San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Brock Purdy, and others spoke with reporters after Sunday's 35-7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening Comments:
"Injuries from the game. [DL] Kevin Givens left with a knee, never returned. [WR] Deebo Samuel left with an ankle, same thing. [CB] Dontae Johnson left with a knee, same thing. [CB Samuel] Womack [III] was evaluated for a head injury, he's in the [concussion] protocol. [DL] Kerry Hyder [Jr.] had an ankle, didn't return. [CB] Ambry Thomas had an ankle and [QB] Brock Purdy had an oblique."
This is WR Deebo Samuel's high ankle, is that determined yet?
"We're not sure, most likely. They just said nothing was broken, so that was the best news."
Do you have a sense now that it's going to be a prolonged time out?
"I don't know yet. Not broken helps. If it's a high ankle, that's usually some time."
How would you evaluate Brock Purdy's first NFL starts, it looked like he was totally on and on the gameplan, how would you say he did?
"I think he did an awesome job. I think all you guys saw that, but he made a ton of plays. Made the plays that were there, made some plays that weren't there. He did a great job in the pocket. Had one mistake there, he was fortunate that we got that one back. He didn't hesitate. I think he threw a touchdown the next play, which was really cool, but it's really impressive how he played and I thought it was similar to the week before."
Did he come out due to the oblique, was that an injury he came out for?
"No, it just got to that point in the game, so we didn't put him back in. He felt good by the end."
Did you have the full gameplan in, everything that you do he could do?
"Yes. We always have the full gameplan in. The full gameplan is the gameplan."
The full playbook, was everything available to him?
"Yes, definitely. It was the week before too and with Brock's skillset, what he does. We don't have a ton of design quarterback runs, but maybe we need to, he moved pretty well today."
What can you tell by how the Bucs played defense, the way their approach was in trying to make Brock prove it to them?
"Similar to what they always do. They mix in a lot of pressures, but they do that in every game. Some are to stop the run, some are to come after the quarterback. They mixed up a lot of zone coverages too, so there was no real theme of the day. They mixed up a bunch of stuff and he had to go against everything, so he did a good job with the variety of things he saw."
This was different from last week in that there was a week of buildup, he was kind of a national story, going up against Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, did you have any concerns about how he was handling or processing all this?
"No, he was great throughout the week and I think the week even made you feel better. With the three practices we had, getting a lot thrown at him on Wednesday and coming out and getting better each day in the way handled it. No, he gave us a lot of confidence throughout the week."
There were a handful of plays where he was able to kind of avoid pressure and then step up and make something? How much do you think all of the pressure he saw last week helped him with that in this one?
"He played a lot of football in college and he just got to play his first NFL game last week and then he did the same stuff today. He reacts and runs around and makes some plays and that's how he was in college and that's how he has been so far in the league and when you do that, it's how many good plays can you make without making the bad ones and he's done that really well so far."
What did you say to him in the headset after that first snap that he audibled out of and got sacked?
"Wrong audible."
We talked to you throughout camp that you were impressed by Purdy, you could tell in the preseason. I think you told the team some of the FOX crew before a game that you were one the most eager you've been to see a third-stringer with him. Obviously the two quarterbacks were ahead of him and they've been hurt, but how eager were you to see this and how exciting is it for you to see it develop like this?
"I was really eager to see it and real happy for him. He's shown all of us this a bunch. It's not out in the games, but just how he's been since he's been here. He's been extremely consistent. He hasn't had many too many ups and downs. In the preseason, he had to fight just to get each to get more reps every day. We didn't go into it expecting, he would've been our number two going into this year if we didn't get [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] there at the end and we didn't expect that going into it and for him to be able to do that and win that job was impressive and him going out now, I'm just happy that he was able to go out there and perform at the level a lot of us thought that he was capable of. I know the players felt that way, the coaches felt that way and the guys played really good around him too and I was just happy for him because that's kind of what we see from him."
What jumps out at you when you look at how your 49er defense did against Tom?
"I was so proud of those guys and first of all, you have to take away all the other stuff. You don't give them that many freebies and they almost had one with the hell of a play that they had, it was a three-man rush. It looked like Tom just went all the way across the board and just waited long enough for the zone coverage to break down, but besides that, our guys to get turnovers verses him, which is as hard as any quarterback there is. When he starts to get into that, when he's down and you know he is going to be throwing it each play, he's a really tough guy to stop. To keep him out of the end zone all those times, even when he was kind of trying to take it over with the two-minute type offense, besides the one that we did give up, that was very impressive and just how many guys that went down throughout the game on the defense and just having to adjust with that and those guys would be able to still finish it because we didn't have any people left."
