through at some point.”
(On what was wrong with the passing game)
“It’s one of those things where you want to execute well enough just like the running game. If you don’t complete passes and throw the football successfully in the NFL you’re going to have a hard time winning. We weren’t able to do that.”
(On the way they ran the football on opening drive and what happened the rest of the game)
“I think they adjusted a little bit and then we didn’t adjust as well back. Honestly, we just started having limited opportunities. Fumbled a ball, had a bad snap here and there, a penalty to get you out of running situations. Or you put yourself in situations where you run it and… These short yardage type of things you don’t get. Those little things add up and the bottom line is like I said you know it all comes down to trying to execute well enough to win.”
Rams DT Aaron Donald
(On what they have to do to get out of their slump)
"We just have to play better. I still have to watch the film to see, but we have to play better as a team – try and eliminate the mistakes and try to make big plays. We have got to watch the film and see what happened."
(On if they are getting to be in panic mode)
"Well, you want to win and you never want to lose three games straight, but with the players we have and the team we have, with the coaches – we'll be fine. We just have to get ourselves going, keep playing as a team. There's going to be a lot of talk, a lot of things outside this locker room – we just have to stay together, stick together and keep working, trying to get better."
(On if he feels his team is in trouble in any way)
"No, we're fine. I think we're still in a good position. Three losses, still early in the season. We just have to get ourselves back on track."
(On the kind of mistakes that he has seen the past couple weeks)
"Just penalties, little mistakes, communication things and things like that. We have to clean that up."
49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh
(On what was running through his mind on the first fourth-down play on the goal line)
“I’m not going to lie, I black out during those moments. I get excited for the guys and their success. When they make big plays, I feel like I’m right there with them. When we fail, I’m right there with them too. So, we’re always together.”
(On what adjustment he made after the first drive)
“You know what, we just had to get a grasp on what kind of runs we were getting and then what we could do without disrupting the structure of the defense. So, the adjustments we made in between series right there, we’ll keep it in house obviously, thought the guys did a great job executing it, the coaches did a great job coaching it and we were able to put all that stuff to bed.”
(On if there’s something different about the defense this year that allows them to make corrections and move on)
“We were just talking about it in the locker room. There’s no panic. They just ran nine plays in a row, great move by him (Rams Head Coach Sean McVay) to do that, but there was no panic on the sideline. ‘What’d we get? What do we need to do? How can we fix this?’ And the guys went out there and still played and kept their relentless energy. There’s absolutely no panic. Didn’t need to change our calls, didn’t need to change the structure of the defense. We felt good going into this game about our ability to stop the run with our front, just our front, without having to do anything like that 6-1 that other teams have been giving them. It was good by them, the way they came out on that first drive, but the guys did a really good job adjusting.”
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
(Opening Remarks)
“Had number of guys go out, the returners, we’ll find more about some of them tomorrow. All I’ve got for you guys right now is (49ers CB Richard) Sherman left with a stinger and (49ers C
K’Wuan (Williams) with his hand.”(On 49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s injury)
“(49ers WR) Deebo (Samuel), something with his quad. I think it’s… hopefully just a strain.”
(On what it was like for George Kittle battling through an injury throughout the game)
“He battled his tail off. Competed in everything, he did a good job in the pass game when he had the opportunities. But all the guys in the run game, the people they were putting in the box and it’s not fun when it’s two yards a carry but to get 41 runs means that those guys are grinding out there and he grinded that whole game. You could tell he was hobbling there at the end so we got him out of there at the end.”
