San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster spoke with reporters before Thursday's practice, as the team prepares for its Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
QB Brock Purdy
How's your health from the shoulder stingers and any residual effects and concerns?
"No, it's been good. Just got a lot of treatment done on it and everything. Sort of just worked out the soreness within the whole shoulder area, trap area, but it feels good. I'll be good for this game."
After you watched the film of the Ravens, do you feel like you guys have the answers to some of the defensive wrinkles that they showed in that game?
"I feel like our game plan was good just in terms of what we wanted to get done. It was just the execution part of it that I feel like I didn't do a good enough job. I think our mindset and everything going into it was good, but I fell short in terms of making it happen. So when we watched the film and stuff, our plays were there, there was plays to be made there. We felt good getting through the film and going, man, we were right there and we had everything I feel like dialed up pretty good. I just didn't execute well. So yeah, if we see them again down the road, obviously we'd be excited to play them and all that, but we're just taking it one day at a time and we'll see how it all goes."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the only interception that was a bad decision was the first one. What should you have done differently on that one?
"Yeah, that drive we had two really explosive plays, the third down and then the next play after that to [TE] George [Kittle] again. So it's like the emotion, everything's built up, we're feeling good and then we call this play with what wasn't the right coverage. So for myself, it's like, 'all right, dude, progress and check it down.' In the moment for myself, I was aggressive. I was like, 'all right, just had two big plays, I'm trying to fit this one in.' Which obviously looking back on it was not the right decision, wasn't the smart play as a quarterback. That's something that I have to grow in, in terms of you make some big plays and stuff, but every play has a life of its own. Now whatever play is next, you've got to play the play the right way and not just feed off the emotion and everything that you felt from the previous plays. So, that's something that I had to learn the hard way."
How do you find the balance of still playing aggressively, ripping it down the field, but then also making good decisions?
"The games that I've played in there's a fine line of obviously ripping something that's a tight window or tight contested, but at the same time being smart with the ball in the situation of wherever the game is at. So for myself, I've played in enough games where I think I understand when and where I can be aggressive, and take a chance, take a shot, and when I should progress, check it down, throw it away, those kinds of things. Like I said, it's a situational kind of thing, and football is a game of situations. So that's where I have to grow and continue to bank on experiences that I've gone through. But at the same time, being a quarterback in the NFL, you've got to be able to take some chances and some risks and some windows at the right time. That's what I'm learning right now."
You hadn't had a stinger prior to Arizona, but the fact that you've had one in consecutive weeks, even though you've felt right, has it been explained to you that maybe there were still kind of lingering things that predisposed you to having one against the Ravens?
"No one really said anything to me. I didn't really know it was a thing until I got it against the Ravens again. It sort of got explained, I guess the nerve or whatever is a little bit more susceptible to sort of stinging again. But with treatment and some time and recovery and stuff, you can obviously get it to go down and be good to go. Everyone's different is what I've heard. So for me, I was fine the whole game and then that one sack he just got me right. I landed on it just right for it to go off, but my feeling came back and everything. So, it's just I guess part of the game."
In what ways is your approach or preparation a little different this week after a week like you didn't execute as well as you wanted to do?
"My process, my routine and everything is going to be the same, like I've done all year. It just comes down to the moment, getting behind the center, going through my reads in the moment, in the heat of battle, being smart with the ball, doing what we're trying to do on offense and what the coaches are asking of me. Obviously, it's be smart. But in terms of my process and everything, I'm going to be the same guy that I've been all year in terms of how I get ready for a game. It's just going to be in the heat of battle, making the right decisions and setting up our offense and our team to have success in the right way."
Things have gone your way early in your career. Was this Ravens game a learning experience in the sense of what it feels like when everything that could go wrong does go wrong and how to respond?
"Yeah, it's huge for me. The whole season building up to what they're saying is a huge game on Christmas, Monday Night Football and all that. It was a big game. So for me, it's a great learning experience just in terms of not buying into what's going on around and what's being said. Instead, executing in the moment, making the right reads, being consistent, protecting the ball, all those things. It's such a good learning experience. It's not to say I'm going to be perfect moving forward, it's football, you're not perfect. But for me, I think it was huge just in terms of being a quarterback in this league. When things are going well, people can say some great things and it's easy to buy into it a little bit. But you've got to put your head down, go to work, have that chip on your shoulder still and still prove to yourself that you've got to continue to show your teammates that you're the guy week in and week out. So definitely something for me to learn from."
