San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, and offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster spoke with reporters after Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Do you want to just kind of begin with TE George Kittle hasn't had many catches yet through two games, but where do you think stand in your guys' kind of relationship? Obviously, you've thrown more touchdown passes to him than anybody, so how's that relationship?
"I don't know. That's a cool stat. No, it's been awesome. I think just George, coming back from injury and everything, getting his legs under him, he's looked better and better every day. And I think his time will come. I think our offense is one of those offenses where not everyone's going to have a good game every week. It's pick your poison. One week one guy will have a good game. The next week, the next guy, so it's kind of just one of those situations."
The hot hand, but with receivers for targets as well as running backs.
"Yeah, with running backs, always the hot hand, but yeah, even just the game plan stuff, certain coverages take away your outside guy or maybe your tight end and you have to just play off of that. You just can't force things just because you want to get one guy the ball, it's part of the game."
At the same time, do you kind of look at the number of his targets, the number of his receptions and go we've got to get that thing going a little bit?
"Honestly, I couldn't even tell you the number of targets and stuff like that, but I just run the plays that are called, man. Whatever's called, go through my progression, find the open guy and get him the ball. And I think the rest takes care of itself."
You talked about other teams being interested in you, I don't know how much you can discuss this, but were you in the discussion, did you like talk to head coaches from other teams or whatever were you like involved with these offseason discussions with teams expressing trade interest?
"It was more my agents would talk to them and then my agents would talk to me, kind of be the middle man, but yeah, there was discussions with multiple teams, but I'm glad the way things worked out."
Yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead, he might have been hinting at it. I'll just go ahead and ask you. The Carolina Panthers are a team that we're looking for a quarterback and they got Carolina Panthers QB Baker Mayfield kind of late in the process. Were they on your radar? Were things advanced at all with them?
"Yeah, things were advancing with a couple different teams. Nothing, obviously came to fruition, but yeah, they were at the top of the list, I would say. One of the top couple, but yeah, like I said, I'm glad the way things worked out and I'm here, so I'm focused on this stuff now."
As you embark on this long road trip kind of with you getting your sea legs back and back into your chemistry with your teammates, does this have even more meaning for you this time? Is it even more beneficial?
"Yeah, I think whenever you can get away, it's tough on guys with families and things like that I know, but I don't know, there's a part of me that enjoys it. You get to spend time with guys, see a different side of guys that, you usually don't get to see and guys start to open up a little bit when they're away like that. So it'll be a good opportunity for us to take advantage of that, have some fun dinners together and get out and just see a different side of guys."
You guys have done this four times in the last three years here and I think you're 7-1 in those games. How do you feel just physically in terms of getting acclimated to the time zone and how much do you feel that on Sunday helping you when you play?
"I think it tremendously helps us. Yeah, getting there Friday night rather than Saturday night and having to wake up and just go, go, go. And credit to the York's for that, because I know that stuff isn't cheap and they give us top class, first class everything and we appreciate it. And 7-1, like you said, it pays off."
You haven't played a regular season game in Carolina or in Atlanta. Is there curiosity for you to go there? I know you played preseason in Carolina twice, but–?
"Yeah, Carolina, I'm sort of familiar with. Done a couple of preseasons like you said. Atlanta will be pretty cool though and I haven't really thought about it at all, but new stadium and things like that, that'll be a cool atmosphere. But yeah, we'll take this one week at a time and worry about Carolina first."
Do you have, I guess when you go into a new stadium, like do sight lines come into play at all or anything like that?
Yeah, pregame, I walk the field, try to find the game clock, where the play clock is. Just little things like that. Each stadium's a little different and yeah, when that clock's running down, three, two, one, you want to know where that thing's at."
It seemed like the offensive line made a big leap from Denver to the Rams game and that the communication was a lot better among those guys. Is that something that you can feel notice, when you're out there at the time?
