Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - October 14, 2020 Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley, QB Jared Goff and 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Los Angeles Rams Transcripts -
October 14, 2020
Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley, QB Jared Goff and 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Head Coach Sean McVay
(On putting S Jordan Fuller and OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo on Injury Reserve)
“(S) Jordan (Fuller) just reaggravated that stinger that he had previously and we wanted to give him a few weeks and because of the new ability to have just a three-week IR, that was something that we felt like was going to be the best decision for him, and for us to be able to get him as healthy as possible coming back for a good amount of time. With ‘Obo’ (OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo), after consulting with our doctors, they felt like the best course would be to get that thing fixed. Didn't really change the trajectory of time. I haven't done anything with his roster spot, even though we will, but we'll wait a couple of days to decide on exactly what we specifically do with that extra spot we have.”

(Clarification on if Okoronkwo’s injury is a season-ending procedure or if he will return)
“Yeah, he'll come back. It's like four weeks.”

(Clarification on what exactly is Okoronkwo’s injury)
“I'm not sure.”

(On who will fill Okoronkwo’s role)
“It's kind of a by committee approach. You've got (OL Samson (Ebukam), who's got a lot of experience, (OL Terrell Lewis, we got going a little bit, (OL Jachai Polite has played some, so, obviously (OL Leonard (Floyd) is the one that's playing the most snaps, but I feel like being able to get a lot of those guys involved, it's unfortunate because Obo had been doing some really good things, both on defense and on special teams. But fortunately, with the injury that he does have, it was just a minor thing that they needed to get fixed. I didn't mean to be rude either. I really don't know exactly what the specifics of it are. I know it was a minor procedure that he had to have done for a sprained elbow. As far as the specifics, it's a four to six week recovery. That's what it would have been. Then talking to (Head Team Physician) Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache and our medical experts, they felt like this was going to be the best way for him to recover fully and not having a risk of reactivating the injury. So, it will be those guys and fortunately we have some depth, but it's unfortunate for a guy that's been playing really well.”

(Update on how ILB Micah Kiser is doing)
“He's doing good. You know, he’ll be limited today. He is on track and the anticipation is that he'll be ready to go as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, but we'll take those soft tissues a day at a time and we'll be smart with him today. Then tomorrow is usually our heaviest workday and that'll give us a real good feel to see where that thing is at when we push him a little bit.”

(On if it’s possible to see more of ILB Troy Reeder on the field given his performance in last week’s game)
“I think what he's done is he's shown that he's very capable. He played really well last year as well. It's not too big for him. He's a good athlete plays well in space. I thought he communicated really well. Obviously, the production kind of speaks for itself, but I think the more depth that you have at those spots, especially when we thought it was a spot that you're supposedly thin, you don't have a whole lot of experience. But I think we've got three guys that you feel really good about it and (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers) Joe Barry's done an excellent job with them.”

(On if having more rushing yards in the first five games has exceeded his expectations)
“I wouldn't say that. I think it's like we talk about, I'm more interested in the efficiency of what those rushing yards entail. Is it leading to points? Are we sustaining drives? Are we converting when we have to? I think there's been some good and then there's been some things that we expect to be better. But I think what is helpful is when you have a lot of contributors. I think like we've said, the offensive line has done a good job. We're able to run the ball in a variety of ways because we have receivers that can carry it too. So, that ends up helping with some of the different specialty-type runs, but that's a good thing. Stats don't really mean anything to me.”

(On if it is more difficult to game plan knowing 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan so well)
“Well, I know this, I know that he's an outstanding coach. I've got such a high level of understanding for these guys and respect goes through the roof because all of their coordinators, I know very well. I've worked closely with a lot of these guys. They're excellent coaches. So much of the foundation of what I know is from (49ers Head Coach) Kyle (Shanahan), his dad and being around great coaches like this, (inaudible) have their guys ready to go. There is a level of expertise and an advantage that I think they give their players week in and week out with the schematics, having an understanding of the balance between (inaudible) the teams that you're going against, they're as good as it gets. And so, there's definitely a heightened sense. Every week is an important week, but there's a mutual respect that I think exists and an understanding that we have to be ready to roll.”

