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. The team is preparing for its Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
How much thinking back do you do to the Super Bowl?
"A little bit. You definitely watch it. I mean, that is the last time we played these guys, in a real game. So, I think there is some merit to it, but it was a pretty long time ago too, so you got to be careful with that."
When you watch it this week, if you're watching that film and looking at schematics, how do you remove the emotion out of it while you're watching it?
"I don't know. I think you just kind of have to, I think is a big part of it. Once you're watching the film though, I mean, the emotions hit right away, but once you kind of get into it and you're kind of thinking about the game plan, the emotions kind of just fade away a little bit. So, there's, obviously deep down, it's still there, but you just have to move on."
Did you re-watch it at all before this week?
"The Super Bowl? Way back, yeah, way back when. Yeah. It was a long time ago, since the last time I seen it. But yeah, I had to re-watch it this week. It's always tough, but it was good for us."
Does it motivate you at all, re-watching it?
"It's a different type of motivation. I mean, that motivation comes and goes. Those feelings come and go and this season's this season now, so it's just a little different."
Has the pain of that game lessened over time?
"Yeah, definitely. I think everything heals with time. You still have that feeling inside, but it's just different."
There's a lot of injuries, but the offense still has lots of weapons. You've been in offense for five, six years, you make nice throws down the field and yet the offense really isn't clicking. How do you explain that?
"I think you could go a number of different directions with that, but I don't know. I think it starts with us as players, we just have to execute better. It sounds pretty cliche, but I mean, there were some easy plays we left out there on Sunday that we should have made, we've made in the past. It's just one of those things, we just got to be on the same page. Do the little things in practice that transfer over to the game. I think that plays a big part of it."
Is there any more pressure on the offense with all the defensive injuries?
"I think there's a responsibility. I don't know about pressure, but just a responsibility that whenever, and that's what's made us so good in the past here, whenever one part of the team goes down, the other parts step up, special teams, offense, defense, whatever it is, and you know, we've done that a lot in the past and we got to keep doing that and it'll be on us to do that."
Piggybacking off that, it seems like you guys have been playing complimentary offense for years. Do you feel now that it's time to sort of take the leap?
"I mean, you don't want to get too far away from complimentary football, that's winning football and that's won us a lot of games here. So, I think we have to be careful with that. But I mean, there's a time and place, like this past Sunday we needed to step up as an offense, put more points on the board. We even spotted them seven points on the one play, so, there's a lot of just little mistakes like that we need to fix."
I think you guys are averaging 20.3 points a game and it's one of the lowest that's been here in a long time. And that's only a six-game sample. I get that. But do you see the pieces coming together? You've talked about being on the same page. Is it getting closer?
"Yeah. Oh yeah. I think you see it at practice too. I mean, there's just certain plays where there's a trust factor. I think that plays a big part in any offense, just between the quarterback and the skill guys, there's a trust factor that, it's not just given either. You got to earn that stuff, you got to earn it in here, in the locker room out on the field, away from the facility, whatever you do. I think there's a trust factor that we're moving in the right direction. We just need to make that happen quicker rather than later."
It's National Tight Ends Day on Sunday. Facing Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Have you seen TE George Kittle different and waiting for that big George game this season?
"George is always different, man. In the best way too. I mean, George is always amped up at practice, ready to roll. He's the energy guy for us. I mean he showed that on Sunday, he made some plays where you just get the ball in his hands and he's going to run some people over and the whole sideline is going to feel it. So we'll try to get him the ball a little bit on Sunday, especially because it's National Tight Ends Day, obviously, but yeah, whatever we can to get him going."
The touchdown pass to WR Brandon Aiyuk looked like a really good route and then you had the deep throw to Aiyuk that was a nice throw and he was wide open, but it didn't count. How good is he playing right now?