"Yeah, I think it really starts during the week of practice. You notice it, walk-throughs, the communication as long as we're all on the same page, we can make it work. It doesn't have to be perfect, but yeah, those guys, especially with the injuries, the mixing and matching that was going on, that's really impressive for a group of five guys like that to all be on the same page and do it as consistently versus a good D-Line. Just yeah, I tip my hat. I love those guys. They did a great job and we just have to keep this thing rolling for this next week."
Have you gotten to know OL Spencer Burford at all, and if you have, what sort of jumps out about him to you?
"Spence is cool, man. He's real cool. Very smooth, doesn't really get too panicked. For a rookie, it's very impressive. You don't see many rookies like that. He's got a long way to go, obviously we all do, but he's off to a good start."
You had a long-time veteran last year in former NFL C Alex Mack at the center position. It seems that OL Jake Brendel is off to a good start. How has that, we talk about that quarterback-center cohesion, how has that gone with Jake here the past couple of weeks?
"It's been a good start. It has. Jake's a good dude. He's on his stuff, man, he really is. He's always getting us in the right stuff, making the communication. It starts with the center and that's not an easy job, but I don't know, we've got a ways to go. I think our relationship is only getting better and better each day and we're just getting this thing started."
As far as OL Aaron Banks, he was getting banged on a little bit last year because he didn't play as a rookie, he's a second-round pick, but he's been fairly impressive so far. What have you noticed from him in his development?
"I've seen a different side of Banks because as a rookie when you're not playing you see one side of guys and then now that he's playing, he's a different animal and he's been playing like it, he's playing good. Same as Spence, got a long way to go and everything, but he's off to a good start. And on gameday, he's a different dude, man. A guy you want on your side for sure. It's fun having him on our side, man. He's a character."
Can you expound on that? Like what is different?
"You meet guys as rookies and then you get them in their second year. They're different people, usually they open up a little bit and you start to see their personality come out. And that's what I'm starting to see with Banks and I love it, man. It's cool. I don't know, you build your relationship and people just start to open up like that. And on gameday, he's different, man. You'll see it on gameday."
Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans
How have the early reports been with CB Jason Verrett and DB Jimmie Ward returning to practice?
"Yeah. I'm excited that we were able to open those guys' window to get them back out to practice. JV and Jimmie have been great players for us. Integral parts to our defense, so I'm just excited to see those guys back out there. It's really uplifting, I think to everybody, just to see what they've gone through and how they've battled back and attack the rehab process, so it's good to see those guys back out there and good to see him back rolling and trying to get back into the groove of things, so it's exciting. I'm fired up to have those guys out there practicing with us."
What's the process now to figure out if they fit? When they fit, how they fit?
"Yeah, I think for anyone, it's been a long time since those guys have played football, so it's just a matter of getting them back integrated to things and it is one thing to be in the meeting rooms, but to get back out on the grass and do things. We just see where those guys are as they continue to go along, but first and foremost I'm just excited to have them out and as they progress we'll see where they fit in when that time comes for us."
There was a definite raise and lift in energy on that side of the field today.
"Oh, for sure. You can feel the energy out there, what those guys bring, especially Jimmie. The energy that he brings just as a captain, as a leader of our team, just to get that guy back at this point in time out there with the group. I think it's, for the younger guys, it's cool to see how veterans work and cool for them to have one of their leaders back out there and everybody feels that energy that Jimmie brings for us."
When they are ready to come back, especially when a guy like Jimmie, does S Talanoa Hufanga's presence allow you to be creative if you wanted to keep all three of those safeties on the field?
"Well see, whatever it calls for that particular week. Whoever we can use. When you get good players. You got a good player like Jimmie Ward, who's been a starter for us, so however we can see fit to make it work with all the guys we have, we'll make it work."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the other day that you've done a good job of really growing in terms of mixing things up, knowing when to press the right buttons, whether it's coverages or blitzing. What is the process like for you in terms of how you know when to press those buttons and things? Is it a feel thing, trial and error? How do you kind of go about that?