Was there any doubt that DL Nick Bosa would playing this week?
"I did earlier in the week. I was really concerned about it earlier in the week, but as the week went, I felt a lot better about it on Friday. Just talking to him last night was the best I had felt and it was good to see him out there."
Was he on a pitch count at all?
"No."
Not to be a jerk, but the last time you played Tom Brady, you lost to him in the Super Bowl. Was that on your mind?
"That's not being a jerk, that's just a fact."
Was that at all on your mind when you went up 35-7, getting deep into the second half?
"Yeah, anytime that you're up a lot, you go back to any scars that you have, so I do the math a lot. I know he came back on us when we were up 25 going into the fourth. I also know verse Detroit Week One last year we were up 41-17 with 1:58 left and they had the ball 41-33 with 20 seconds left on the 25-yard line going into score, so I always do the math right to feel fully comfortable. I thought the 41-17 one was kind of an anomaly, but I definitely didn't feel good with Brady. I saw him do it to the Rams last year in the playoffs, so you always have to be careful with him."
Is this the consistent running game that you guys have been looking for?
"Yeah, we're always looking for 200-yard games. It was nice, we broke some big ones. To me that's the difference. We broke some big ones. I thought we did decent on third down, especially therein the first half, but when you break those big ones that's what really gets the yards going and we managed even when we had some bad runs, I thought we still moved the chains when we threw the ball and we were able to stay out there."
What did you see on some of those outside runs? The outside runs haven't always been there this season. They were there today. Did it have to do with the fronts?
"Yeah, there was a couple outside ones that we called that weren't there and we lost a lot of yards on and there was a couple that we called and I know we got the one on WR Deebo Samuel scoring earlier, but it just depends what they're doing and so they have to hit at the right time and had a couple good looks on it today, but a couple of the long ones were inside runs too."
You talked last week about how everybody was kind of almost in shock at halftime at Jimmy going down, was it similar with Deebo today or was there more of a sense of optimism this time?
"I don't think so. Everyone knows how much Deebo means to us, but halftime is so hectic and it was awesome to finish that half with a score. You come in, you got eight minutes or whatever it is, so no, we didn't really do anything differently at halftime."
After Brock got hit on the first play, you came back with three more throws. Was that by design beforehand or is that, let's see what the kid has or show the other team?
"We do script the first 24 plays and I get off that a ton, but I don't think I did until whatever the first third down was, so those were all part of what we were going to do and it was just a tough first play, but it ended up being probably a better first play because he got us a 15-yard explosive on it."
You don't think Brock's oblique has any potential to sideline him Thursday?
"I wouldn't say it doesn't. You never know how those act up. He was able to finish the game today, but we have to see when he comes in tomorrow, when the adrenaline wears off."
Do you even have to address the team, everything that we want is still possible even with two quarterbacks down or do you just assume everyone knows that already?
"I think everyone knows it already, the game last week helped and it helped a lot, that was a big game last week. And to lose Jimmy so early and Brock to come in and show everybody that he was capable, that makes you not have to talk about it much. If you sit there and you talk about it a lot, that to me means you're trying to convince people and I don't feel any need to try to convince our team. I think what they've told you guys after the Miami game and what you guys heard from all week is truly how they feel."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
What kind of emotions are you feeling right now?
"Man, I'm just excited that we won. Just to do what it takes to win. Defense played great, offense did their thing and to come out and win in a crucial part of the season, especially going into a Thursday night game coming up, just very excited."
That first play, it was a pretty hard hit you took on that.
"Yeah. Yeah, it was it was a hard hit. I was in the wrong play actually, so that was on me, but honestly it felt good to sort of just get hit and just feel like I was in the game, and I was like, okay. So, it sort of turned out to be a good thing."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned you're dealing with an oblique injury. What's your level of concern for this week?
"Yeah, I mean, we'll see how it goes this week. Just felt a little tight at the end, just from taking some hits. But honestly man, like if I needed to play throughout the rest of the game, I definitely would have. So, I'm going to get some treatment on it and be ready to roll."
During the game there was a viral clip of your dad kind of getting choked up and crying after the first touchdown. Have you talked to him and just what does it mean for your family?
"Yeah. I saw them right after the game and, you know, the emotions on their face and just the way they look down at me from up on the railing, it just means a lot because just throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they're the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you. And so, they've believed in me even though I was the last draft pick and all that kind of stuff. They've always been telling me you're good enough and we know that you can do it. And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and so very blessed to have them as my family."
What was the last week like of practices, even last night? I mean, did you feel it or was it like a normal week?