"Real well, real well, and you know, there's still a little ways to go for him, for all of us, but, he's been showing some stuff that's kind of what I was talking about, the trust factor. BA, when you put it on film in practice and then you do it in the game too, as a quarterback, that's the ultimate trust I could have in you. And that route you're talking about on the touchdown, I mean, he routed the dude. Yeah. And that's a good corner too, [Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell] 24 is a good player and BA just put him on skates and exploded out of it. I think there's a trust factor that he's earned every day and it's not just from one day of being really good or something like that. It's every day putting in the work, being consistent and reliable and good things happen."
I remember a few years ago you and former San Francisco 49ers WR Emmanuel Sanders sort of had that trust factor right away. Is that just because he was a vet and had been through some of the same things as you?
"Yeah, I mean there's a lot of things that go into it. He came in, he kind of knew the offense from his Denver days, so he picked it up real quick and he was just a natural route runner where BA's different, he's long, lanky, he's not built like most receivers and that's a good thing too. I mean, he could do some things that you don't really see every day from normal receivers, but it's just the trust factor. It's coming and it's moving in the right direction. He's on the right track."
Have you had any conversations with [DB Charvarius Ward] Mooney talking about the Chiefs defense, what he knows, specifically any one on ones with him to have some intel on the defense?
"Yeah, yeah. We were talking literally throughout this whole week, just little simple things, coverage talk, whatever. But yeah, he's been awesome with that. He's a really smart dude."
What would you say is the main difference so far between the Panthers and the Rams game and the Falcons game?
"The biggest difference? I think each weekend, this season, I mean every week's going to be different. Your opponent's different, how your team is, what you're dealing with as a team is going to be different. But I think just, I don't know, it's hard to point to one thing specifically on that. Over three weeks, everything's going to change throughout the offense, defense, game plan. So yeah, just about everything."
When the schedule comes out, it's easy to look to this game, 49ers and Chiefs. Do you as players do the same thing? Either before the season or even this week do you go, wow, this is really going to be a test and kind of show us what kind of team we have?
"Yeah, I think every week is. I know that sounds cliche, but every week is hard in this league, man. Every opponent you play is going to be difficult. The coaches are good in this league. They're going to scheme you up and make you do things that you're not comfortable with doing or try to make you have to attack them in different ways. I think every week's difficult in this league. You just got to come ready and that's the consistency and reliability that you have to have as a player. And it isn't easy, but that's why not everyone does it."
Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans
What have you been seeing from your guys this week approaching this challenge and how they're kind of responding after the Falcons game?
"Our guys have responded really well. I think they've come out and had two really good days of practice. They've been dialed in and locked into the things that we're asking them to do. They've been doing a really fine job and had really good practices now. So, I'm liking where we are in our preparation."
All the off-schedule things that the Chiefs do, how can you plan for that? How is your defensive approach when they do so much like that?
"We know it's a challenge. Everybody knows [Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick] Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks to play and his ability to keep plays alive by being on the move. It's very difficult to defend, so, everybody has to be sound. Everybody has to be where they're supposed to be in coverage, in their rush lanes, everybody has to just be accountable, everybody has to do their job and play together. It's not going to be a one man show of going to get Mahomes. It's going to be everybody with the rush and coverage being tied together, that's how we'll collectively be able to stop these guys."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan compared him to former Denver Broncos QB John Elway and DB Jimmie Ward compared him to Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Does he remind you of anybody that you played against?
"No, he's a man in his own category. I think just with the different arm angles and the different ways that he's able to throw the ball, I haven't seen anybody like that, never played against anyone like it. He can make any throw on the field no matter where he is. If he's moving to his left, moving to his right, it really doesn't matter. Sometimes you want to force guys one way or the other, but this guy here, it really doesn't matter. He can side arm it, he can throw wherever he wants to. So, he definitely is a different beast all of itself and it's a tough out for everyone."
Without Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill they've still managed to have a similar scoring average per game. And without that, as Kyle called it, how he referred to it, like fastest guy on the planet speed. How have they been able to do that?