With the Commanders, what stands out when you watch the film on them?
"Yeah, I think it starts with the two boys up front, [Washington Commanders DT Jonathan Allen] 93 and [Washington Commanders DT Daron Payne] 94. I feel like they're very disruptive. They've been disruptive really their whole careers and stuff. So for us, we respect them a lot. Then just their coverages behind it and everything, the boys in the secondary, they're sound in what they do. For us, it's being smart with the ball, being on the right side of the field with our reads and going through my progressions and being efficient. I feel like they've done a good job of making some quarterbacks have to be efficient and take the shots when the opportunity presents itself. I think overall they're a solid squad and sound in what they do. So for us, we can't get greedy or anything. For me, I have to go through my reads and stay disciplined more than anything."
Kyle said yesterday that he felt like the most valuable experience for you the other night was continuing to compete after the interceptions. Can you take us into those moments of what you were thinking of how you flush and how you kind of move on to continue to compete in those moments and maybe how can it help you going forward?
"The game and the situation, it sort of just happened really quick. They went up quick and in the second half, third quarter, they're up multiple scores. So then it sort of feels like, 'all right, we have to make a play. At the same time we've got all these turnovers, so don't turn the ball over.' So just mentally it was a good experience to understand like, you have to play one play at a time. Even if we're down multiple scores, you still have a whole second half to play. You have to still think clearly in terms of what we're trying to do with each play, not just try to get back into the game with one or two plays with explosives. It's being smart. It's taking a five-yard out route or check down and getting a first down and managing those situations and playing quarterback still to get your team back in the lead by being an efficient quarterback. So, those are all things I had to learn. Towards the end, I feel like I was searching for those big plays to get back in the game rather than playing the position. Watching the film was tough, but it was good for me. I had to learn it and I'm glad it happened now."
Some of your teammates, especially DL Nick Bosa spoke out in support of you after the game. What does that mean to you and how does that help you approach this week?
"It's huge to hear guys have my back and all that, which is great. We understand, I think, the big picture of what we're trying to do, where we're at. So obviously to have a bad game like that, it sucks and you don't want that to ever happen. But they're mature and they get it. For me, I appreciate them for understanding the quarterback position and how tough it can be, but also the reality of where we're at. We're still number one seed. We've gotten here for a reason, not just by chance. So, to hear them say those cool things, it means a lot to me. But we're trying to win this week and take it one day at a time. We'll get to where we need to be by just being in the present."
That was your first four interception game in your life. Is it fair to say that you weren't completely scared of throwing yet another pick and you were still searching for big plays? It seems like there was a push-pull there.
"Yeah, it's just not being in the right state of mind as a quarterback. Having the aggressive trigger to make the throw, the big play, but also shoot, dude, you don't want to turn the ball over again. It's just a sucky state of mind to be in. That's the learning experience of going back and just taking it and saying every play has a life of its own. You have to take it one play at a time and not try to win the game by a couple big plays. When I'm thinking like that, I just wasn't in the right state of mind towards the end when we're trying to get back into it. That's the learning experience."
Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks
Opening comments:
"The Ravens were a football team who was well deserving of winning that football game. I felt like we did some good things in that game, but we didn't finish in the manner in which we should have on the defensive side of the ball, which is finding ways to take the ball away and give our offensive a chance. I thought we played hard. I thought we were competitive. I thought we had a good game plan. But we need to find a way to finish and make some more plays. The great thing about this league here, you don't have time to sit around and feel sorry for yourself. It's a constant ever evolving week, getting ready for the next opponent. Washington is a real good football team. We got the word that [Washington Commanders QB] Jacoby Brissett is going to start. He is a proven veteran in this league that has shown that he can win football games at every place that he's been. They have a solid run game. I think [Washington Commanders RB Brian] Robinson [Jr.] is probably going to be back this week. [Washington Commanders WR Terry] McLaurin and [Washington Commanders WR] Curtis Samuel are pretty good receivers in that they can make things happen at any time. So by no way by the stretch of imagination that this is going to be an easy game for us. So, we've got to show up and play well and be ready to execute. And with that, I'll take your questions."
