The following are select post-game quotes from San Francisco 49ers players following Sunday's 51-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Quotes provided by the 49ers Communications staff.
LB Kwon Alexander
What has enabled San Francisco 49ers DL Nick Bosa to step in immediately and be a force?
"I think he was born like that. There are a lot of people that work hard to get where he is. He practices hard. He practices his technique a lot. He goes out there and shows what he can do. He has just been amazing for us."
What did you see on his interception?
"I was in coverage so I was just doing my job. I saw him catch it, and then I saw him run with it, and I was just hoping he would score, but they got him down. He has just been amazing for us. He just works his butt off and it is showing off."
Was this the most complete win of this season so far?
"No, I don' think so. We have a lot of work to do. We are trying to be the best of the best so we have to keep working on how to be the best of the best, and that is where we want to be."
DL Arik Armstead
Can you talk about the way you guys were able to put pressure on once again?
"That was a goal of ours first to stop the run, always and then to put some pressure on him and try to rattle him. We were able to put some pressure on him and get to him and that had a big impact on the game."
San Francisco 49ers DL Nick Bosa obviously had three sacks in the first half. Can you talk about what you see in him and his development?
"Nick has been balling. He is an awesome player. We knew that he was super talented when he got here. It is all falling into place for him, he has to continue to keep working hard and keep stacking them."
What do you see out of quarterbacks when you are starting to put pressure on them? Do you see their eyes start to change when you apply pressure like you guys do?
"I am trying to focus on the linemen more so and beat my guy to make sure I get to him. Throughout the game, if you keep attacking and putting pressure then it usually turns out well for us."
You guys did a good job taking away Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, he is a unique guy. Can you talk about what the game plan was against these guys?
"He is a super talented player. They love to get the ball to him in various ways so we definitely had to gang tackle and corral him. He got a few plays in on us but for the most part we got the win. It was definitely a challenge, he is an awesome player, he can make guys miss and so it was definitely a challenge for us."
DL Ronald Blair III
You guys on defense probably couldn't wait to get the ball back so you could get out there on defense again?
"We like taking advantage of a lot of opportunities because you never know when a play can be taken away from you. We are just living in the moment and having fun with each play. It is just crazy having so much talent in the room. We are just trying to compete with each other on each play."
Is this the best performance by this team all around so far this year?
"I would say so far yes. There are improvements to be made all around, but today was a good feeling. The play of the special teams. the offense, and the defense, it was really complimentary football, we are just happy with the results."
What did you think when SF 49ers DL Nick Bosa picks up that ball and is acting like a running back?
"He is one of the best players I have seen live. I thought he was just batting the ball down, and I saw a pick so I just tried to run down the field and give him a block. By that time he was out of gas, but he already did enough at that point."
How much fun is this team having? It seems like you guys are having a blast out there.
"We are having a lot of fun. Because we work so hard throughout the week, you really get a chance to showcase that work on Sunday. Just being able to work so hard and have the results come out on Sunday is just a great feeling."
DL Nick Bosa
CB Richard Sherman just said that you shouldn't just be Rookie Defensive Player of the Year, you should be Defensive Player of the Year. He's already given you that award. What do you think?
"We've got a lot of work to do before that, but I appreciate it from Sherm."
Take us through the interception. What did you see?
"They had been cutting us a little bit on pass. He got me on a play before, cut me really good. So, just played the cut that time and saw the quarterback's eyes and just jumped. Then, it went right into my hands."
Do you get in a zone as a pass rusher, and if so, were you in one today?
"Yeah, I mean, whenever your moves are working really good, it's just a good feeling. Once you get a sack, really it just lets you calm down. I mean, two of those sacks could have been [DL DeForest] Buckner's easily. We've kind of gone back and forth giving each other sacks this year, so I'm lucky to have two interior guys who close the pocket so well."
DL DeForest Buckner
What did you think of DL Nick Bosa's day today?