"Yeah, that offense is still able to generate just because of the details and what they do in their offensive scheme. I think everybody's very well coached. They're detailed in their approach and guys find a way to get open. It definitely is different with Tyreek, not seeing him out there with that speed. But you still have [Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman] 17, [Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling] 11, these guys still have speed to stretch the field. So, just because they don't have Tyreek, they still have, we still have problems. You know, they are a tough matchup all across the board with their receivers, the tight end position, the running back, each skill position presents a different challenge. So, these guys are, it's difficult to defend. We're up for the challenge though."
What do you guys have to do when you just defend them in the red zone? It seems like their red zone package is as varied as any team in the league. So, how do you go about preparing your squad for that?
"Yeah, they have a lot of different looks. They mix it up very well in the red zone. A lot of different motions, shifts. They get very creative in the red zone and that's where you see them thrive and they're able to score points just because of the creative things they're able to do to kind of confuse defenses and get guys wide open. So everybody, we have to have eyes on [Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis] Kelce, I think he's one of the most targeted guys in the red zone, and he finds a way to come down with a lot of touchdowns. Really good connection there with Mahomes. So, guys just have to be very dialed in and very locked in with their eyes being exactly where they're supposed to be, making sure they're looking at the proper thing and not getting tripped up by all the window dressing that they see."
How difficult is it to prepare for and coach against Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid in particular?
"It is different because they're sound, that's one thing Andy has always been, he's always been a master of the details. The finest details, I know Andy is covering those things. So, that's what makes them stand out amongst other teams. Everything, every position, every step of the route, the angle with the footwork or how they're running their routes with the precision of the running game, the targeting of the O-Line, everything's going to be done with details, that's one thing I always remember. Being with coach Reid for one year, he was all about the details and the precision of every single rep."
Did you ever sit in any offensive meetings?
"No, never sat in an offensive meeting. But he would come over and he would coach defense too, like as a head coach he's a very smart coach. He knows it all. So, he even coached us as defensive players of how tight ends are trying to attack your leverage, what are they trying to do to get your pad level up, like I remember one day just coming over, just coaching us up, myself and [former Philadelphia Eagles LB] Mychal Kendricks just on this is what a tight end is trying to do to you, so this is how you defend it. So, he's just very well thought out from that prospective as a head coach for him to take the time to come over and coach defense, and you know he has the offense down pat, but he's just all around. He knows it all. Very respected, great coach in his league."
When you think of the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, is there a, I guess what specific memory or play might pop to mind to you?
"A lot of plays pop into mind. It's just a lot of plays. Just, it's disappointing. Watching that game again, it's just disappointing from a lot of different plays that we've seen. Like being in the position we were in, it's difficult to go back and watch it but it's past us now. It happened, like we have to move forward and we're here now and seeing where this team can build and move forward. But kind of one hand, it's cool to go back and watch it and see how close we were in that moment and it also provides a burst like, man, like owning all of the little details of what's your job and what you have to do and being on it for four quarters. Just go back and seeing that's what it takes to win games. We have to be locked in for a complete four quarters. And that's what it reminded me of going back and watching it."
Did you watch it before this week?
"No. I mean, yes, that was a couple, it's been a couple years ago, so haven't played the Chiefs since then, so it's my first time watching it since last time."
Already being down CB Emmanuel Moseley and should CB Charvarius Ward not be able to go on Sunday, just how much confidence do you have in the younger guys to be able to step in?
"Whoever is out there they have to play, right? Of course, we would love to have our guys out there. Love to have our starters, but that's what the league is. It's always about adjusting. It's never quite how you want it with injuries and that's all across the league. It's not our team. It's all teams deal with those things. So, you have to make the best of what you have. And with that, it's a great opportunity for backup guys. They have to see it as, man, this is my opportunity to go shine. And are they ready for that challenge? Are they going to step up to the plate and make plays? You really don't know until young guys are thrust into that moment. And that's where you see some guys rise up and play big and they just have to go out and play and you see where they are. You know there's going to be some growing pains with the young guys out there, but hopefully we can weather that and those guys can make some big plays for us."