(On if there is something unique about QB Jared Goff’s performance in opening game drives that would explain the team’s fast starts)
“I don't think so. I think it's the execution. The guys have come out, they've been ready to go and really with the one drive we didn't score an opening touchdown on, Buffalo did a nice job, but we were in a position to be able to score points. I just think our players have come out ready to go and they're executing at a high level and that's a credit to them. I want to see that consistently throughout games.”

(On what point of the week does he sense the offenses comfort to determine what plays to run during the opening drive)
“Usually it's at the end of the week and you look back and you say, ‘All right, these are the plays that you feel good about, we've executed at a pretty high level, the players feel comfortable and these are kind of those plays that you definitely want to get off.’ But to say that you do these openers and you go right down the list, that's just not how you'd call a game. So, I think there's priority calls that our players know that we can expect to get to when you're in some regulated normal down and distances, but it's no different than when we work our third downs in our red zone offense, they know what priority calls. Typically, I think when teams do openers, usually what that's reflective of are kind of your calls you want to get off in your normal D and Ds (down and distances). Fortunately, that execution on early downs has led to us not having many third downs on some of those drives and Sunday was an example of, in the opening drive, having two big conversions by (TE) Gerald Everett that ended up leading to a touchdown.”

(On did teams use to follow scripts for opening drives and is that something that he still sees)
“I'm sure it went on before, but I know (Former 49ers) Coach (Bill) Walsh was one of the first to kind of script the openers and go through those. But you know, you still always call a game based on situations. So, you have your normal down and distance calls, but then you have a third-down priority list based on the windows you're in, your red zone priorities, your two-minute, end of the game, and end of the half. So there's so many sequences that come up within the framework of a game that affect, dictate, and determine how you want to make those decisions based on what the defense is activating and what you feel like is the most sound decision for your players and for the circumstances. So, I think a lot of people do it. It's really different ways. I mean, whether you end up having the openers or not – I think, typically, what it's been reflective of is your plays you want to make sure you get off in the early downs, your first and second downs and I'm not really counting those situations – the third downs, the red areas, stuff like that. So, I think that's kind of par for the course, but, you know, we used to do some openers, but that's not how we call a game. I think our players ownership enables us to say, ‘They know what to expect’. You don't ever want to surprise your players with your play calls, but to just go right down a list, that's not how we do it and I don't think that's the best way to do it.”

(On TE Gerald Everett role this season)
“He's a big-time, versatile playmaker that enables you to really be in multiple personnel groupings because of his versatility in your two tight end sets where he can play that full back, he can detach from the core, and he can align in the core. So, he gives you a lot of flexibility. He's a guy that I mentioned to you guys, wanted to get more involved. I thought he made the most of his four touches in a lot of different ways. And, you know, he's a guy that we’ve got to continue to get involved. I thought he did a great job last week and look to see more of that moving forward.”

(On how tough it is for the 49ers to replicate their success after a Superbowl year)
“I think it's just tough in general. I mean, this league is so competitive. I think I know the one thing that we won’t allow, is to let whatever the first five games have been to not know what a great football team it is that we're getting ready to play against. The fact that they've had to overcome so many injuries from some key players, I think, is a reflection of what a good job they've done when you look at what they did against the Giants or the Jets. I think in a lot of instances, you give credit to Miami, but you watch that game and I think the score isn't necessarily indicative of how it kind of got out of hand and some different things that led to it being the way that it was. But it's a great football team. Kyle is a great coach, he'll have those guys ready to go. I just think this league is so competitive year in and year out. Every single year presents new challenges and that's definitely something that I've learned in a short amount of time and I think all these guys would say the same thing.”