How do you feel just about the secondary right now because it seems like there's some moving parts that could be based on injuries, whether to S Ji'Ayir Brown or CB Ambry Thomas?
"Well, I feel real good in regards to the guys that we have, all the way down to [CB Darrell] Luter [Jr.]. If he has to come in and play, he has definitely shown and have gotten a lot of trust from me that he can go in and execute. It's that time of the year that we're dealing with everything that all other 31 teams are dealing with, which are injuries. So, we can't find any excuses in regards to that. We've got to show up and play."
How has Luter established that trust with you? He hasn't played a lot in games.
Is it the practices?
"I think it's how he practices. I think it's how he carries himself. He's a professional. He is definitely a guy that's a little bit more mature to be a rookie in how he goes about his day-to-day operation. Even when he was hurt, he was constantly here getting treatment. He stayed in there with [defensive backs coach] Daniel Bullocks, the DB coach, trying to get better. You've seen his development and growth. And with that, when he's out on the field, that's where that trust comes in with me."
You talk a lot about his maturity since he was drafted. On the field, how do you see that's different maybe from other rookies?
"Well, number one, I don't think he gets rattled at all. Something good happens, he's on to the next play. Likewise, something bad. That's a sign of a guy that has maturity to understand that position. He doesn't get down on himself. And going back to the play against Seattle on special teams, just that effort to be able to save that touchdown and give us the opportunity to hold those guys to a field goal. Those kind of plays and those things that he puts on tape is how I equate that trust."
How has S Logan Ryan assimilated to the system?
"Logan has done a great job. I was excited when we got him. I knew at some point in time that he was going to do a great job in stepping in for us. His leadership there, and I talked to [LB] Fred [Warner] about this coming off the field yesterday, and I was like, 'did you feel and see Logan?' He's like, 'yeah, man, he talks.' And that's the great sign of a safety. His ability to communicate, particularly when you've got a new guy in there, and he's stepping up and doing those things. So, I like his presence. He has skin on the wall, as I call it. He's been around the league for a while, played in a couple Super Bowls, so he understands the magnitude of where we are at this time of the year."
What does DL Sebastian Joseph-Day bring to your defense?
"[Defensive line coach] Kris [Kocurek] does a tremendous job, him and [assistant defensive line coach Darryl] Tapp as far as meeting with those new guys that we have in. They took him out there early, took him to the side and started really trying to change up his stance, his get off. He's been more of a two-gap guy his whole career. And of course you all know that our mindset's a little different. We come off the ball here. So, I like his explosion and how he comes off. He plays with violent hands, so I'm excited to have him and looking forward to seeing what he can do for us."
You went with CB Jason Verrett over CB Samuel Womack III this week. What went into that decision? What do you want to see from Samuel Womack?
"Consistency, with all our guys. A lot too goes into special teams in regards to him being up and not being up. We wanted to give Verrett an opportunity and a chance to be able to get his feet wet, try to get back into the flow of things and seeing if he can be one of those guys that I think that can help us down the stretch here as we progress towards the playoffs."
He had that tough play with the touchdown in the end zone, but otherwise what did you see from him on the field?
"I thought he worked within the defense. I thought his technique was good. On that one particular play, I felt like we teach chest to chest, particularly when you get in the end zone, you can't turn away from the receiver and that's what he did and he lost him in that split second when the ball was being thrown. So, definitely something that's correctable and coachable."
Do you view Verrett mainly as a nickel right now? Is that where you're kind of using him mostly in practice?
"Right now, yes. Just for the mere fact, again, I feel very confident in Luter and you mentioned Sammy as well. So, I feel like we have some players out there that we can stack a little bit. To me it's always that ability, if something happens with [DB Deommodore Lenoir] Demo and then [CB Isaiah] Oliver, who's that third guy."
What type of playing time do you anticipate with Joseph-Day having on Sunday?
"It varies. It's something that we'll talk about as a defensive staff. Most importantly, it's something that I communicate and converse with [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan]."
Can LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who played safety at Arizona, could he be your emergency safety in a situation if you need a body on gameday?