"Yeah, I mean, just the reps at practice and all that kind of stuff, knowing that you're the guy going into the game, that was a little different. Other than that, my emotions and everything, just in my hotel room studying last night and all kind of stuff, it was all relatively the same. And then when we found out we're getting the ball to start the game out, that's when I was like, okay, like this is getting real, let's go. And so that's why I'm saying like, to sort of get hit on the first play, I sort of liked it, but other than that it just was another football game."
You saw all those pressures last weekend and got a fair amount of them today. How did last week's experience kind of help you deal with it and recognize those things the second time?
"Yeah, obviously last week they did a lot of zero and just heated me up. Tampa Bay did their thing, like we studied them up and whatnot and we knew that they were going to pressure at some point. So, honestly to have a plan going into the game of what we're going to do, that helped a lot. Where last week it was when [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] was in, we didn't think Miami was going to heat him up as much. Once I got in, it totally changed, so we were sort of on the sideline like, hey, we got to adjust. And so having a plan helped out a lot. The week of preparation was great. So that's sort of just how we went about that."
When a rusher comes and you're able to make them miss, is your mindset to look for a big play in that situation or did it just kind of happen that way?
"Yeah, I mean, just in the back of my head it's make the guy miss, what's the play still, where are guys going to be, and then if I'm on the run for good it's who's the first guy I can see open and whatnot. So, I definitely talked to our guys like I can scramble and do different things off schedule, so always look alive kind of thing. So, I thought the guys did well with that today."
What makes OL Spencer Burford fit in so well with this offense and this team?
"Yeah, he's awesome. I think just athletically blessed and gifted. He's got a great heart and I say that because he's not like this guy with a big head or anything. He's very humble and he goes to work, and you can see he's just got a motor and wants to win. And so, as a rookie to step in and get thrown into the fire like he has all season, I thought he's done a great job with it. And so, we've got a lot of older guys on the team that rally the young guys and keep them moving. So, he's got a great support system in the offensive line room and what he's done this year, I think, has been amazing. He's a dog."
Is there ever a point where it seemed a little surreal when you looked up at the score board and then you looked over and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady was on the other side of the field, like just with such a lopsided score?
"I mean honestly, for me, I just kept telling myself, dude, this thing ain't over with that guy on the other side of the field. I just wanted to keep putting up points on the board however many times as we could knowing this dude's made all these comeback crazy comebacks in his career. So, I didn't want that to happen in my first game as a starter. So, the whole time I'm like doing my thing and stuff, not looking at the scoreboard knowing the situations and stuff, but also respecting who's on the other side, didn't want to give him a chance at the end."
There's no need to be humble. At Perry High School or Iowa State did they ever chant your name? Purdy, Purdy, Purdy?
"There might have been some chants, but I think today was, that was wild to hear the whole stadium saying it like that. We've got some great fans out here, man. They love this team and they're right behind us all the way through, so very thankful for them."
Looked like you got a quick moment with Brady there after the game. What was that like for you? What did he have to say?
"Yeah, it was surreal just standing there like, man, that's Tom Brady, you know, talking to guys and dapping guys up and stuff. So, for him to have respect for what I did today was pretty cool. I'm not going to lie. Being a little kid, watching that guy kill it throughout all these years, win Super Bowls and then to be able to just even give him a high five or whatever at the end, I thought that was pretty cool."
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
What did 49ers QB Brock Purdy show you today and how did he handle the whole week? The way he handled being the starter and the way he performed today?
"He showed a lot. He showed that he could get an assignment, go out there and execute it. He did a great job playing the game and within the game plan, and we got a great win."
A few times today, he was able to evade pressure and keep a play alive. What's your mindset in terms of looking for a big play in those types of situations, know that he can keep things alive?
"We had a couple of them in the past few weeks where he's moving and making somebody miss. You just find spots knowing he's going to have the opportunity and give you an opportunity to continue to make plays on a scramble drill or on a broken play. He can make guys miss on the edge and get outside to keep plays alive."
It seems like you guys are used to someone going down each week, so you almost expect it at this point.
"You never want to expect it. This game that we play is a brutal game. It's a tough game. You never know what could happen. You don't go unexpecting it, but you just never know what could happen. At the end of the day, we feel like we have guys in positions that can continue to pick up for guys and let guys, if they were to go down, come back, get healthy, still produce and ultimately win football games."
Is that one of those special traits of this team that you're able to just continue, keep your eyes focused when you're dealing with all of these tough injuries?
"We have a team that's locked in, a team who's been together for a while now, understands the mission, understands what we want to do as a football team and understands what we want to do each week. When you have a focused football team that knows what they're capable of, some good things happen."