(On what a win like today means with all the players that were not able to play)
“I thought it was huge. Just the way they battled all day. That first drive, I haven’t been a part of many first drives where you see the team run at eight times in a row just right down your throat. They only ended up with seven, right? Yeah, for that to be it, that’s the way the guys recovered after that. That was a hell of a deal, they kept battling. You guys know we went in with some guys down which was a huge challenge, but (49ers R
Tevin (Coleman) for times in the game, (49ers RB Matt) Breida, Deebo, (49ers WR) Marquise (Goodwin), there was a lot. We had to use everyone, and the guys toughed it out and it makes it a lot easier when our defense plays that way. Them going 0-9 on third down, 0-4 on fourth down, we played very good defense.”(On how the defense played in the second half and 49ers Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh)
“I think he’s done a great job. Take away that first drive, I fell like it was the entire game after that. You get a feel for that, especially as an offensive play caller too, just watching them when they go and it just gives you a lot of confidence watching that. We gave them a chance to get back in the game with the fumble on that one third down, but the ‘D’ stepped it up right again, held them on a fourth down. After that, kind of had a feeling that if you just don’t turn it over, we’ll win this game. Haven’t had that feeling very much in my career and the defense definitely gave it to me almost the whole game.”
(On what the sideline was like when the call on the goal line stayed)
“We were pumped, it’s huge. They got one on us when they got the turnover on the third down. For us, to do that again, that was their chance to get back in the game. Put some ‘D’ in some tough positions and it’s not always easy to run it in on the one. When all your guys commit to it, you fill up those gaps and we hold them like we did, it was their chance to get back in the game. It was great.”
(On if he is an eite team in the NFL right now)
“No. Not going to ever used that word, good trick (laughs). But I’m very happy with how we played. We’re 5-0 which is a great thing, but we’re not playing our best ball. We could do a lot of things better than that and it seemed like our defense played an extremely high level, obviously minus the first drive. We can continue to get better on offense, we can continue to get better on special teams. I also think our defense is just getting started too.”
(On if he thinks today will be a statement game for the people who criticize their record because of the teams they have played against)
“You can ask the naysayers, whoever those people are. That’d be up to them. You get an opportunity every Sunday, sometimes Thursdays, sometimes Mondays, but you 16 of them and you make the best out of it. Regardless of who has helped you, who you’re playing against, it’s hard to win in this league. I don’t care if you go versus the team that hasn’t won or a team that’s undefeated, it’s not much different in this league. I don’t think there’s going to be bad teams, just sometimes teams will play their best and it’s up to us to make sure that happens with teams who are playing against us.”
(On what the next steps are for the defense and what he would like to see)
“They did score seven points. Our defense is playing great, I just got a lot of confidence in them. You guys can see the pass rush. The seven guys behind them are good players too and they’re playing better and better. Especially when they can change their mentality to work with that D-line and how long they’ve got to do things for and I think our coaches are getting used to it and are scheming stuff. I do believe we can keep getting better like I believe we have in the first five weeks.”
(On if he got the chance to see what Saleh did to the defense after the first drive)
“No, I didn’t. I hear a little bit because I can hear it on the headset, but I think it was just not to panic. We’ve got to start tackling better. They had some cutbacks in a few gaps. We missed a few stunts and they gapped us out a little bit. When that happens, you’re going to get a lot of yards before contact. So we just had to settle down a little bit, keep your guys the right gaps and when we did that and there wasn’t as much space and we started tackling a lot better.”
(On how big it was starting the second half with 49ers DL Arik Armstead getting the fumble and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo got the touchdown)
“It was huge, it was huge. When the game started out, it was kind of opposite there and in the third quarter. For our defense to get that turnover right away and to go ahead and capitalize. We missed a few opportunities down there in the red zone with the turnovers, but that was huge.”
(On if still being undefeated is on the mind of anybody)
“No, not at all. Honestly, not at all.”
