Chip Kelly joined Murph & Mac on KNBR 680 this morning to discuss the team's blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Below is a transcript of what the San Francisco 49ers head coach had to say.
The questions to Kelly may be paraphrased.
What do you think about when you make that long flight back from Atlanta?
CK: "We were working because we have a short week this week because we play on Saturday. Obviously grading the tape from Atlanta and then moving on to the Rams so there was a lot of homework on the plane."
What did you guys see while reviewing the film?
"Well, I think for the amount of guys that we had to play -- we lost eight players yesterday in the game so it was a lot of mixing and matching and just trying to make sure we get everybody on the field. I think that was a little bit difficult for us."
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There is a theory that injuries tend to mount more during tough seasons. Have you taken note of that?
"I haven't looked at anybody else. I just know that we are a little banged up right now."
Do you have to make moves before Saturday's game to bring in more bodies?
"Yeah, we're going to have to. We've got to get to 46 on game day so we're going to have to bring some guys in."
Practice squad or free agents?
"We haven't met. I think it's a combination of both, to be honest with you."
What are you leaning on to get you through each day?
"You've got to get up each day and go to work and try to be better than the day you were before. We've got a good attitude. We control our attitude. We control our effort. And those are the things that you worry about. Don't worry about the things that you don't control and just keep moving forward. The guys that had to play yesterday, some guys were really forced to play out of position. You can't fault them for that but I thought they gave good effort. It's tough sometimes when you've got guys playing out of position."
Did you think about not suspending Gerald Hodges because of the depth situation?
"No. We discussed it as a group. That was the decision that we made. That's about it."
When you say "we," does that include any players?
"No."
Just the coaching staff?
"Uh huh."
Do you agree with Colin Kaepernick's comments that the culture with the 49ers needs to change?
"I know that winning needs to change to a degree. I don't know what the cultural part of it means. I know we need to win football games and part of being in a winning culture is winning. It's tough to say you're in a winning culture when you're not winning."
What was your reaction to the comment?
"I don't have a reaction to that. I'm not anything on that. I don't think anything of it. I think Kap's like everybody else. He's frustrated. Kap goes out and prepares each week and competes each week. I love the way he prepares. I love the way he competes. So I don't really think about that, to be honest with you."
Is he still your starting quarterback for Saturday?
"Yes."
Would you ever consider playing Christian Ponder to see what he has?
"We evaluate our players every day and get an opportunity to see them every day and we believe Kap gives us our best chance to win on Saturday."
In your mind, what is creating a winning culture?
"I think it's how you show up every day in terms of going to work, not making excuses, not looking to blame other people, controlling what you can control. This group does that. I think this group is really good at focusing on what they have to do, how hard they have to prepare. The one thing this group does is give you everything that they have. I think winning ends up being a byproduct of doing things the right way all the time and eventually it works itself out. I don't think, in terms of the work ethic or preparation or anything like that, that our guys aren't on the right page or anything like that."
At some point, you have got to have players though, right?
"Yeah, I think everybody controls what they can control. We all have a mindset that we have to show up with and that's what we can control so don't worry about the other things."
Is losing contagious and is that something that you will have to work through going into Saturday?
"No. I think people that say that are just making excuses for why they lose."
Some banter back and forth about what winning is.
What is your relationship with Trent Baalke like right now?
"I have a great relationship with Trent. We work every day. He's got a great group of guys that he works with. Tommy Gamble, Ethan [Waugh], Matt Malaspina, the whole group up there. They're working as hard as anybody in this organization and trying to put together a football team. I have a great working relationship. Just a relation, not a working relation, but a great relationship with Trent."
How involved is Jed York?
"Jed's around all the time. We have weekly meetings."
Some humorous banter back and forth about the motto for this week, "Let's go get'em."
What is your reaction to Christian McCaffrey saying that he will not play in Stanford's Bowl game some he can prepare for the draft?
"I would try to gather more information. Is he hurt? Is there something that's lingering with him? There's always things that aren't reported or that you don't understand. The 'behind the scenes' part of it that weight into the decision. That's the first I've heard of it. I've watched him practice. I've been up there for spring ball. I know, talking to David [Shaw] and watching them, he has to pull him out of stuff in spring ball when the kid's chomping at the bit to practice. every interaction that I've had with him has been very, very impressive. It would be very presumptuous for me to make any opinion on something I just heard about."
Let's assume that he is 100-percent healthy.
"That's hypotheticals and I don't deal with that, Murph."
You can listen to the entire interview on KNBR 680, which includes all of the "Chippy" banter.