49ers DL Nick Bosa
How concerned are you about 49ers WR Deebo Samuel's injury?
"It was definitely concerning on the field. It looked pretty bad. I don't know much about it. I hope that he's all right. He's tough as hell. He tried to walk it off. But yeah, I'm just hoping for the best."
Nick, at what point this week were you confident that you were gonna be able to play?
"Probably on Friday, yeah."
How much of your week was kind of thinking bigger picture and knowing that you had a short turn to Seattle?
"I was just taking it one day at a time. Assessing how I felt every day and every game's huge, so I'm glad I was able to come back. I felt great."
How much does DL Arik Armstead being back change what you're able to do on a defensive line?
"It's huge. The more depth the better in there. Obviously, Arik's as good as it gets, so having him as a presence out there is huge."
49ers S Tashaun Gipson Sr.
Intercepting the GOAT [Tampa Bay QB Tom Brady]. How does that feel?
"I can't even explain it. Everybody grew up watching Tom Brady. Obviously, he's the GOAT. To add that to the collection, like I was telling Huff [49ers S Talanoa Hufanga], that's the one guy I haven't got. I got some GOATS. I've been around a long time. I've played against him many times, so today was special, especially with the victory. It's a real humbling experience. And I'm just blessed."
The defense is humming right now. What specifically has changed since that stretch of games against Atlanta and Kansas City?
"Honestly, we looked at ourselves in the mirror and understood the type of guys we have on this side of the ball, starting with the D-line, the linebackers and the secondary are just playing complimentary football. That's been the biggest thing. We had to look at ourselves after that Chiefs game. Sometimes you need games like that to humble you a little bit. I think that was our wakeup call. Since then, we've been rolling offensively, defensively and special teams. We're just playing good complimentary football right now. It's a great day to be a 49er for sure."
Speaking of complimentary football, your rookie quarterback [Brock Purdy] went out there and balled out today. What did you see from him?
"Same thing we've been seeing. [49ers LB] Fred [Warner] spoke on it last week. He goes against the best defense, week-in-and-week-out. So when his time came, he answered the call. We're behind him and he's just going out there making plays. He's a baller. I tip my hat to him. I couldn't be more happier for him. For him to go out there and play the way he's been playing, it's huge. It's phenomenal to be that young man. And the moment doesn't seem too big for him. He's definitely comfortable in this element."
49ers LB Dre Greenlaw
You seemed a little bit ballsy to go up to Brady after the game to have him sign that ball, man. What inspired you to do that?
"The worst thing he could tell me is no. I was always told, if you don't ask, you'll never know. So, he's a good guy to be able to sign that ball after he threw those picks, that's big time. I appreciate him. He's the greatest, he's the greatest. He's the goat, so I appreciate that."
How did you approach him? What did he say to you?
"Yes. I went like a little fan girl, I tried to sooth him up, make him feel better. So like, man, yes, you are the greatest ever, all that good stuff. But he is and he was like, yes, I appreciate it, man. Good job and stuff. And I was like, man, you don't even have to sign the balls, I just knew he looked like he was going through a lot, and then [San Francisco 49ers LB] Fred [Warner] comes over there. Fred's like, you get the balls signed. And I'm just like, yes, man, now you have to sign these balls. And he signed them, so it was cool, man. No doubt."
You said during the week that you were going to get one of those balls right?
"Yes, sometimes coach says, it's just instincts. You just have to know. It's just sometimes if you want it bad enough, you'll get it. Sometimes you have to just speak it, talk it, and live it. Every day I thought about it every day I prayed for it and I got it. So you just have to think it into existence."
FB Kyle Juszczyk
San Francisco QB Brock Purdy had an excellent game today. How do you fell about his performance today?
"I don't know what else to say about it. He went out there and just absolutely played out of his mind and I'm so happy for him and not surprised at all. I knew the type of guy that we had and I love that he was just able to go out there and just execute at such a high level."
What does it say that for two straight games that he's performed like this?
"I think it just says that's the type of guy we have. He's a guy who knows how to play the position well and does a really good job of comprehending the game plan and being able to play within it."
What does it say about your entire offense?
"I think it shows the type of versatility and the type of depth that we have. When guys go down, there's always somebody else that can step in and fill those shoes. Unfortunately, we have to keep doing that. But it's good that we can."
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
What was your impression of San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy being around him this week and then just seeing how he handled himself in the game?