(On if being intercepted in the endzone was a poor decision)
“No, we got exactly what we wanted. (49ers TE George) Kittle couldn’t get away from the guy grabbing him. He threw it up to Kittle, thought Kittle had him beat, but he just couldn’t get away from him grabbing him. Then another guy who was guarding someone else came into it. I wasn’t too upset with (49ers Q
Jimmy (Garoppolo) on that play. That was the call that I made and liked the look. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the call. But yeah, wish I didn’t call it after I saw the result. I wasn’t upset with Jimmy after that.”(On QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s bounce back from injuries)
“(Q
Jimmy (Garoppolo) is a dog out there. We love Jimmy. I would wear his jersey on the sideline if I could. I love his mentality, I love watching him play. He’s had some unfortunate things with just not being able to stay healthy, but when he is healthy, he’s one of the better players. You guys see what he does what he does. He’s extremely physical out there, he’s not scared of anything, he’s not scared to fail, he challenges guys in coverage. It’s been fun having him out there these two weeks.”(On how difficult of a challenge was it not having both starting tackles Mike McGlinchey and Joe Staley and how proud he was with the offense)
“I’m very proud of those guys. It’s tough. There is a lot of different factors that go in. You always kind of change things up when you’re missing tackles, when you’re missing two, changes with the fullback. (TE Ross) Dwelly did an awesome job with playing fullback most of the day. We gave (TE George) Kittle a couple also, the receivers going in and out. Some of the stuff that they were playing us, just trying to stop the run, that could get frustrating for receivers and stuff because you want to throw it but you’ve got to be smart too. We’ve got a team that’s not just trying to get stats, we are trying to figure out how to try to win the game. I think it makes it easier for our receivers when they understand all the stuff that goes into it. They block their tails off, help to stick with their run, and if the defense plays like that, it’s an easy way to win.”
(On if he ever gets concerned that Kittle would not play)
“Yes, I definitely did. After practice, when was that Friday? Something happened in practice that he was nervous about. Usually when I ask (TE) Kittle if he’s hurting, he always tells me no. So when he was in a little bit of pain, definitely had some concern, and it was legit. I think you could see that in the game when it started to bother him as the game went, but he was able to finish it for the most part except for I think the last series. Hopefully, he will rest up. We’ve got two days off and he will be good to go in one.”
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo
(On how aware he is of the defense throughout the game)
“It’s tough. Obviously, we’re trying to look at our pictures and get ready for the next series. But, when the crowd erupts like that and you know something good happened, it sparks our whole team. So as an offense, all we’re trying to do is go out there, score and complement the defense and I think that’s what leads to winning football.”
(On if it was nice to hear the crowd)
“Yeah, it turned into a home game pretty quickly. It was a lot of red out there and we knew it before the game. It’s just awesome to see The Faithful travel like that. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s awesome.”
(On if they see themselves as playoff contenders)
“The mindset that we have in that locker room is one game at a time. It’s been like that the whole season and I don’t think it’s going to change. I think as long as we keep that focus and don’t look too far ahead, don’t dwell on what happened in the past, I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
(On how he’d describe the emotional swing after the defense’s goal-line stand)
“Oh it was awesome. Like I said, it sparks everybody. Coaches, players, everybody. Everyone is hooting and hollering on the sidelines. It’s just so much fun out there and to have a group like that that’s so tightly knit on offense, defense and special teams where everyone’s interacting with each other, it makes it a lot of fun.”
(On if being undefeated is on his mind)
“Well, it’s always good to be undefeated. It’s hard to win games in this league, so whenever you get the opportunity to go out there and win, we’ve been taking advantage of it. We got to keep this thing going. It’s a good start, like I said, but we have a long way to go.”
(On the plays to TE George Kittle and the interception)
“On the interception, I’m just trying to get him the ball and he kind of got tackled by the defender. I don’t really know what happened with the refs on that one, but that kind of is what it is. The other one, (TE) George (Kittle) is one of those guys where if you give him the ball in space, he’s going to make guys miss. He’s going to make big plays for you. You know, you give the playmaker the ball and let them go to work.”
(On how he finds the open receivers)
“Yeah, it’s just the job of the quarterback. The coaches do a great job of putting in plays to let us be successful and give us a chance out there and it’s our job to go execute it. I thought the receivers battled today though, especially in the run game, kind of setting the tone, getting down to the safeties and everything and then running routes to win. It was a good day for those guys.”
(On if it makes it easier when the defense is playing well)
“Yeah, that’s just the kind of complementary football. Whether it’s the run game or the pass game, we play all these games differently. That’s what a good football team does. We’re not reliant on one spot or the other. It’s everyone playing together.”