(On how important it is to know where 49ers TE George Kittle is on the field)
“I mean, he's a great player. They do a great job of moving him around, he's one of the more complete tight ends that you'll see in terms of competing with the ball or without the ball. They find creative ways to get him involved. He's as good as anybody after the catch and then all the things that he does in-line. I mean, he's an igniter for them. He has a great play energy about himself, when the ball gets in his hands you can tell everybody gets excited, he's breaking tackles, he's providing a spark. But he does the same thing without the ball when they're running wide zone at him and he's working to tackle tight end combination up to the second level or reaching a ‘Sam’ (line)backer. So, he’s a great player. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and (49ers Tight Ends and Assistant Head Coach) Jon Embree does a great job with those guys.”

(On if there is anything DL Aaron Donald is doing different this year to have a fast start)
“Well, he had 4.0 the other day. I'm not exactly sure where those stats fall. I know this guy is influencing and affecting the game week in and week out. Like I've said, you know, it's great to be able to get those numbers, but he's making an impact sometimes whether the stat sheet shows it or not. We have been able to move him around. I think he has a big-picture understanding of what the intent is behind moving him around. (Defensive Coordinator) Brandon (Staley) has done a great job, as has (Defensive Line) Coach (Eric) Henderson and (Assistant Defensive Line) Coach Bogardus. Another Defensive Player of The Week that you can add to the list of accomplishments for (DL) Aaron Donald.”

(On Wide Receiver Coach Eric Yarber and his great quotes)
“He’s got so many, like you mentioned. He's a great coach. You know, (Wide Receivers Coach) Eric Yarber is one of those guys that you always feel better when you lead being around him because he's so steady and consistent. He never has a bad day. I love people like that. As long as I'm fortunate, this guy will always be able to coach the receivers with me because he is a true joy and pleasure to work with. I love this guy so much. I can remember meeting him when I first got here and I was watching playoff games with (General Manager) Les (Snead) and Kara (Henderson-Snead) after I had gotten hired. I met (Former Rams R Marshall Faulk and he and Marshall have the same agent. I had known about him because (Atlanta Falcons Interim Head Coach) Raheem Morris, who's a close friend of mine, was the Head Coach for the Bucs when Yarber was their receivers coach. And you meet him, and he just has such a great aura and spirit about him. He has a great capacity for the game, but he has a variety of sayings. I think you talk about a selfless room that he's leading. He'll call some routes where you don't have a chance to get the ball, you know, ‘love of the game routes’. Talk about guys can't live forever, going across the middle, being fearless. And then there's a couple of good ones that he gave me today that I can't say on this call, but I love him, and he's done a great job.”


Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley,
(On whether he has had a defensive player record four sacks in a game before)
"Not in the NFL. In college, several times where I was at. But, not in the NFL. When I was with (Chicago DL) Khalil (Mack), (Denver L Von (Miller), (Denver L Bradley (Chubb), those guys, they never had four in a game. There were some great performances, but not four. So certainly, (DL) Aaron (Donald) had a performance to remember.”

(On if he’s ever been sacked four times by the same player when he was playing quarterback)
“No, I have not. That would be an interesting stat to see, for sure. It was a result of a really good team performance. Certainly, a tremendous individual performance by him. But, I felt like we executed as a team and played a lot of clean football. So, very happy for him though. You know, you could see that he was really aggressive. You could see that he was really comfortable and certainly looking forward to more of that.”

(On what he is seeing on film from Donald’s performance all the while teams are specifically game planning for him)
“We're game planning too. I think that we have a tremendous coaching staff here, top to bottom. We do a lot of things to think about Aaron Donald and we have a lot of anticipation of how guys on the other side are going to try and game plan for him, both in the run game and the pass game. Certainly, a player like him is always at the front of your game plans. So, I felt like going into that game plan, I think we had a really good idea of how they were going to go about their game plan for Aaron. We had some things set up that we felt like could give him some opportunities and fortunately we played a really good team game. We got the lead early. (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and the offense did an outstanding job of getting a lead. We were really good in field position and it's one of those things where you're able to settle in and kind of get in a roll and then the conditions kind of favored us from a weather standpoint. The next thing you know, he's in a rhythm and when good players like that get into a rhythm, they're tough to stop.”