"He is an impressive guy. He is fun to be around. I think to play quarterback in this league you have to be very intelligent. I think that's one of the biggest things that I've learned playing in my sixth year now. For a rookie to come in and process this offense and do everything by the book, but then add his own flare to it, is very impressive. So I'm excited for him, excited to keep playing with him. I love that guy. I've seen the work when I first got here, I think I said this earlier in the week, but he the guy calling all the plays for me when I was walking through by myself trying to learn the offense. It's a testament to him and the work that he's put in."
Brock said he changed to the wrong thing on the first play, but it actually kind of helped him after he took that hit on. How did he settle in from, from what you could tell?
"He didn't blink, you know, I think he has a lot of confidence in himself and I think it is because of the work that he has put in. You can kind of see it in his eyes that he knows what he wants to do and obviously he's going to grow and continue to get better. I think obviously he played well. The offensive line though is unbelievable. Watching those guys and what they do and our tight ends and our fullback "Juice" [FB Kyle Juszcyk]. It's rare to have that many talented guys who take so much pride in blocking like that and protecting the quarterback. So it's a fun group to be around."
Obviously you weren't in a great situation in Carolina. Now this week, you get a chance to play for a division title. How does it hit you now that you are in that position now?
"It's awesome, I had a lot of good years I really enjoyed my time in Carolina. I know we didn't have the results, but obviously they're killing it man. I'm happy for those guys. Obviously beating, Seattle is big for us. Us beating Tampa Bay is big for them. It is hats off to those guys. I'm proud of them and I love everyone in that locker room. But being able to play for a division title is huge. Playing against a good team and playing away is a big challenge."
49ers WR Ray-Ray McCloud III
What is the the mindset of this team? Seven days ago there was a lot of questions. San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo goes down, you don't know what the status of this team is with San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, but now you get a big win like today, six in a row and you have a chance to clinch the division Thursday night in Seattle.
"That's always a good thing to clinch the division. That's one goal, we got to take one step at a time and the next team in front of us. We got to handle them as a team and focus on them, and everything else will take care of itself."
What was it like to see Brock do his thing out there?
"I'm not surprised. If you just watch Brock when he first walked in this building, from when he was drafted here, when he practices even in preseason, his personality just reflects on the field hands down. He's an animal and he's passionate about his craft. He is going to let you know how, but he is not cocky. He is very confident and as a quarterback that's all you need back there."
What kind of challenge is it for Brock? His first road start is in four days in Seattle?
"We have a team that has his back and he knows that, he's confident. Treat this game just like another game. They are just another team in the way."
49ers T Mike McGlinchey
What was the experience like being able to play a [Buccaneers QB] Tom Brady team and play the way you did?
"Well, I mean, you look across and there's a couple guys that no matter who they are, where they are, you know what team they're playing for. There's a couple of guys in this league that no matter where they're at, you look across and you're a little bit wowed. Tom's been in this league as long as all of us have. I was in kindergarten when he won his first Super Bowl, maybe first grade. So it's somebody that we grew up watching. It's somebody we grew up idolizing. And to have the chance to play against him and be on the same field with him, it's pretty cool. Then obviously to come out with the win the way that we did is even better."
What was your reaction to that back shoulder throw for the touchdown of 49ers RB Christian [McCaffrey]?
"To be honest with you, I didn't see it. I was engaged blocking my guy and then I got hit by a pile on the left hand side. Then, all of a sudden, I heard an eruption and then the ref said, 'oh, he got in.' I was like, 'what?' No, I've never seen them say he was in, then review it, say he's not in, then review it again and say he was in."
You think he was reacting to the crowd or you guys?
"I don't know, honestly. Because all scoring plays are reviewed, right? So I don't know what the protocol was there, but thank God it worked out in our favor. So whatever they did, they did it right."
49ers CB Charvarius Ward
One win away from winning the NFC West. How is that being received in the locker room?
"We feel good. We feel great. We have been playing well, playing up to our potential lately. We are getting better each game, just trying to go 1-0 each week. Every year that I have been in the league, I have won the AFC West championships, so it is kind of normal to me. So for these guys to feel it, it's a great feeling for them. I'm sure."
What's the thought of another injury, last week San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo and this week you have San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel?
"Yes. It seems like the football gods against us sometimes. We had a lot of bad luck when they come to injuries, but every time somebody go down, somebody will step up like you see with [San Francisco 49ers QB] Brock [Purdy]. A couple of D-linemen got hurt earlier in the year and the other guy stepped up. So we are going to continue with that mentality. One guy down next man step up."
How about that, did you guys want the shutout? Did you talk about that at halftime?
"Yes, man, we wanted to shut [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB] Tom Brady out. I'm pretty sure not many defense have done that in his whole career. We tried, but they made some plays, so we are good. We got the W and that's all that matters."