(On if he was concerned about if Kittle would play)
“George is an animal. He’s an interesting individual and I don’t know how he does what he does on a daily basis. You just have to tip your hat to him. The guy comes in, puts in the work, battles, he fights. It’s awesome to have a guy like that.”
(On how Kittle is an interesting individual)
“I mean, you guys know him pretty well. He’s not much different in the locker room, so it’s just the energy he brings. Gameday, practice, walk-thru, whatever it is, he’s going to show up and you can rely on a guy like that.”
(On what the key is to a good QB sneak)
“Just be willing. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world, but you just get low, do what you got to do, find the open space. Those guys up front, though, cleared the way. (C) Wes (Richburg), (LG) Lake (Tomlinson), (RG) Mike (Person), all those guys. I think the two rookies did great on the outside too, (LG) Dan (Brunskill) and (LT) Justin (Skule). You know, battling all day, we really didn’t have that many issues up front and for going up against a D-line like that, it was impressive.”
(On if this team has really learned how to win)
“Yeah, I think we’re in the process of it still. I think there’s, like I said, a long way to go and things to clean up and make things smoother and easier. Like I said, all of these games have been won differently. You know, different styles, rushing for 200-plus yards and all these different things. I think that’s what makes a good football team is when you could win in different ways.”
(On if he has been gun shy coming back from his injury)
“I didn’t think I was gun shy or anything. It’s always good when the O-line is blocking like that. I mean it makes you comfortable back there in the pocket. Those guys set the tone from the beginning to the end, and it just makes me feel very comfortable back there.”
(On if the 5-0 start feels like the 2017 run)
“Yeah, I mean that 2017 – was a lot of things coming together at once all of a sudden at the end. You put a lot of work in in the offseason. Guys dedicated a lot for this, given up a lot for this and it’s starting to show out there. So, I’m just proud of the guys and we’ve got a long way to go.”
49ers TE George Kittle
(On if there was any doubt he was going to play in this game)
“No chance. Like I said, this is a game I’ve had on my calendar for a year. I haven’t liked the way we’ve played against them the past two years. This is a ‘dub’ (win) that we needed to get.”
(On if any of their injuries on the offensive side of the ball changed their approach)
“Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. (Head) Coach (Kyle) Shanahan, (Run Game Coordinator Mike) McDaniel and (Passing Game Coordinator Mike) LaFleur came in and gave us a great gameplan. It was actually one of our easier gameplans, not all the tricks and stuff like we usually do with stuff like that. I have to give it to (TE) Ross Dwelley for being able to step in there at fullback. He was incredible (inaudible). I think we did a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage. 4.4 yards per play I think is what we had, it’s better than the 3.3 that they had.”
(On how much he gets to watch the defense during the game and what his thoughts are about that unit)
“There’s nothing more that I love than watching our defensive line play. I was sitting there in the third quarter and I was like, ‘Huh, I think the day that (Q
Jimmy G (Garoppolo) threw five-straight interceptions might have had something to do with our D-line being in his face for five-straight plays. They’re pretty dang good. It’s really fun to watch them and it definitely fires us up…Our defense is just giving our offense an opportunity to win the game. You definitely want to be able to get more points up there, we left a couple on the board but when you have a defense like that, and you show up like that, that’s all you need.”49ers DL Solomon Thomas
(On when it becomes a feeding frenzy throughout the game and knowing someone is going to make a play)
“The energy is infectious. It’s amazing just to be out there, you feel it. Everyone just has this swag to them. We go out there and we play our game. We know how good we can be, so we know every time we have a chance to go out there, we can set a new standard for how great we are. That’s what we try to do every time we go out there.”
(On the limiting the Rams to zero conversions on third and fourth downs)
“We were just trying to get after the quarterback. Our backend did a great job, gave us time to get there and we all did a great job getting there. That’s what we need to do every game and continue this win streak.”
(On what the game meant to your team)
“A lot. L.A. has gotten after us a lot the last couple of years. So, it was a game for us to come out here and just show that we are back and for real. We try to show that every week. Coaches do a great job, players do a great job and we all buy in. This team is amazing, we all love each other, we are all in it together.”