(On what the ‘star’ position means defensively)
“It's a position that kind of combines several different skillsets. You're a little bit of a corner, you're a little bit of a safety, a little bit of a linebacker – inside linebacker and outside linebacker because you're kind of a rusher too. So, it's a spot that you have to possess all those qualities of those four positions. You've got to be able to process because things happen quickly inside. So, you need a guy that can see and a guy that can think and operate quickly. So, those are things that he does well. We felt like he's a defensive back, he's not just a corner. We feel like he can play a lot of different positions for us and we feel like he fits that role extremely well. It gives us some versatility there and I’ve been pleased with the way he's played in there.”

(On if this the ‘star’ concept was something he always intended to bring to Los Angeles or if it came to be because of the skillset provided by Ramsey)
“Yeah, our defenses where I was at in college were set up that way for that position. When I was at John Carroll (University), our best player, a guy by the name of Javan Dawson, one of the best players to ever play at John Carroll, we ran our defense through him. In college, it's got to be that way with how the game is set up. But I feel like when I was fortunate to get this opportunity and knew that (C Jalen (Ramsey) was going to be a part of it, I felt like his skills really are uniquely suited for that position. I think that the way that the game is in the NFL, where the passing game is a lot inside and so much more three-receiver groupings, even in the run game, he can provide a lot that way too in the perimeter run defense. Then, as a rusher because he's such a good athlete. He’s got such good instincts. He can give you a really good blitz threat too. I think that Jalen Ramsey is a natural player at star. I think that anybody that knows his game going back from when he was in high school knows that this is what he's capable of doing. I see him like a LeBron James is used in the basketball court, where he's a positionless player. He plays some point guard, he plays some three, he plays some four, he guards fives and he's what his team needs to be in that particular game in order for them to be successful. That's what makes him one of the best players of all time and congratulations to LeBron, a fellow Ohio guy, we're back in L.A. together. So, excited for him, but I feel like Jalen’s that same way. We're going to put him where we feel like it's best and fortunate he's got skill sets to be able to move him around some.”

(On whether LB Troy Reeder’s performance earned him more playing time)
“We certainly have confidence in him. I think he's earned our confidence in a big way. I think the progress that all three of those inside linebackers have made early in the season is something that we're pleased with. I know I made the comment about (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach) Joe B (Barry) and the amazing work he's done with (L Kenny (Young) and (L Micah (Kiser). Then certainly, (L Troy (Reeder) stepping in there. I know Troy played a lot of ball last year, but for Troy to come in, in a game like that and play as well as he did is such a testament to Joe B (Barry) and his coaching. He’s definitely earned our confidence and we feel like we've got three capable guys there. Certainly, excited to hopefully get Micah back.”

(On any similarities and differences of opponents double-teaming Aaron Donald to when he coached Khalil Mack and Von Miller)
“Yeah, certainly. Players like that, kind of transcendent players, they make other people better. They make other people better in a lot of different ways through their example, their practice habits, the way they are, their focus, the preparation, all those intangible qualities. But then certainly, when game plans are engineered for those guys, you're able to set up more away from those players and create more isolations for other people. They help their teammates immensely and in both ways and I think that the thing about Aaron, if you were privy to some of the coaches’ copies, just the joy that he has when other players make plays. If you watched the last play of the game, when (S) Jordan Fuller makes a nice play, I mean, Aaron's jumping up and down so excited. When (DL) Sebastian Joseph (Day) makes a great play on a screen, watch him on the sideline. Watch when (L Jachai Polite and (DL) Morgan Fox kind of combine on a pressure sack backed up. He just has such a great way for his teammates. He loves football and you can never overstate what type of teammate he is.”