With Jimmie Ward in the club that he's got on his hand, obviously it's not your decision for him to be cleared, but if he does get cleared, do you have to take into account that in terms of how you use him or anything like that?
"Well, I mean, with the club, I just trust Jimmie that whatever he's able to do, whatever he's comfortable with handling, I trust Jimmie. Jimmie has played a lot of ball and if he feels comfortable to go out with that club and whatever he's able to do and he's comfortable, like we can roll with it. I know the type of play maker that Jimmie is. With a club, without a club, I know the presence that he brings, the playmaking ability that he brings to our defense. So having him out there is just going to be, if we can have him out there, that'll be a huge lift for us defensively."
The 2012 49ers are going to be here this weekend for the game. When you were an Eagle, you played the Niners, in that game you played 83 snaps. Do you remember the game at all playing the former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh Niners?
"I think that was my first time, I think that was the first year, was that this the first year of this stadium being open? Yeah. I think [former San Francisco 49ers RB] Frank Gore was playing, so I remember a few plays from that game. Few tough tackles versus Frank Gore. One thing I remember from that game is the Niners were just a very tough team. Tough physical team, hard nose team. That's one thing I do remember from that game. And it's one thing that just the organization that it's always been about, just a toughness and it's also about championships, right? And that's what this organization is about. And I'm just happy to be a part of this organization and the rich history that they have, it's fun. Just being able to play here in this stadium and now coach here, it's just, it's special how everything just comes back full circle."
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Chris Foerster
How did T Mike McGlinchey look out there today?
"Mike was out there and he looked normal to me. Everything looked normal."
How does T Trent Williams look?
"Like Trent Williams, which is a good thing. I mean, they both look good, I don't want to be short. They both look good, they're doing a good job. They're doing what they've always done, they look pretty good."
What do you think about the challenge your interior guys have going up against Kansas City Chiefs DL Chris Jones?
"It seems like it's week after week, and I think that's the way it is. There's always going to be, you know, all of their players are really good players. I mean, don't look past [Kansas City Chiefs DE] Frank Clark, don't look past the other guys, they all do a good job. Chris Jones is another great challenge. Last week, [Atlanta Falcons DT Grady Jarrett] 97 from Atlanta. Before that we had the guy from the Rams, [Los Angeles Rams DT] Aaron Donald. Every week there's going to be somebody that's going to be a challenge for the interior guys. So we have to work really, really hard at all the details and the things we need to do within each protection to be able to protect the quarterback and do a good job for him. He's a load, man. He's a big, strong physical guy that when he wants to can be an absolute game wrecker."
Is there a silver lining in that you've had game plans where you zeroed in on one guy in the interior, so these young guys will know what to do?
"Correct. Exactly. There has been a plan that when you have a great edge rusher, a great inside player, there's always a thought in how you tweak things to just kind of help make sure that it doesn't get out of control and you can take care of him a little bit better than if you didn't make any adjustments at all."
Is the starting unit still kind of work in progress or do you feel like you have the five guys there? I'm just thinking about OL Dan Brunskill and C Jake Brendel. Is there an opportunity there for Brunskill to take that starting job or how do you view it at this point?
"Right now, I think our starting five guys, if Mike's back in the lineup and Trent's back in the lineup, I think they're doing pretty well. I don't think anybody can rest. We still have some good, talented players in behind them when [OL] Colton [McKivitz] comes back and then you do have [OL] Jaylon [Moore] there and obviously Dan does a really good job. They're all there and ready to go. And if at any time a guy starts to slip up or struggle a little bit, there's always the opportunity. We don't have many guys, but probably the left tackle, I think [OL] Aaron Banks is starting to put himself in that position where he's got a position as has Mike. But I think the other guys have to keep, I don't want to say look over their shoulder, but you have to stay on point because there are other players that can play and there's nothing wrong with that. If you're having struggles or maybe you're banged up and hurt and we need to play another guy a little bit more or whatever it is, at least we have other guys that can get in there and play."