"I think Oliver's that guy. I like Flann closer to the line of scrimmage. I think he's more effective there. I think as we try to think ahead and I don't know if you guys have seen it at practice, but Oliver has been really taking a lot of reps at safety the last couple of weeks. So, that would be our next step if something were to happen there."
Back to Ryan for a second. You don't often see 30-year-old guys lining up on the outside and going down and covering kicks. What does that say about him?
"Team player. Committed. Then also understanding it is the standard here. We always talk about many parts, one body of work. Nobody's bigger than the actual cause. So guys come in and they adapt to how we do things and that's what he's done. So again, I like him a lot as a player and as a person."
Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Chris Foerster
How does your offensive line regroup from the last game?
"Kind of like every week. You look at your injury report, you kind of put it together and go back and get ready to play the next week. So yeah, last week we were down to the eighth player on the field. We had [T] Trent [Williams] go down. [OL] Jaylon [Moore] early had a stinger and then was okay. And then something else happened later in the game. So Jaylon came out. Jaylon was in, Jaylon was up, Jaylon was down, then Jaylon went up, then Trent went down, then Jaylon went in and Jaylon went down. So, then we had to flip [OL] Colton [McKivitz] over and move [OL] Spencer [Burford] out. And then [OL Aaron] Banks went down at the end of the game."
If one more offensive lineman had gone down, who would go in?
"Tight end. [TE] Charlie [Woerner] would have to go in. We'd have to kind of makeshift that. And it's kind of funny, I was telling Trent this this morning because they've only recently gone to eight offensive linemen. When I got in the NFL there was, we always had eight up, but then special teams and everything else took over. So then we went to seven, everything became seven all of a sudden. So you had seven and very few times, probably three times in the course of 25, 30 years did you have to get to the some other position playing offensive line. I think it might've been our last game in 2014, my last game with Trent in Washington, I think [former NFL TE] Logan Paulson played left tackle for a series or two for us because we were down, we lost Trent, we lost [NFL T] Tom Compton, we lost another guy. And so we had to put Logan in for the last series or two. So yeah, this one is eight linemen and you lose three guys and you lose a fourth and one more guy, you'd have to go and put a tight end in. So it's tough, but everybody's back working. And I don't know what everybody's injury status is for this week, but I think we've got, we've got a fair amount of guys to get back at it."
After Banks going into the Seattle game on Thanksgiving and working his way through that toe injury and toughing it out and playing in that game, Kyle indicated that this injury's not as bad as that one, but do you think that kind of experience could help him mentally if he does need to push through something again?
"Yeah, especially since I think it's similar. It might be the same toe, I don't know. I think it might be very similar, if it's not the same foot, same toe. So at least he knows the feeling. He's like, oh yeah, this wasn't as bad as last time. It's all an experience that's going to help him."
You mentioned that the team's most effective run concept doesn't even really feature a fullback in the traditional sense, it's more of a one back. What is it that play?
"Oh yeah. It's just an outside zone play to the tight end and how we target and everything, we're just running straight outside zone with no lead back, no nothing. We're just running to the tight end side. It's the play [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] scored from the nine yard line on, and we have a receiver on that side, usually that's responsible for the corner. There's just a couple different rules, but it's not that confusing. It's just a basic zone where we're kind of leverage. There's leverage plays and out leverage plays. In other words, when you're targeting and let's say the play's going the left and everybody's targets tend to be over there. You kind of have leverage. So, you have a chance to cut the defense and run the ball where you cut the defense off and you've got leverage on the defense. Then there's out leverage plays where all our targets are over there and we're all kind of going over there and at some point, somebody wins a block and there's an opening for the back to choose. This play is more of those plays that we're out leverage, everybody's kind of chasing although on this time it didn't work out that way. It's a very basic standard outside zone play to the tight end side."
What'd you think of OL Ben Bartch at left guard and how did OL Spencer Burford fare in your mind at right tackle?