(On how the defense has capitalized on opportunities when Donald gets double-teamed and other players end up in one-on-one situations as a result)
“What we've been able to do, is show that there's other people within our front, within our defense that have made plays. I think that that's what you're looking for, is balance within your defense, where you have people in the other 10 positions that can make plays for you. I think within our secondary, our second level, and then our front, I think you've seen a variety of people in the game playing and then also producing. I think that that's what good defenses and good teams do is that they have players through all three levels of the defense that can play at a winning football level.”

(On LB Terrell Lewis’ performance in his first NFL game)
“It was exciting for (L Terrell (Lewis) to get out there. I know it was a homecoming for him going back to D.C. So, very excited for him. He's worked really hard to get back. I think he's shown real toughness and resilience. It's never easy to go through the injury part of the NFL. He was able to hang in there. Our medical staff, (Vice President of Sports Performance and Medicine) Reggie (Scott), (Manager of Sports Science/Assistant Athletic Trainer) Tyler (Williams), they did a great job getting them back. We were able to get his feet wet in that game and get some experience. I think he got 14 snaps. (Outside Linebackers Coach) Chris Shula did an outstanding job with the rotation with all those guys, but Terrell was able to show his stuff. I thought that he played good football for us. He looked confident and comfortable within that role. We just got to continue to work every single day to grow him and within all of our packages and just increase his football knowledge and he's a really willing guy and he's going to get better every time he goes out there.”

(On other players playing the ‘star’ position and his assessment of LB Jachai Polite)
“We've repped really four stars throughout camp and up until this season, we've repped (C Troy Hill, as you guys know, we've repped (C David Long (Jr.), we've repped (S) Terrell Burgess and we've repped Jalen. We've kind of had a four-person rotation there. Then we've had some young guys (C Tyrique McGhee who's been doing a good job as a young guy. So, really five guys. Feel like that's a strength of our defense is trying to cross-train people. You're always trying to create depth within your system. Being such a five and six DB type of league, you’ve got be able to cross-train people at different positions. We’re repping four different dime monies. You've seen (S) Taylor (Rapp), (S) John Johnson (III), (S) Jordan Fuller, Terrell Burgess, all these guys be able to play that role too. You need to do that to be able to sustain a full season because of what happens injury-wise and also matchup-wise. We really believe that in being able to teach and have a teaching progression where guys can learn multiple positions without slowing them down, because you never want to do that. We've got outstanding coaches, (Cornerbacks Coach) Aubrey Pleasant, (Safeties Coach Ejiro) ‘EJ’ Evero, (Defensive Quality Control) John Cooley. Those guys are doing a great job back there with those players and it's a winning edge for us because you got to create depth as you guys have all seen every Sunday or Monday, whenever people play. Something happens where you have to adjust. That's one way you're able to kind of endure that is to be able to create the depth within your team. As for (L Jachai (Polite), like I spoke about last week, that's a really competitive position. He gets better when he goes out there. He gives us some pass rush. We’re trying to really work him into our rotation and he's continuing to earn playing time. He's got to continue to improve in all phases of his game, not just pass rush. You certainly see him flash out there and we're excited about his progress and that whole group. There's a lot of young players in there and like I said, improvement is really what we're after with that group.”

(On the impact of the injuries to S Jordan Fuller and OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo)
“Disappointed for them. Certainly because they're playing so well. But, we’ve got depth that those positions and we're going to have to move forward with those other four guys at outside rusher. We feel like (L Justin Hollins is playing really good football for us. (L Samson (Ebukam), (L Terrell (Lewis), (L Jachai (Polite) and then obviously (L Leonard (Floyd) leading that group. Then in the safety position, we've got Taylor (Rapp) and John (Johnson III). Certainly, (S) Terrell (Burgess) and then (S) Nick Scott and (C Juju (Hughes) are doing a nice job for us too. So, all those guys kind of have to emerge and pick up where both those two guys left off.”