"He had a great day. Nick's one of those guys where, if he gets one, he's going to get a couple. It was a big day for him, and honestly, that interception was unreal on the screen and then he took it for, what, I don't know, 50 yards at least? It was unbelievable, so I'm very happy for him. He's got to keep playing at a high level every week and it's just exciting to see."
On that first sack, it looked like you provided pressure up front and then you got bottled up or whatever and he ended up finishing the play. How different is that compared to what you had?
"Yeah, honestly, in the past, he probably would've snuck through a little bit and made a play downfield or a play with his legs. Providing pressure, whether it's from the outside or inside, somebody's going to end up with a sack, and you saw it today. It's just pretty fun to see. Nick was saying on the sideline, he was like, 'I've never had a sack where I fell down and got back up and then it was just right there.' He just ran right into him, so I mean, it's just great to see everything's coming together."
You've dealt with being on the wrong side of games like this in your first few seasons here. How nice is it to see other teams suffer?
"It's really nice to be on the other end. Like you said, starting off, especially for my rookie year, we got blown out a couple times and it's a terrible feeling. To be on the other side of that, it's just great to see. The whole team is having fun, and especially our crowd, I mean, the Faithful has been unbelievable, home and away. So far, I feel like we've played seven home games and it's just been great to see that. We've just got to keep it going."
RB Tevin Coleman
That was a pretty well-respected defense but you guys scored 50 points. Were you surprised at how dominant you all were?
"Oh yeah, definitely because they are a great, great D and they have great players on their D, especially [Carolina Panthers LB] Luke Kuechly and things like that. So, we definitely had to work and get our details down, just to play against him. [San Francisco 49ers head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and the other coaches came up with a great scheme to do that."
What was working so well for you today?
"The runs, definitely. It was real open. The guys on the O-Line blocked well, tight ends, receivers, they blocked well and they opened up gaps for me."
San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle said that when you hit the edge on those outside zone runs, you do it without any care for your body. Where does that mentality come from?
"Not sure, but that's just my mentality to get downhill and get extra yards that we need. That's what I like to do and that's what I try to do."
DL Dee Ford
Winning doesn't come easily does it? Is this the result of the hard work?
"Exactly. It only gets harder from here. We understand that as a team. We enjoy the wins, but we erase it and move on."
How rewarding is it to be a part of a defense that really dictates the whole game? If they did anything longer than a 3-step drop, they were in trouble.
"Yes, it is unbelievable. It is fun and I couldn't have made a better decision. I am blessed. This can go down as a very historical defense if we keep doing what we have to do."
Is this the best effort by this team on both sides of the ball thus far this season?
"No. We all know that we have more in the tank. We have more opportunities and we are going to continue to get better. This can't be the peak. Teams only get better from here."
When you see one of your guys snag the ball out of the air and take off running, what does that do to lift all of you guys?
"I have never seen anything like that in my life, just the totality of the game. That man [49ers DL Nick Bosa] is special, I said that when I first met him. Once I saw the character in him, I knew that he was going to be special. It was a crazy thing to watch."
TE George Kittle
What do you think about your teammate DL Nick Bosa and his performance today?
"He could be a little bit better I guess. Are you kidding me? I'm really happy he's on my team because I don't want to block him. It's not very fun in practice, but I'd rather do it then than in the game. He got cut blocked, stood back up and intercepted it and ran it 40 yards after stiff arming two guys. He's an honorary tight end for National Tight End day. So, he had a catch and I had a tackle. I was pretty excited."
What did you think of RB Tevin Coleman's performance today?
"From the first time that Tevin came into the building, just watching him run with the ball and how he reads it, how he gets downhill, him taking the edge and then getting vertical is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen and he does it with zero regard for his body, which is pretty amazing for a running back. He gets downhill so fast, so I just love watching him play. For him to get, I think, 110 yards on 11 carries, something like that, and three touchdowns, I'm just happy for him. He deserves that because he grinds every single day and we're just happy we could help him do that."