"Yeah, I think it's a feel thing and it's also just product of just studying throughout the week and seeing how I want to attack our opponent. And it's also just a credit to our players and the vibe that I'm feeling from our players and what they are able to do. Everything we do is never about me. And what I do is always about the players and what they're able to execute. And with the guys that we have, we have such a great group of guys that it really doesn't matter what the call is right now. Like those guys bring the call to life and that's what it's all about without these players. That's the story. It's not about DeMeco at all. It's all about the players and what they're able to do."
How has that developed in terms of the talent that you have? Especially, the corners that you have with CB Charvarius Ward and CB Emmanuel Moseley like how much does that open up what you can do, particularly knowing what they do as tacklers, not just in coverage?
"Yeah, the corners, I think that changes everything for our defense. It's always about the edges of your defense. And when you have guys who can rush the passer on the edge, you have corners who can hold up on the edge, there's so much more that you can do and so much more freedom as a play caller because you have confidence in those guys, the corners and the edge rushers. And when you're strong on the edge of your defense, you have a chance to be a really great defense. And we have that in Mooney and E-man, with [DL Nick] Bosa, [DL] Samson [Ebukam] and all those guys that are rushing for us, they've given us the ability to do a lot of different things just because of the players that they are and the confidence, the way they bring it every single day. Like that gives me the confidence in those guys and that's allowed our defense to play really good ball."
Hufanga said after his pick-six that he noticed something as the play was unfolding something that told him to go for the interception. How curious were you to get to the film to see if you could see it also and just how big of a play was that obviously?
"Yeah, it's a huge play and it's a credit to, as I talk every week about Huf and the questions that come up about him. It's always about the preparation throughout the week. And that's where he sets himself apart and I think I've said it before and you see it right there on that particular play. He's able to not just be a robot out there. We want our guys to be football players and instinctually, when you're able to see something and trigger on it, that's what makes you a special player. Some guys can see something, but it's also, oh, I have to stick to my rules and just be a robot. Huf is not a robot on the field. That's what allows him to stick out. That's what allows him to make the plays he's made. That's what allowed him to be like one of the best safeties in the league right now, because of his instincts. And he's not scared to go make a play when it calls for him to go make a play."
Before the game on Monday, it looked like you watched DL Javon Kinlaw work out a little bit and you did a lot of talking there and it sure looked like you were the one to deliver the news to him that he wasn't going to be suiting up. Is that your call? And how did that all take place and just how do you feel about where he is and what was the thought process behind not trying to push him out there?
"Yeah, I think with any player, as I talk to players, it's always about the player first to me. And it's not about pushing guys out when they're not ready to go, because I care too much about the men and not just the player. So that's what it's all about with me. So whenever a player is ready and his body is ready and he's able to be out there and play for us, that's the right time for him to be out there. But as I've played, all players, you always think that I'm ready to go. And what your body may be saying is another thing, that you're not ready. For me and a position that I'm in, I owe it to all the men that I'm over, in charge of that I want to do right by them. And it's not about one game here, it's about doing right by the man first. And that's how I'll always approach it."
Do you kind of have to save some guys from themselves?
"For sure. As players, that's what makes you a good player because you have that warrior mindset that you can always go out and I'm going to be good. I'm tough, I'm okay, but someone has to pull you back and let you know when that time is not quite right. And I just expect that from everybody who's in this position as coaches that we always put the men first and it's not just about players, it's about these guys as men and their livelihoods."
It's been four weeks and national outlets are already talking about you as a head coach candidate and the team you're going to face is one of those teams that they point out as you being a good fit for, the Panthers. How do you deal with that after four weeks?
"I don't. I'm not worried about it. I'm worried about how can we get our guys prepared to beat the Panthers? That's truly my focus and that's what I worry about. Things like that, I can't control that. All I'm worried about is making sure our guys are prepared and I'm able be my best for those guys on Sunday. Put them in position to excel and make plays. That's what it's all about for me."
Off of that point, how do you deal with a guy like Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffery? What are the challenges that he presents?