Would you say Brendel is doing well enough?
"All the guys right now are. All five that are in as the starters are starters because they're doing well enough to be the starters. We're not gifting a position right now to anybody, but they need to keep grinding and keep working."
There's been three games with a considerable amount of rushing yards and then three games that were less than 100. And sometimes that's circumstance because of how many plays you get to run, but where do you see the evolution of the running game at this point? And what do you need to do better?
"I think the games, it's kind of a reflection of the consistency of how we play. You know, it really is. I think the one under 100 was the Rams game, which was kind of the way the game went, the drives. If I remember correctly, that was a little bit different than the other two where we were low. It's just consistency in our play. It's kind of probably why we're three and three. It's just not consistent week-in and week-out. And I can speak from the offensive line perspective. We're not executing consistently at a high enough level to run the ball enough times. And then we've had games where we haven't converted on third down. There's a lot of other reasons, but at the end of the day, we have to do a better job. The tight ends, the fullback, the offensive line, everybody as a unit pulling together to make sure that we have more consistency in the running game."
It seems like Kansas City Chiefs S Justin Reid is maybe the fastest safety in the NFL. How do you account for, especially outside zones, somebody that can cut down angles really quickly?
"Well, whatever the responsibility is of the given play. If the receiver's responsible for him, however we account for that player, we have to put our guys in position that they can get him blocked. So whatever that entails, splits, play calls, different things like that. Obviously he's a talented player and will make plays no matter what you do. So it's just trying to understand every part of the defense and where the challenges lie and how we can put ourselves in a position to best block the guys we need to block."
It's a small sample size, but through six games, the run game has been much more effective from the shotgun than from under center. I don't know if you've seen those splits, but what do you think has gone into that so far?
"Who knows if it's the play call versus the defense? It could be a lot of different things. It could be the situations that they're called in. You know, you think back to one huge run in Chicago game at the end of the half, it was a shotgun run to [WR] Deebo [Samuel] that won for 50 or 60. That alone could take the numbers and skew them slightly. But, I think it's all, we just evaluate each play in and of itself. And obviously there are trends and if we see trends that maybe, hey, shotgun's this, why is it? And then maybe you build on that or not. We're always looking at it, believe me, every single week, all those things. But I don't think there's anything you can put your finger on and say, this is why it's better in shotgun or this is why it's not under center."
We saw Dan Brunskill back in at tackle for the first time since 2019. What's been behind that thought process over the past several years to have him at guard and not really experiment anymore with him at tackle?
"Well, I think that when we moved him, when he came here in 2019, if I remember correctly, [former 49ers T] Joe [Staley] got hurt in the Cincinnati game and McGlinchey got hurt a little bit after that, so [former 49ers OL Justin] Skule and Brunskill were basically our backup tackles at that point. They were the next man up. Dan has had tackle and guard ability. Center was a reach for him when we put him in at center, that's been a stretch for him and he developed. Dan can play every position if you give enough time to figure it out, but his body type, his athleticism is more suited to guard than to tackle. So right now, when you think about it, if tackle one is Trent, tackle two is Mike, tackle three is Colton, tackle four is Jaylon Moore, tackle five is Dan Brunskill, right? So you're talking about our fifth tackle on a roster. Then you get down to talking about the sixth guy. You're talking about guys that are, you know, [OL] Leroy Watson, who's on the practice squad and guys like that. So basically we're playing with the guys that if you were listing up from how we had them ranked, it'd be their fourth and fifth tackle. So Dan was next guy up. You're lucky to have four, we're lucky to have five or six guys that can literally slide out and do it. You also have [OL] Blake Hance, who's had some substantial time at tackle with Cleveland, and then he played some for us in tackle. He spelled Mike for the first couple plays when Mike came out, and then we went with Dan and [OL] Spencer [Burford], the rest of the game."