How nice was it to have WR Emmanuel Sanders out there? How much did his presence go into what you guys did today?
"He's pretty good. I mean, he's established. He knows how to win. He's a great player. You don't have to coach him, just have to get him to know what our offense is about. I think he did a fantastic job. He made the plays when we called his number. He's a distraction on some plays and I think he did everything we wanted him to do today. If we can keep doing that moving forward, it's going to be some fun football."
WR Deebo Samuel
What does this say about this team, you guys just keep winning, 1-0 every week?
"We just take it day by day and keep on doing what we are doing."
What did you think of San Francisco 49ers DL Nick Bosa's play?
"Oh that was ridiculous. It was unbelievable. You could see that he got chop blocked, he got up, they threw a swing pass and he caught it and almost scored. I was like, what in the world. I actually went down and celebrated with the defense."
You and San Francisco 49ers RB Tevin Coleman both ran in for touchdowns untouched, was it as easy as it looked?
"We practiced that every day at practice this week. Earlier in the week I was messing it up and wasn't seeing the holes right and we got it figured out during the game."
You guys have the Arizona Cardinals on a short week this week. How do you prepare for that?
"We are just going to do the same thing that we do every day, day-in and day-out."
WR Emmanuel Sanders
Your new team scores more than fifty points, doesn't that reinforce that this is a good spot for you?
"I knew it. All week the energy has been so positive here. This locker room is just amazing with a great group of players, and great personalities around here. I showed up today expecting the same results in personality. I will never forget going out into the tunnel with these guys. Everybody was laughing and smiling, I was like man this is football, this is fun. I am blessed to be here."
It seems like you were out there for nearly every snap at least in the first half. Were you surprised at all at how much you ended up playing?
"No I wasn't surprised. All week in practice our receivers coach Wes [Welker] was telling me that they will let me play as much as I feel like I can play. I didn't feel like coming out of the game, that is what I am used to. I am looking forward to watching the film to see if I had any mental errors, but as right now in my head I can't think of any. I am proud of myself."
How is it with so many guys being involved in the offense?
"When I look at this team I feel like I just go to do my job. If I need to catch third downs to keep the chains moving, I just got to do my job. I don't have to do too much. I don't have to expect to go into a game saying I need to catch 10 passes and have over 100-yards for us to win even though I want that. If they need me to do that I know I can. It feels good we can dial up plays for anybody and potentially score so it is awesome."
Take us through that touchdown in the first drive of the game?
"I ran like a five-yard out route. I guess the ball was tipped, but it ended up falling right in my hands. It was probably one of the easiest touchdowns I have had. It was awesome to get on the opening drive to be a newcomer on this team and be able to open up like that is awesome."
How did you have to adjust to the tipped ball?
"It kind of fell right into my hands, I was open but when he tipped it, it kind of delayed it a little bit. The ball still fell right into my hands, so that it is good."
CB Richard Sherman
You seemed almost incensed about the missed interception and on the next play you got the pick.