"Yeah, Christian, he still has juice man, he still has a lot of juice. He's a big-time playmaker for them. Watch the tape. This kid is very explosive. It starts in the run game, teams have the run fitted up and he can find any small little crease and make them pay. So the first thing, first we have to stop the run game. And then Christian still, he's great in a pass game as well, whether it's picking up protections as a blocker and also getting out in the screen game. He's just all over the field and an explosive player, so we have to have extra eyes on him the entire game because he can definitely make you pay if you're not on it and you're not ready."
Having been a player so recently, does that help you relate to Javon Kinlaw when he wants to play so badly and does it also, I guess let him be more understanding since you're giving it to him kind of at that level?
"Yeah, I would like to think that experience of playing. I've been around so many different guys in the locker room and I know what it feels like to not be able to go out there when you want to be out there with your teammates and it's a feeling that's very hard to swallow. If you've ever been in that position, I've been there and it's tough. One of the toughest things that you probably go through as a player when you're in this league is not being able to suit up with your guys. I've been there, I understand that and I'm able to empathize with guys who've been in that position. I'm able to empathize with these guys who've been on IR or battling from injuries and going through rehab every day and the struggles that your guys are going out to practice and you're back in the training room, so it is very tough. It's emotional on guys. It's a lot that goes into these injuries and all the things that players go through, but I've been through it and like I said I've been in their shoes and I know what it feels like and it is not good. I think it's cool when you have someone who can relate to you, who's been in your shoes."
Emmanuel Moseley has always been fairly small. Now he's bigger, but he's not a huge NFL cornerback, but he comes up in run support and is pretty violent in coming up on screen passes. Did you immediately recognize that he had that in him and that toughness and his contact courage?
"Oh yeah. You knew from just watching E-man his first year, just when he got into games, he was physical, he made plays, even though he's a smaller guy, he's not backing down from anyone. And he's a physical corner. He's made a lot of plays for us and it's not always about the size, you've heard it before, but it's all about the heart. E-man has the heart of a lion. He'll stick it in there, he'll tackle, he can cover anybody in this league. E-man is just a true competitor. A guy you want to go to battle with any day of the week because you know who he is and you know he's going to accept the challenge anytime because it is there for him. So whether it's coming up, cracker-plays, tackling, he can do it. Whether it's covering their best receiver on their team, he can do that as well. So I love where E-Man is and he's doing a great job for us."
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Chris Foerster
What was the decision behind rotating OL Daniel Brunskill and OL Spencer Burford Monday Night?
"With Dan Brunskill coming back we needed to get him some reps to get him some work back in there. He didn't have a lot during training camp, he got hurt the first preseason game – I think it was the first preseason game. He had gotten like two plays in or he got hurt on a field goal or extra point, I can't remember. But yeah, so it was just to get him some reps back in there and get him working. I mean, Spencer's been doing a nice job, but Dan deserves an opportunity to get in there as well, so we wanted to rep both guys and kind of do it by committee and see how it went. My plan was to give Dan a series a quarter, which I hope was working out to about 25 to 30 plays, which was his pitch count and then we only had 50 plays in the game, and so it turned out being where they played about even."
Do you feel like OL Jake Brendel has done a good enough job at center that you're not going to touch that?
"Yeah, right now Dan is the backup center. Dan's been repping both guards and center. He'll be the next center in. We had [OL] Blake Hance working at center as our backup previous weeks. Now that Dan's back, he'll be the backup and be the inside swing between three inside guys."
Will you continue to alternate moving forward?
"I think it's a week to week decision. I really do. I think that we'll look at each week and see, always if you have a player, we've always believed if we have guys that are kind of playing close to the same, you let them play and see if one guy kind of rises above or not. And we'll see where it ends up, but right now, Dan deserves an opportunity to get in there and play a little bit. Plus, we're not just doing Dan a favor. It was good for Spencer, especially being his first game against number 99 [Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald]. It was a good chance for Dan to get in there and have an opportunity, who's played against him and maybe give Spencer a chance to have a blow."