Some coaches and players have talked about reviewing the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs and saying it's not a great thing to do. Has it been more clinical in watching that or do people comment on the plays?
"There's a play or two. You get the ball back at the end of the game and you see certain plays, but there's always plays in every game when you look back. Whenever you look back and watch a game of yourself, we'll go back and look at, I think we play the Rams next week and I think we'll go back and look at the first game. You look at all the games, you go back at that Championship Game and your stomach sinks when you think about, gosh, here was this opportunity. It happens all the time when you watch yourself against a previous opponent. It doesn't matter what the year, what the game, everything else. Obviously the Super Bowl's a bigger stage and a pretty big game, but I think that it happens all the time. But most of it now is you get in the grind of these seasons and the hours you spend, yes there's time for emotion, but there's mostly time for, let's just get the work done, let's see what we have to do. How are we guys best going to attack this team? Finding clips of film that can help your guys play a little bit better, watching how Chris Jones did things against us then. Are there things that we can take from that to help us, or just all sorts of things you're trying to pile together to piece something together for your guys to help them play better, help the offense to play better."
In terms of your rookie running backs, is the biggest hurdle for them learning the scheme?
"Yeah, part of It's the scheme and part of it is just inserting yourself as the best runner. It's not just, well, am I good at pass protection? Do I understand all the things? And that's a learning curve that can take years for guys to really master and own, which is part of it. But the other part of it is when you watch them in practice, are they hitting the holes? Do they understand the concepts? Do they understand what this play's trying to accomplish? It's more than just run like heck and get yards. There's more to it than that. There's setting up blockers. There's, you can set up blockers to get yourself, anything from a four yard gain can become a 20 yard gain if you just learn how to press a little bit more, set your receiver up and then hit the hole and all those things in college, they really don't apply as much. So, there's parts of it that are that as well as the learning curve. They're being coached really well. The guys are learning as fast as they can. And then, I've stated in here a number of times, getting opportunities in games are where the real reps occur and until you're ready, until you get in the game, until you actually are operating in that situation, it's hard to develop as fast as you might need to."
You mentioned inconsistencies. Is there anything that you could put your finger on as far as what's causing the inconsistencies? Is it just across the board, small mistakes here and there?
"Yes. It's inconsistent in the inconsistencies. There's a lot of different things. No, there's just a lot. It's every given play, right? For example, on a certain play, it could be the most basic thing. If Aaron Banks towards the end of the game does one thing a little bit different on a linebacker, the play breaks out the backside and it might be a 25 yard run. Now all of a sudden you have 100 yards in the game instead of 80 or whatever. I don't even know what the numbers were for the game, right? There's another run in the game where we miss a down block, and if we get that one down block, right? It's as always, when you don't have success, it's usually just a bunch of little things that kind of add up and then pretty soon the sum of the whole is just not good enough. The sum of the parts isn't good enough. And that's kind of what happens when you're not having success. You just, it's one guy here, it's one guy there. It's not this overriding thing of oh, we're just not good enough. It's just a little bit here and there off. It's the other team playing well. It's us not playing as well or whatever each play. But each play kind of stands alone."
How do you maintain faith and confidence that you will get rid of one little thing each week?