QB Jared Goff
(On feeling one year older)
"It’s great. I’m over the hump now, I'm 26. So, I've heard it's all downhill from here.”

(On if there was anything in his locker to celebrate)
“No, nothing. A lot of happy birthday wishes from a lot of people. But, no gifts or anything. I should ask them what that's all about. Hopefully tomorrow they’ll bring me something.”

(On if Head Coach Sean McVay shared a review with the team of his failed spike attempt from Sunday)
“I don't know if he did that with me in there. He might've done that with the receivers. I'm sure I'll do it tomorrow though. Tomorrow is when we kind of show our stuff from last week in the team meeting and that's when it'll happen. I'm sure I'll catch a lot of heat for it. But again, I defend myself. It was a wet ball that slipped.”

(On whether the media drove the thought to attempt deep plays)
“I don't know, maybe a little bit (laughs). Maybe it was, you kind of got under our skin a little bit as far as what we're doing. But no, I think we we've had players that have a long throws available, they just haven't been there. This week it was there. It was open and I took advantage of it. I don't know if we can give you guys that much credit, but maybe a little bit.”

(On if he can sense excitement from wide receivers if a long play call comes in)
“Yeah, I think so. For sure. There's a handful of plays every game, every week that kind of target a certain guy or a couple of guys deep. That was one of them for (WR) Rob (Woods). So yeah, for sure. When you get it in the headset, you kind of give them a wink and let them know, all right, here we go. He ran a great route. We got over the top of the defense and we had to play. But, I think that would stand true for all our guys that have run of those deep balls.”

(On how he sees the physical difference made between each running back)
“I think it's so good to have a guy fresh in there all the time. It’s part of the game that you kind of take for granted at times, until about the third quarter. When you're in your third or fourth quarter when you realize, we have faith in all three of our backs and when (R Cam (Akers) for example, came in there at the end late and he's fresh and he hasn't ran much. He's actually fresh because he hasn't played much in the last few weeks he's been hurt. But, he's fresh in the fourth quarter is able to rip one off for 40-something yards. That's when you kind of see it as a real impact. Having all those guys, being able to do everything in our offense and have a lot of faith in that helps a lot.”

(On if he’s aware of stat behind his average air-yards per pass attempt)
“I am not conscious of that. Nor do I really care how many air-yards I'm throwing.”

(On OL Andrew Whitworth)
“I mean, we've said it for a long time. Just the way he goes about his business every day is special and really sets the tone for us as an offense and as a team really. Just seeing him here every day, seeing him doing the right thing every day, the way he practices, the way he goes through walk-thru, the way he thinks about things and talks about things. It's at the highest level of anybody in the league, anybody has ever played in the league really and to do it in year 15, it's truly remarkable. I'm extremely thankful for him and I'm hoping he can play another 15 years. I know it's not possible, but I'm going to be keeping thankful for him as long as he's here.”

(On is play calling helping with the success of opening drives)
“I said this postgame, but I think we run some of our best stuff in that first drive. You know, we obviously have some stuff that we want to get up throughout the game and set things up certain ways. But a lot of times in that first drive is some of our best runs, our best play actions, our best keepers, our best screens. It's a mix and match of some of the stuff that we really have loved throughout the week. It's always good to start fast and something that we put an emphasis on.”

(On what will be the challenges going up against the 49ers defense)
“They're veteran. I've always had a lot of respect for (L Fred Warner and what he does over there, getting them lined up and the way he moves around. I think when he was a rookie, you could see it right away, how good that guy was going to be and he's really ascended in to a top linebacker into this league. And I mean, there whole team is veteran, you know, outside of the young kid they drafted this year, (DT Javon) Kinlaw. But everyone else has been there for a while, knows what they're doing, and is always in the right spot.”