49ers LB Fred Warner
Did you, I mean, is this exceeding what you might have imagined 49ers QB Brock Purdy or exactly what you thought he was going to be?
"I'm really not shocked. I know everybody else kind of was wondering how's Brock Purdy going to play? You know, blah, blah, blah. In the heat of the battle, I'm not really watching. I'm not watching too much because I'm so locked in on trying to keep the team together. Keep them focused for a full four quarters. When you see that ball flying in the air, scoring touchdowns, 28 points at the half, that's big time football. It took the entire team today - complimentary football. That's how you really work a team like that."
Guys are professionals, but when you see a guy like Tom Brady, even though towards the end of his career, are you guys a little awestruck when you guys play against someone like that?
"Yeah, we had our little moment at the end there. Me and [49ers LB] Dre [Greenlaw] ran up to him. Dre had his football with him and [49ers S Tashaun] Gibson asked him to sign the football. So I had to run up there with him just to make sure that Tom was going to sign it for him. But, it was a cool moment. Tom's a standup guy, seriously. He told us how much he respected our game at the end there and that's cool by him."
One quarterback in NFL history has beaten Tom Brady in their first career start, and that's Brock Purdy. What's your reaction to that?
"The weight isn't all on Purdy, right? We let him know that he just plays his game and we're all behind him, right? It's a team. It's a team game and a team sport. That's what happens when you go out there and you play complimentary football, you win a game like that. The way he played, the way he snuck in there, who would've thought. On the first play of the game, he's going to get smacked by [Buccaneers S] Keanu Neal of all guys. Then the poise of coming back and delivering the football. Nothing phases him. Proud of the way that he hangs in there and performed today."
Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles
What kind of offense was presented and what kind of problems did QB Brock Purdy present that you weren't expecting?
"He didn't present any problems. He ran the offense and [HC] Kyle [Shanahan] did a great job. They got us on two double moves and he ran the offense. We just have to know we sat up there and in short, we got our asses kicked."
It looked like Buccaneers QB Tom Brady hit his hand on a helmet on that second interception. How is it affecting him?
"He didn't say it affected him. I don't know how it's feeling yet. It's too early to tell. And we'll go from there."
Your offense has struggled before and the defense has been good enough to keep you in the game. What was different that things got out of hand so quickly today?
"Played bad in all phases. We coached bad. We got out-coached. Credit to Kyle and his guys, they did a great job. We got our ass kicked on offense, we got our asses kicked on defense."
Can you give us an update on Buccaneers DT Vita Vea?
"He's got a strained calf right now."
For the second week in a row, you've got a holding penalty that erases a touchdown. How devastating are the penalties?
"They're devastating because we're playing the Niners then we're playing the Bucs. You can't beat two teams when we're beating ourselves. Credit to them, they beat us as well. They had a good scheme, but we're beating ourselves, too, making it even harder."
Todd, do you think traveling across the country had any effects of preparation?
"Not at all. We're playing for the division, it's December football. Credit to them. They kicked our ass, no credit to us. We coached bad, we played bad, we got out-coached, we got outplayed. Simple as that."
Do you think that not being so familiar with QB Brock Purdy might have been what slowed your defense down a bit?
"Not at all. It was a scheme. It was more of [RB] Christian [McCaffery] than anything. Our gaps in the run game and blowing calls at the end, having brain farts."
What has it been like for you as a coach and a leader of this team when it seems like throughout the season you take one step forward and then it's a step or two steps back?
"We have to decide what kind of team we want to be. We can't be one set of Bucs and another set of Bucs. It has to mean something. We have a one game lead with four games to go. Either we want it or we don't. You can't care more than everybody else. As a coach, you don't go on the field. But we definitely got out-coached, so we are not excused from this at all. But we got outplayed as well. So as a team, as a group, we have to buckle down and we have to decide what our fate is in the next few weeks."
This is a dramatically different team when you've got S Mike Edwards on the field, S Antoine Winfield Jr. and CB Sean Murphy-Bunting. How close were those guys to possibly playing this week and is there any hope for them this next week?
"Oh, we'll see as the week goes. It doesn't matter if they're on the field or not. We have guys that step in and play and you have to step up when your number's called. You get a chance to show you can play, you have to play."
Buccaneers WR Deven Thompkins got a chance to be doing some punt returns. Can you address or talk about what you saw from him on the field and at the position?
"He gave us a spark. He has to hold onto the ball, but he gave us a spark. He's quick and we know he can do some things with the ball, and he showed that today."
There's not that many games left. You mentioned in coaching, when you lose, you always say we've got out-coached. Is it too late to make any changes in play caller or anything else that might give you guys a spark?