49ers LB Fred Warner
(On the statement the defense made in the game)
“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game. We are playing an explosive offense, a great team and we knew it was going to be a battle all the way until the very end, which it was. So, we got after them.”
(On what was done differently on defense against the Rams than playing other teams)
“I think we just played our style. We had to stop the run, first and foremost. I think that first drive showed, that they’re running the ball effectively and they got into the end zone. So, once we came to the sideline and had a gut check and figured out what we were going to do, the rest was history.”
(On stopping the Rams at the goal line on fourth down)
“I think that’s what you work for all offseason. In that moment, it was a long drive. They get down there and that’s the time where you’ve got to suck it up and you’ve got to just play ball. I think guys up front, they got off really hard and it was handled.”
49ers CB Emmanuel Moseley
(On what clicked for their defense after the Rams’ first drive of the game)
“We just locked in. After the first series, we came to the sideline and told each other, ‘Let’s do better.’ We know we can do better, and we did the exact gameplan that we went out there to do and it worked.”
(On the defense making a statement by stopping the Rams on third and fourth down)
“It’s a big statement, but credit to our D-line. Like I said, the D-line, (Defensive Coordinator Robert) Saleh with the calls, linebackers and ‘DBs’ (defensive backs) doing their jobs and making it happen.”
(On the statement of being 5-0)
“It’s big, we are 5-0, but we’ve got to go back to the drawing board and keep going. We can’t get complacent.”
49ers CB Richard Sherman
(On if this type of defensive performance should just be seen as business as usual)
“It’s business as usual. The previous performances should have been enough to get these guys the respect they deserve. (DL) Dee Ford played outstanding today. (DL) Deforest (Buckner), (DL) Arik Armstead again made a huge impact in the run game, pass game, Dee Ford always. (S) Jaquiski Tartt, I feel like he’s not getting enough love because they just don’t know how to say his name, so I’m just helping everybody out. Jaquiski Tartt, he’s playing at a high level right now. (D
Jimmy Ward, those are people that you probably should keep track of and start to pay attention to. You don’t hold an offense like that to under 100 yards passing, and barely 100 yards total, without playing outstanding football on the back end. Obviously, (L Kwon (Alexander) and (L Fred (Warner) have done an amazing job. (DL) Ronald Blair III, (DL Nick) Bosa, obviously. (C Emmanuel (Moseley) came in and had another phenomenal day. I don’t know if he gave up a catch at all. ‘KK’ (CB K’Wuan Williams) has been the best nickel in football and it’s not even close. (D D.J. Reed (Jr.) came in and played admirably. Everybody is disrespecting us, ‘Oh my god, this is going to be a tough game.’ We came in here without both of our starting tackles. We came in here without our starting corner, we lost our nickel in the middle of the game, without our fullback. We could make every excuse in the world, but we don’t. We just go out there and execute and play at a high level. Another testament to (Defensive Coordinator Robert) Saleh, and ‘DB’ (Safeties Coach Daniel Bullocks) and (Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator) Joe Woods because they came up with an incredible gameplan, very sound and we executed.”(On why he didn’t mention D.J. Jones as players with standout performances)
“(DL) D.J. Jones, D.J. Jones, D.J. Jones! Doesn’t get enough credit. We don’t get to stop all those run games without him. He takes on double teams constantly. He’s incredibly stout and he doesn’t get enough respect and he doesn’t get enough love.”
(On how there was no panic on the sideline after that first drive and how that’s different from last year)
“It’s different for sure but I think it’s having veteran players and trusting one another even more. Having Fred another year older, another year more mature. The secondary has been playing together a lot longer now, a lot more games under our belt,D-line. You just have such a trust in one another that guys are going to execute at a high level so there’s nothing to panic about. You go to the sideline, they did a great job. You have to give the Rams all the credit in the world. They drew up some great plays in that first drive and hit us right in the mouth. That’s the great thing about football, how you respond is big.”
--RAMS--
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shaky | 370 | October 14, 2019 12:14AM |