After the game, Spencer was very complimentary of Dan and how during the course of the week Dan sat down with him and made sure that he was ready to play Aaron Donald. Can you talk a little bit about how much Dan has meant even while he's been hurt to some of those younger guys in the room?
"Yeah. Dan Brunskill is tremendous in his preparation. He just does a great job. We do this thing that started before I took over the line here. We assign each player a defensive lineman to break down and then on Saturday night we get together and we talk about it, so [T] Trent [Williams] will read one guy and you get the idea. And to hear Trent and Dan's reports are really astonishing. They do a great job and Dan is just a student of the game. He just really studies it. His detail, his points of emphasis are outstanding and so he was able to pass on to everybody. He gave a clinic to the whole room his opinion on how to play 99. Now it's just how do you die a slow death? It's not how you block him, it's just how you die a slow death. I'm just not going to die right away. Dan, we all know that 99 is going to win and it's what he does. He's one of the best defensive lineman ever to ever play the game. But Dan has got the approach and Dan's approach is one that everybody sees on film. The difference when Dan says that Dan's actually going out and executing it. It's one thing when you can watch guys do something, but then to go out and actually do it with the bright lights on Monday Night Football and there's the guy right in front of you and the first time he hits you, you go, Oh my gosh, this guy is really strong and really fast and really good. Do I trust my technique enough to keep doing it? Dan's had those reps and so he was able to help the other guys in the room."
How did Dan come out of the game? Did he have a little rust when he first went in?
"He was fine. He was good. And I think that's why playing just a handful of snaps does get him going again. That's why we have training camp and I guess we're still having preseason games. That's why we do those things is so that guys can get themselves ready to go and play. And so Dan's able to get those reps and get himself back in playing shape and condition. Plus, like I said it was a good game for him to get in on."
He got hurt fairly early in training camp so Burford didn't really have anybody pushing him. Do you like that element? Especially with a rookie that, okay, you need to continue at that pace that you were on throughout the season or else this starting job could go elsewhere?
"Yeah, I don't think there's ever a complacency, although I think it could happen if there's just no way. But I think just the level of competition each week is so great and the challenge for these guys is so great. Just having enough guys to play, as you can see already, we're on our third starting left tackle. We've been down the road with the different positions all through this season, so we have to get ourselves ready and have everybody ready to go. If a guy's good enough to play or ready to play, unless the other guy's clearly better. There is a point to that. I'm not saying it's incorrect as far as pushing Spencer, there's plenty to push Spencer. He's got a ton of things to work on to continue to improve on, and it gets hard. Week in and week out, we talked about it I think up here before where just over the course of a season, as you start showing your game on film, people start seeing what you do well and what you don't and they start to take advantage of it and they push you to fix it or not. And that's why it's nice to have a change of pace."
With those injuries to Trent and OL Colton McKivitz, do you consider moving Brunskill to left tackle or has OL Jaylon Moore more shown you enough?
"Well, right now it's Jaylon. Obviously, Dan hasn't had any work, even last week, Dan, if you asked him, he was rusty when I said, are you ready to go at left guard? And he really didn't feel comfortable. He didn't have enough time back and he's played all five spots on our offensive line since he's been here, I think. He didn't feel comfortable going to the left side. So Blake would've gone in at left if something would've happened to [OL] Aaron [Banks] and then Dan was going to go in at right or center. So, tackle is not even in the equation I would say right now. Dan would be our fourth tackle going into this game. Blake, who's played tackle before and started some games at tackle in Cleveland, he would be the swing tackle going into the game. He is all five like Dan. He was Cleveland's version of Brunskill."
How did Jaylon fair this past weekend?
"Oh, this was better for him. The previous game when Trent got hurt in Denver, that was not a good outing for Jaylon at all. And he worked really hard last week, got refocused and hadn't been called on to play for a while. So, him going in there this week, it was a much better game for him and we were happy with how he played."
Where would you say he is in his development right now?