"No, we always tweak things. It's way too late in the season to just flat out change because the system's in place, but you can coach it better and you can play it better. Anytime you win, it's coaching and playing together. Anytime you lose, it's coaching and playing together, so we have to coach it better and they have to play it better. Simple as that."
Buccaneers LT Donovan Smith came out on Friday saying that he's been going through personal things and I know you had mentioned earlier there was some concern about him. He had two penalties today. Is there any thoughts to making a change there? I know you don't exactly have a ton of left tackles out there.
"No. We're kind of low on tackles with [LT] Tristan [Wirfs] down, so no, we have to play better. We have to play better. We know what Donovan is. We can't have the penalties. It's Bucs beating Bucs. He had some last week. He had some this week. He's got to play better. We have to play better as a group. We have to coach better as a group."
Is LT Tristan Wirfs playable for this week? Could he be back against the Cincinnati Bengals?
"Too early to tell right now."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady comes back here in his second trip ever, do you feel bad about him losing in his hometown?
"We don't play the game for one guy regardless of who it is. We don't play this game or coach it for one guy, we play it as a team. We have to block for him. We have to play defense for him. He has to throw the ball for us. It's a team effort when we win. It's a team effort when we lose and today was a complete team effort of losing, getting our asses kicked."
What makes RB Christian McCaffrey so much more difficult or rejuvenated in this offense versus the times you've gone against him in Carolina where you've had more success against him?
"Well, he played a good ball game. They blocked us. We got out of the gap some. We have to see what happened on the tape for the most part. And we played bad on defense. He played great on offense. He's a great player. He is hard to handle in any scheme and he did his job today."
Penalties were a problem the whole game. But that first play, you get what could have been a really tone-setting sack on the first play, but [Buccaneers S] Keanu [Neal] comes a little high. What did you see and that?
"Well, he tried the lowest target. He was a smaller quarterback to begin with. We talk about it all the time. We work at it all the time. He understands that we can't add a penalty."
What's going to be your message to the team after this one?
"Decide who we want to be. We can't be an up and down team. We've got four weeks left to find out what we want to be during the season and accomplish our goal."
Buccaneers QB Tom Brady
How's your hand feeling? It looked like you hit it pretty good on the helmet.
"It's alright. It's fine. No problem."
Would you like to change the game to get some momentum going?
"Yeah, I think all year we just never get off to fast starts. We're behind and it turns into a pass-a-thon, and it's hard to play football like that. So, it's a good football team. They're good. They played well today. [San Francisco 49ers QB] Brock [Purdy] played really well. They made a bunch of plays offensively and defensively and special teams, and we didn't make many offensively. We didn't make many defensively. We didn't make many on special teams. You win because you make plays, you keep them from making plays. They make plays and keep you from making plays, you lose by 28 points."
Specifically, what did you see out of Brock today from your point of view, and what advice, if any, would you have for a guy like that drafted so late to be starting?
"He played really well. Threw a lot of good balls, hung in there in the blitz and they did a good job. They did a really good job. Good job running it. Good job throwing it. They played really well."
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles said you guys have to decide whether you're a good team. You can't be an up and down team. What has to happen for you guys to decide that in the next four games?
"I think, it's easy to say, everyone's got to play better, but we're just not playing. We just have not played consistently well very often. We haven't played it for four quarters, maybe we played it a little bit at times, not today at all, but some games we play well for five minutes and don't play well for 55 minutes. Some games we've played pretty well for a half. We just have not played consistently well for a game."
I know you had a lot of people in the stands here to support you today, and I know you're keen on not making this about you, but just does it make it sting a little bit more the fact that this was a homecoming for you?
"I love having everyone here and it's nice for my family to come close, and I think they had a lot of people from the neighborhood come. That's not going to change the outcome of the game unfortunately, just because you've got a cheering section. It was sweet to have everyone come and support our team and they come back to the East Coast in Tampa and support us, and they came out here, which was great. I wish we could have done obviously a lot better job, but frustrating day for all of us and got to go back and regroup, figure out how to get a win."
Coach said that it wasn't an issue about reps in practice. He said you did tons and tons of reps in practice, but why do you think that connection still wasn't happening there? Like those passes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin and then to Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans in the end zone?
"Yeah, I made a bad throw to Mike. At the end of the day, it was a terrible throw. So, I've got to make it."
You made a really good one too, and on that one that got called back.
"Yeah. It's just kind of yeah, but yeah, but yeah, but. Been a lot of that this year."
A lot has happened to you this year and not having the homecoming you envisioned today, do you have any regrets about coming back to play this season?