"Well, it's great defense. It's great, sound defense. I had a good feel, had a good rhythm for what they are. In this game, as you get older, people kind of lose respect for you. That's the frustrating thing sometimes about this game, is like, people say, 'Oh, he's 31, he can't be the best cornerback in football, so we'll just give it to somebody else.' It's like, oh, you guys don't actually watch the film. [WR Dante] Pettis had told me, I guess he's friends with the quarterback, and he was like, 'Hey man, his plan is to just go at you.' I was like, 'You don't understand, I'm not new to this.' I've been playing at a high level for- you know, my 15 minutes started an hour ago. Like, I've been doing this. It's one of those things where you take advantage of the opportunities. Guys are going to sit here and throw 5-yard hitches and gain confidence, like, 'Oh my God, we've got a chance.' As soon as you throw anything substantial, I'm taking it. [S Jaquiski] Tartt did a great job on that play, too. He was in a great position. The D-Line has been hunting all day. That's the great thing about this defense is you just have to play sound. When your D-Line is hunting like that, [DL Nick] Bosa deserves all the credit in the world. [DL] Dee Ford, [DL DeForest Buckner] DeFo, [DL] Arik Armstead. You see [DL Ronald] Ronnie Blair [III] got in there, [DL] Solly [Solomon Thomas]. Pressure all day and night on them. [DL] D.J. Jones came in there, huge, huge sack early on. That's what you need, you know. You had [DL] Sheldon [Day] come in there and had great third down stops. It's team defense, and that's what we're playing. [CB] Emmanuel Moseley, like a few weeks ago, everybody's concerned, everybody's worried. 'Oh my God, we lost [CB] Ahkello [Witherspoon].' Ahkello's a great player, and we can't wait to get him back, but so is E-man. So is Emmanuel. Emmanuel has played at a high level and has had very limited opportunities and finally gave him an opportunity. He was just ready, played well and he got his hands on the ball. That's just sound football. These guys are playing great and I think they deserve all the credit in the world. Obviously, [LB] Fred [Warner] and [LB] Kwon [Alexander] deserve a ton of credit, but the safeties back there eliminate it. They had some good throws and Tartt and [DB] Jimmie [Ward] went out there and eliminated it. When 22 [RB Christian McCaffrey] broke out, he's a good player. He's going to get his runs. Jimmie was able to get him down and keep points off the board. That's what you appreciate about the eraser. He's not going to get enough credit for that. It's not going to show up as a huge stat in the stat sheet, but he's a guy that you appreciate."
You've talked about pregame fuel and using that. Are you completely sure Dante Pettis was not making that up?
"No, I'm not completely sure. I love that, that's what I love about it because he knows how I am, too. He could've not know this kid at all and could've said that. They'll write a story about it and be like, 'Richard Sherman said this.' I don't know if he said it, but Pettis said he said it, so it pissed me off. I didn't respect it."
You said you're not new to this. Bosa is new to this--?
"It doesn't seem like it, though, does it? He's an incredibly poised player. He's everything you could ask for. He's probably one of the best picks in ten years with just how he's played and he's played like this since Day 1. If it wasn't for the ankle injury, everyone would've saw him early on in the preseason, but he didn't get to play the preseason. Everybody's like, 'Oh my God, he's the number two pick, he hasn't played,' but when he came in here, if you watched him from Day 1 like we got to, he pays like a 10-year vet. He plays with such a savviness and such a poise, such an aggression, that it's like he's been playing on this level. You can tell he's been coached up great at a young age. Obviously, his family has a great pedigree, but he's an incredible talent, and he's so humble. He's a humble, nice guy. I don't know what he does in his free time, but I think he plays video games and he comes to work and he wreaks havoc. He deserves Player of the Week or Rookie of the Week or Rookie of the Year, everything. If he just kept the stat line as it is right now, he could win Rookie of the Year, but right now, he should be in line for Defensive MVP."
LB Fred Warner
Is this the most complete game for this team on both sides of the ball thus far?
"Yes. I think so. The way the offense was firing, guys on our side making plays [San Francisco 49ers DL Nick] Bosa having the game of his career. It was just fun."
What does it do when the defense is just forcing the action the way that you guys were? They couldn't do any long drops because of the pressure that they were getting. Did you guys feel like you were dictating the tempo of the game?
"Yes. Like we do every week, we try to stop the run. We knew 22 [Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey] was going to be an issue in this game, just having to focus on him throughout the game and just flying around the football."
Can you talk about what you saw when Nick Bosa made that play with the interception and return?
"I don't think I've ever run that fast for someone. I started sprinting all the way down the field trying to catch him. He got all the way down there and didn't get in, but that was a crazy play."
How complete of a win is this? Not only playing defense the way that you do, but you guys put up 51 points.
"That was a team win. The offense did great. The defense we could have been cleaner but we got the job done at the end of the day."