"Well, he goes in as a rookie and he does a nice job and you're all, wow, this is great. The kid, he did a good job. But then it's like, have you taken the next step? I think that there was a level of, when you play behind Trent Williams and [T] Mike McGlinchey and you're kind of like, I'm the swing tackle. I think that was a good wake up call for him in Denver and I think he's worked really hard and progressed, but just when he got out there, it just wasn't there. So, that Denver game, unfortunately for us, he didn't play real well and got our quarterback hit a couple times and whatever happened, happened. But I think that was good, it shook him up a little bit too. He refocused last week and it's one game. He has to start stringing some together for us. Now we need him."
Is there a push pull maybe with you and Kyle or other coaches on TE George Kittle's usage, like, hey, it'd be great to have him on these five run plays and maybe somebody else about getting him into the pass process a little bit more. Is there any kind of conversation about that?
"No, not with George. The personnel groupings are so dictated. There's so many things that go into who's in on what personnel grouping. It's not random. Sometimes it's how many plays has a guy gone in a row, he's just run four straight go-routes and we have to put somebody else in at tight end, there's just so much more to it. There's certain plays, yeah, where we might focus that this guy needs to be in for that, or we'd love to have these two guys in on this, or we'd prefer that [TE] Ross Dwelley not be here but be here. Those kinds of things. But that's kind of predetermined and it isn't really a push-pull, it's trying to get everybody involved and yet do what's best for the play and best for the team."
If you need Kittle on pass protection, is that still just personnel groups?
"Yeah, we know by personnel grouping who's going to be in and if we see it and think, oh wow, this is something that we need to have somebody else in on, we could do that. But it's not a push-pull. But yes, there's specific and there is game planning to it and sometimes it just happens, you call a play boom and you're like, oh, well Ross is in at tight end and he's going do it or [TE] Charlie [Woerner] is in at tight end, he's going to do it. But a lot of times we do try to be specific and make sure that it's on the plan. It's not push-pull, we kind of just game plan it up."
You have been understandably hesitant to make any grand proclamations about Aaron Banks. I'm sure four games it's not time, but I don't think he's had a penalty or allowed a sack and he's been really impressive. Is he surprising you at all?
"No. We talked about the skillset and the ability all offseason. It was there and he's applying it and yet it's still rough around the edges. The production is good and he's finding a way to get it done, which there's a lot to be said for that. And in a lot of it he is cleaning things up and they are getting a little bit better. It's so much better than it was in camp. But at the same time, there's still more to do. He still can have his moments where it's like, golly, we have to be better than that. And you got the job done, but heck, it has to be better than that. And that's where he's still got those moments, but yet he works really hard and he's getting better. We've said it again, those game reps are just so critical. And when you get them in the game and you're doing them well in the game, those count double, three times what they count when you get a good rep in practice. And he's starting to bank some of those, no pun intended, but he's doing a good job."
At running back, is RB Jeff Wilson Jr. settling in as your workhorse or because of the short week, do you consider mixing more guys in there now?
"Jeff's doing a good job. We talked last week about [RB] Tevin [Coleman] and we only had 50 plays. We scored on a couple big plays with the long run and then the long [WR] Deebo [Samuel] pass reception and run after the catch. And then we had a pretty quick drive, the one that we went down and ended up not scoring the one where Kittle was out of bounds on the third down throw. We had some faster drives and not as many plays, and they controlled the ball a little bit from the standpoint of the time of possession. So, without that many carries, Jeff got his fair share. I think if there's more carries, there's probably more guys to rotate in. We talked about Tevin last week. We've talked about the younger backs as well. They're very comfortable in the offense right now, but Jeff's always that workhorse. But I do think you have to be careful with Jeff. I think we've talked, he runs like a big back. He is a physical hard nose, tough running back, and if you give him too much, it's eventually going to be wear and tear and we'll be down to the next back. So there's always going to be a balance. We're very fortunate though with the carries last week and how the game played out that he was able to be the quote unquote workhorse."