"We just keep working. That's the part of the NFL season that I love. I love the season. I think the season's the greatest time because you get to put your stuff out there on tape and it's live and it's real. And when we're doing OTAs and we're doing training camp against each other, when it's preseason, it's pretend. Now it's real. It's under the scrutiny, the pressure of the whole world, seeing what you're doing on a daily basis. People circling you, pointing you out. And now how are you going to develop in these pressure situations? And that's how you really find out what you're made of and what kind of football player and what kind of football team you have. So I don't worry about it. I actually welcome it because that's when you have a chance to get better.That's when you actually get to get a guy and say, hey, listen dude, this is what we need to do to improve and now we can really work on these things. And if the guy has the ability and the guy has the grit and the grind, he's going to get it done. That's part of the process. And then you find out we're three and three right now, 11 games left, right? I think they're going to let us play 11 more. So we get 11 more games here. And when we get those games, now we're gonna get to see where we're made of it. And that's the challenge every year and every year's different. I coached Joe Staley in 2008, 2009, 2015, and I was back here again in 2019, right? Three different times, four different seasons in my career and every season was a different challenge, a different set of things that came up with him that put us in a situation on how to coach that guy. Every guy's the same way. I've coached Trent Williams for so many years, but some practices, it's like, hey, Trent, we're working on this today. You know, this seems to be something that's creeping into your game. Or Spencer Burford, you made great progress here. Let's make sure that doesn't go back. I mean, so do I worry? It's the season, it's what happens. And then all of a sudden these moving parts, you start throwing different guys in there. You're like, okay, now I got a new set of problems or situations to work with, but that's what makes it fun. It's why it's not just going and punching the clock every day and flipping burgers. You're working with people, you're operating with guys that are human beings, that are laying it on the line, that are competing at a high level. And you've got an opportunity to help them, to build together as a team, to grow as a team, to watch our offense excel and do better every single week. That's the challenge. The hard part is when you're having inconsistencies, well, which one are we, are we good? Are we bad? What are we? And it's like, no, just keep working and we'll see what we are at the end. That's what really matters. And every week you get a test to see where you stand, to see where you are. And that's awesome, right? You get six days to work as hard as you can on a seventh day, boom, how'd you do? You lost? Well, it wasn't good enough, man. We have to come back the next week, pick ourselves up, get to work and let's go see what we can do. So that's what I love about this thing. So, no, not at all. And regardless of who it is, it's even sometimes even more fun when you have the challenge of all of a sudden I'm looking in the sideline and [OL] Nick Zakelj is standing next to me and I'm like, okay, Nick, whoever gets hurt, you're going in and whatever happens, we'll shuffle the deck and see how it goes, and let's go try and win this game in the fourth quarter. And that's what makes it kind of cool."
How are defenses more prepared against Deebo this year and what are you seeing from him in terms of his hunger to kind of get moving again in the run game?
"I think when a lot of runs are going, there's more opportunities to insert Deebo when we've had limited opportunities, whether it be, we've had some opportunities where we didn't convert on third down. I'm not blaming anything on that. We have to do a better job running the game in the game. This past week there just weren't the opportunities. So all of a sudden there just isn't the ops, then you get one and it doesn't go, you get another one, it goes. So, it's a hit or miss thing with him right now. I don't think it's that they're defending Deebo any differently. We're put him in very similar situations and there's opportunities there. Some have been missed by him. There's specific games I can think of. Others have been we haven't executed properly for him."
The 2012 team is coming in. Former 49ers RB Frank Gore was part of that group, obviously one of the best running backs that the Niners have had. What is it about his game that was so special?
"I was fortunate enough to be with Frank in 2008 and 2009, and I was there the game against Seattle in Candlestick where Frank had two, like a 75 and an 80-yard run, two really big runs in that game, which was really cool to watch. Frank had some of the best vision, like you'd run power and Frank was a great power runner, and there might be literally the width of this podium of a hole and Frank had the patience to wait on that thing, and then all of a sudden he'd press it and it would open and he'd hit it. Most guys would say, that's not a hole. Frank could see it and be able to hit that hole and go. Frank's vision. And then Frank was just tenacious about running the football. He was not going to be denied. He had great vision, he had great stamina, he had great power. His will to win and be successful. I mean, Frank was just awesome. So it's all the things combined in here, plus I just thought it was a tremendous vision thing is what I saw and what I see in every really good back."