"Oh, Burford struggled, man. He had a hard time. His footing was rough out there. For some reason, a couple guys were losing their footing towards the end of the game. I don't know what happened. I don't know if it just got wet out there or something towards the end of the evening, but that's no excuse. Spence had gotten limited reps. He was an emergency plan for us at tackle, went out there and had some good plays but had more plays that weren't good. Same thing with moving Colt [OL Colton McKivitz] over to the left side. That's an emergency plan. You don't have time or any chance. In certain games when we didn't have Bartch or the third center up, Colton's our emergency center, it's not like we rep him at center. He's able to get the ball up. Now, is he going to make all the calls and block anybody? It's going to be suspect. When you get to that point where you're on the eighth lineman and you've got your third contingency plan up, it's going to be hard to rep it or get it ready to go. But I'm glad it happened because what it does is no matter how many times I tell them, guys, you have to be ready because this can happen, we're repping you, you are the fourth tackle in the game, you're the third center in the game, you're the fifth guard. They look at you like you're crazy, 'coach, it's never going to happen.' It doesn't happen until it happens and then you have to be ready for it."
How did Bartch do?
"Bartch was solid. Yeah, he's a solid guard and I think he's more comfortable right now at guard than center. I think I've mentioned to you guys, I like him at center a lot. He still has to get some more reps in our system at center. But he did a good job in a limited amount of snaps."
What were the Ravens doing early that had you guys throwing the ball on that opening drive and the first half?
"Oh, that's [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan]. You'd have to talk to him about why the play calls come out as they do and what he decides to do on that. I felt really good during the week about our ability to run the football against them. I think we felt good about some of the things we had in the passing game as well. Obviously, Kyle decides to do what he's going to do with the calls and when he dials them up, we do the best we can. Felt really good and comfortable with how we were going and until the injuries, I felt we had a good chance. Obviously, the turnovers, short field, there's so many things that went into that game to make it not a good game for us, you have to really look for the silver lining. I can stand up here and say we got beat. I'm not going to look and say, 'ah, it was really not that bad a game.' It was a bad game, but there were some spots in the game early where I felt like we had a chance to have a good game running the ball and protecting the quarterback and obviously that got away from us as the game went on."
Say you were to watch Packers vs. Bears in 1965, like a replay, would there be any run game type of concepts, you'd say, well, we still use some of that stuff, or is all that just obsolete?
"Oh, no, there's a lot of stuff. And I'm old, not quite that old. If I pull any film out, you're going to see it. Football is a copycat. I mean, so much of it is. I watch [Kansas City Chiefs head coach] Andy [Reid] every now and then I remember plays I learned in the West Coast offense. When I got to Stanford with Denny Green, Denny was still running the pure West Coast offense from [former 49ers head coach] Bill Walsh's playbook and the red book that he put in here and that he learned from Bill. I've watched every now and then Andy Reid, there's plays that pop up that he learned from [former NFL coach] Mike Holmgren that you're like, oh, wait a minute, it's a different version of it, but it's the same play. I remember learning this play, 19W where [former NFL FB] Tom Rathman would cut the defensive end and [former NFL G] Guy McIntyre would pull around the cut of the defensive end and you'd hand the ball to [former NFL RB] Roger Craig around the corner and they might be handing it to a jet sweep guy with a halfback cutting the end man. But it's all the same concept and play that you'll see people that pull up everywhere, power plays, sweep plays, there's origins of every play in football. There's only 11-on-11 and you can only cut the pie so many different ways. So, there's always going to be something. I'm sure I would glean something from it, definitely would, especially with some of the stuff that we're doing with more of a two back version offense. There wasn't as much one back shotgun running game and things like that. So that stuff's a little bit new, but there's only so much you could do there. There would be a lot."
Does the Commanders defensive line look any different without Chicago Bears DE Montez Sweat and DL Chase Young? Are they doing anything different?
"No, they're not doing anything different. Their ends are obviously, they let go of two good players for whatever reasons they had for doing it. They have good players that are backing them up and have stepped in and really benefited from the time they've had to play. I've watched them get better every single week, the guys that took over and are playing for Sweat and Young. The interior two players are still the strength of the defense, linebackers are fast and physical. Their secondary is young, but they're aggressive. I mean, this is a solid defensive football team. I'm sure Kyle's talked about it and every week, man, it's about us. I mean, at the end of the day, all these teams we play, it's a challenge to play. Everybody presents different challenges personnel-wise, but man, as you saw last week, if we don't take care of our business, doesn't matter who you play, where you play them, or when you play them, it can be a challenge. And these guys are a good football team, and they don't have the record to show it, but they do have good players who play well and just haven't had things go their way at this point."