(On what having a winning record in the division means)
“I think you always want to win your division games and if you win most of your division games, you're probably going to be in the playoffs. Every game counts the same, but these ones always count a little bit more and you're always looking forward to them a little bit more, so we'll be ready to go.”

(On TE Gerald Everett this season)
“He's done a great job. He's really embraced his role, which has been awesome to see. Just, you know, moving around and putting him in different places, asking him a lot, asking him to know a lot, to do a lot at different spots on the field. And he's really grasped it. It's been really good to see through training camp all the way until now. Just everything we ask him to do, the motions, the shifts, the different routes, the stuff he's run from the backfield, all the different things that we ask him to do, he's done a great job with it and has helped our team, really being in a bunch of different personnel groupings.”

(On how he thinks the offense is performing and what would he like to see be improved)
“Yeah, just keep getting better executing. I think we've done some good things and at the same time, we've had some games this year you look at, where we've had some stretches of not so good football. So just staying consistent, executing throughout the game and being our best at all times.”

(On using a lot more targets out on the field and building a connection with those players while having no offseason, specifically the tight ends)
“Well, I've always felt comfortable with both those guys. We've had a lot of throws throughout the last three years for both of them that have been meaningful and a lot of plays that have been designed to go to them. So, both those guys, I've always had a lot of faith in. Obviously, when we traded (WR) Brandin (Cooks), we knew (WR) Josh (Reynolds) would have to step up and he has. He's done a great job. Same with (TE) Gerald (Everett). We've put him on the field a little bit more this year and asked to ask a little bit more of him and he's really embraced it and done a great job.”

(On the familiarity with the division and if he knows of any players that like to trash talk to him)
“No.”


49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
(On the plan for QB Jimmy Garoppolo this week)
"Yeah, he's coming out there today. He's full-go today. So, we'll see him here in about an hour and evaluate how he looks."
(On Rams DL Aaron Donald and what problems he will create for the 49ers)
"Pretty much every problem. I don't know when I've ever gone against him and he hasn't been coming off a great game (laughs), because that's what he does. I mean, he's as good as it gets in the run game and the pass game. So, whatever you want to bring him up, he's a problem."

(On the similarities he sees with the success in the Rams running back committee and the 49ers approach)
"I mean, just anytime you have a good running scheme, you block well, and whether you have one good running back or three good running backs, it's going to lead to running the ball well, and they do a very good job schematically. They have three guys who all are running hard, hitting the right holes and not messing around. So, I think it's a combination of everything. I mean, if they just had one guy doing it. I think he would do it all right, too until he got tired or hurt. So, it really doesn't matter which one's in there, because they're all very good runners and they know what they're doing from a schematic standpoint and the O-line is doing a good job of keeping everybody in the line of scrimmage."

(On if the Rams running backs present any different challenges)
"Not really. I think they're all similar to me. I mean, they all could do things in the pass game and they're all good runners. So, it's not like they're doing different things when they come in, they've got three choices and that's similar to how we do it, too. We feel we have three good running backs, or even more than three, but that's how it always works out. I mean, you don't just try to get a running back by committee. It's just when you have a number of them, it always helps to use them."

(On what you have to understand about the running back committee and the communication with the running backs coach)
"A lot of it's a feel for the play caller. A lot of it's the feel for the running back coach. I mean, it depends. If there's a huge difference in them, the play caller really wants to know, if there's not, you don't really need to know. You're just dialing up your plays and you want to make sure that the running back coach is only thinking about that, or the majority of his thoughts are about that, is keeping those guys fresh and keeping them going in there, so whoever goes in is playing, doing a hundred percent as good as they can. When you have guys that are used to that and you have a group where it doesn't matter that much to the play caller, it ends up being pretty easy to do. Now, there's a huge, drastic difference in all of them, you need to know exactly what guys are in the game at which time, because it affects your play call and that's when the running back coach can't do it all on his own, because he can't read your mind. He doesn't know what play is about to come. So that's when you've got to communicate a lot more with him."