"I think I already answered that a few weeks ago. Next question."
Do the penalties early on affect you mentally to where it could kind of take the momentum out of the game?
"Well, I think penalties, turnovers, third down red area, it all adds up. There's field position, there's kicking game, there's what you do on first down. There's so many different little stats and things, and probably not a lot of things we have a lot of advantages on. We're just going to try to get back to work this week and play a good team at home and see if we do a lot better job."
What is the feel in the locker room when you go down 28-0?
"Not great, not great."
How was the conversation between you and your teammates?
"Not great. Yeah, it's tough but we put ourselves in that position. So, you're not blaming people. You're just trying to figure out how to do a better job and what you need to do a better job of."
What's it like coming off the spectacular win Monday and then today?
"Yeah, it was good, but last week doesn't affect today. Today won't affect next week. Next week will be its own individual outcome and performance. And it'll be based on what we do this week as we prepare for it and then ultimately, for the three hours that we play. That's the NFL. You play a really tough game. You play a tough team on the road. They're physical. They're tough. They kicked our ass. It's the reality of this sport, and every time you take the field you have the opportunity to get your ass kicked or to kick ass, and obviously, we're on the wrong end of it today, but you've got to put the work in and you've got to dig deep and keep fighting."
What's it like going against this 49ers pass rush and the pressure they had on you today?
"They were good. They've got a good rush. They've got great players. They've got a good rush. They've got great linebackers. They've got a good scheme. I can see why they're the number one defense. We obviously, didn't do a good enough job in any area of our offense to score enough points. I'll go out this week and try to do a lot better job than I did today."
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
There was a big holding call that got your touchdown called back. How tough is that?
"It's unfortunate. It's unfortunate. We definitely could've used that touchdown. Yeah. But they just, they called the holding. It is what it is".
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady took shots at the end zone. He tried to hit you but you were not able to get a touchdown there. What's happened that's continuing to make it so difficult to get touchdowns?
"We just aren't making the plays that we're used to making in the previous two years We're just not making them as consistently. I don't know what it is but we're just not connecting like we usually do."
In speaking with Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles he said and I don't know if he has mentioned this to you guys, he said this was going to be the message to the team : 'it's up to you guys to determine what kind of football team you want to be. Whether you want to be a good team or, or a bad team. You know that it's too late in the season to be inconsistent'. What do you take away from that?
"He's absolutely right. I mean, the coaches are doing a good enough job. We have to do better as players. Penalties will get you beat every time, especially against a high quality team like this. They're really good in all three phases and then they showed it tonight and they beat us down."
How disheartening is this loss? You guys are still on top of this division, but you're not playing well. Can this team refocus quickly enough to take control of things?
"We've shown we can, but it's tough. If we make it to the playoffs, these are the guys that we're going to have to play against. We will face teams like this one. So we have to play good football to see where we are."
Buccaneers S Keanu Neal
Could you take us through that play with QB Brock Purdy?
"I don't recall hitting him in the head, but that's neither here nor there. The refs are making calls in a split second. I wasn't trying to hit him in the head, that wasn't my goal. My goal was to get the sack with force, obviously. It's football, it's a physical sport."
It wasn't his blindside either.
"It wasn't his blindside. I thought he saw me, honestly, that's why I came in. But as I got closer I expected him to step into the pocket or step out. Yet, he didn't see me so I just drove through him. But my goal wasn't to hit him in the head. That's never my intention I'm not that kind of player."
Were you surprised there was a flag on that play?
"I was, honestly, because I wrapped up and I didn't lead with my head. I felt like I led with my chest a little bit. I was surprised. I didn't expect a flag, but like I said the refs are making decisions in split seconds and they made that call. I can't argue with it, just have to move forward."
Buccaneers T Donovan Smith
The 49ers defense is the No. 1 defense in the NFL in regards to points. How tough was it to play against them? Was it tougher than what you thought it would be?
"They have a good defense. They have a good team. They play well together. They made all the right plays. We didn't."
How frustrating is it where it seems this team will have a breakthrough game, or some breakthrough moments, and then it seems like you take it one or two steps backwards after that?
"It's very frustrating. We've got to find the answer and we've got to fix it quick. Whatever it is, me included. It's just the way it goes."
Tampa Bay Head Coach Todd Bowles said that it's going to be up to you guys to determine what kind of football team you want to be for the rest of the year. A good team or a bad team. What do you take away from that message?
"He's right. It's all on us. From the beginning, it's always been told that this is our team and we're going to go as far as we want to take it. It's time we all step up, everybody in the locker room. We have to make sure we take our play to the next level."