(On having to game plan for not only Donald but also CB Jalen Ramsey)
"It's a huge challenge. It was last year when we played against them, I think at the second time we got them and then, you know what I mean? He's going to be a problem for a long time. He's one of the best at his position in the game. You can tell he was born to do it by just his physical attributes, but he also has the mindset. He's a hell of a football player. How aggressive he plays, everything, and you combine that with his talent, he's a problem if you don't know where he is and stuff. But it's not just those two. Those two are great players and as good as anyone but just their whole scheme, their whole defense is extremely sound. They make you work for everything and that's why they are playing as good as anyone in the league right now."

(On the Rams getting off to fast starts and scoring on opening drives)
"I don't think it's random good luck. I think they've got really good players who know what they're doing. I think they've got really good coaches; really good schemes and they've been doing it together for a while. They are extremely efficient in their run game; they make you commit to that and they're extremely efficient and good at everything off of that. So, they're a good team and a good offense and when you're like that, and you're prepared and you're hitting on all cylinders, they're tough to stop and that's how they've been this whole year, so far.

(On the Rams opening drives)
"They run the ball very well and they have very good things off the run plays, very well, that takes time for defenses to stop. It seems like they've come out and surprised people a lot, right away. I want to say, it's necessary with what they're doing and just how good they do it. It's hard to simulate that sometimes in two and a half days of a practice team where you're showing them cards and stuff like that, so they're extremely efficient at what they do. So, no matter what you practice, it takes a little time to feel the speed of that and how good it is, compared to what you're trying to simulate in a week."

(On if he has noticed the Rams using Ramsey differently this year)
"Yes. Yeah. He's not just a corner. They play him all over. They play him in different packages, and you don't know where he's going to be on the field."

(On what impact CB Jason Verrett has on their defense)
"It’s been huge for us. I mean, not just to get (C Jason (Verrett) back, who's a great player, and it's been a while since he's been able to come back, all the injuries he's battled over the years, but we got him at a needed time. I mean, losing our D-line like we did early in the year and then it kind of hit us in that corner real hard. Jason has saved us. To have him out there and being able to stay healthy, not to mention how well he's been playing, it's been huge. I've been really happy for him and a great thing for him and a needed thing for our team."

(On how WR Robert Woods has evolved through his NFL career and how Head Coach Sean McVay has been using him)
"(WR) Robert (Woods), he's a stud. I've watched him since he came out of college, when he was at Buffalo. He's always been a good player, but you know, his first year with the Rams, I mean, he took off. The way that Sean used him in their scheme. To me, he's one of the better football players at the position in the league, just how good he is in the run after the catch, how good he is in his routes, how much he blocks. Him and (WR Cooper) Kupp – both of those guys are obviously extremely talented, but they're very good football players and how detailed they are and they don't mess up much and they try to get after guys. So, they're one of the big reasons for their success over the years."

(On if the Super Bowl hangover is real and what he thought of that concept going into the season)
"I think it's frustrating, I mean, just like you said, the Super Bowl hanging over, is just the big questions you've got to answer all the time and especially when you don't have any off season, so it kind of lingers even longer because I mean, the first time we came back after the Super Bowl was training camp. So, it was kind of right there with the questions and stuff. But as far as going through it, I mean, it has no correlation with anything. We're trying to figure out our team now and battle through a number of injuries and we're trying to play better football. But to compare that to a year before anything, we have a different team this year. You have a different team every year and that's something we're working through. We're not at our best right now and we're trying to get there, but quickly once the season starts, once you get into a game, I feel the year before, it's out of your mind completely. It might be a little bit different, maybe Sean and their situation, because you come back in phase one and phase two and probably certain things you can address and work through. But by the time we came back, there's nothing you can talk about. The season was here, so you move on and you go and try to have a better year this year and we're not there, but we're working on to turn that around."

--RAMS--