San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster, and quarterback Brock Purdy spoke to reporters before Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen
Has Tampa changed what they do offensively since Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin went down?
"A little bit. I think their system and what they do, it's a good system. I think he [Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield] operates well in it with how they run the ball and how he throws it. There are some little changes, because obviously those guys can do some things outside, but they're pretty consistent in what they do."
One of your starting safeties is 24 and the other is 22-years old. Obviously they're making plays, but are they also making mistakes that you would expect young safeties, inexperienced safeties, to make and was that something that we were seeing at the end of the Cowboys game?
"No one is perfect, period, but when the guys are young and the one thing that's cool about them that you guys ask about them and that I say weekly, is that they do get better and they learn every week. And even with [S Ji'Ayir Brown] Tig, he came in midway through the season, so really he's kind of played a year now. So he is a young safety, I'm glad you say it like that, but he's played a lot of ball too. I think those guys have accelerated their growth, they care a lot. They continue to communicate well, but it's not perfect. And I think getting a lot of young guys playing time early, even early in the season when we were kind of rotating some guys has really, it's starting to pay the dividends and that's where you see them making plays. They're feeling more confident and that's been good."
Have you seen that play out over your playing career, your coaching career, where a guy, a rookie, maybe plays a lot of snaps early on and then by December, January perhaps he's playing well?
"You hope. It should. The main thing is they earn the snaps that they got and they are making plays and you want to see them just, they should continue to get better. And ideally, that's how it should be. Otherwise, then you play someone else."
How much do you expect S Tashaun Gipson Sr. back in the building might help, just, even with little things with those young guys?
"I think it's huge. He started for us the last two years. He's a great dude. He's played a ton of ball. He's taken it, like 33 career picks. He's had a ton of success and he is a great guy. And just having him back, I think everyone was real excited to see him. I think he's excited to be here and be back and feel like he didn't leave. We're just excited to have him back, see how he feels. He hasn't done a whole lot, so we'll just kind of figure it out as we go."
How much growth have you seen from S Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir, just in this season so far in the first half of the season?
"A lot. The more that we can let those guys play free and fast, then you see them show up and I think that's what you see out of Malik, too. And the more they play, they're going to play that way and they start to expect things and it's not the first time they've seen something. So, the acceleration's been great."
DL Sam Okuayinonu, is he, would you say you are surprised that he's been this good?
"Saw the promise of what was in his body kind of in the offseason and how he gets off and stuff, and then you were hoping to see the physicality in training camp, then you did, then he had the injury. So it was, we had the expectations and the hopes. It's just now he's done it a little bit, so we want to see him keep doing it. That's the challenge for him is, okay, you've done a couple things, but we need to see it consistently. And then seeing the growth of how he's moved inside and been an interior guy as well in some of those pass-rush situations has been really cool because he hasn't played a ton of football. He is still fairly new to it, but he cares a lot and he's an explosive dude that plays physical and loves ball. So it's been good so far."
I ask you, because you know his background in being late to football. Are there things, could you say he's still raw in some ways or is there more potential just because of his relative inexperience?
"Yeah, I think so. Of course. Especially since he'd never really worked inside and how he picks stuff up quick. But [defensive line coach Kris] Kocurek coaches him hard and he likes that, most of our guys do. They're receptive to it and those are the guys that can accelerate when they take all the coaching and then they apply it. That's something that he's done a good job with and that he can handle is when he gets coached he applies it and then plays fast. He's a smart guy, so he's picked it up quick. That's the good thing about it. It makes sense to him."
You added the defensive tackle at the trade deadline. What do you like about DL Khalil Davis and kind of where do you see him fitting in, in that group?
"Yeah, where he fits in, we'll see. We still want to see some more. I think he's just had the one shorter practice yesterday without pads. The cool thing is, he is an explosive guy, he's twitched-up, he's been in our system and he's had production. So we'll just kind of go from there and figure out how he fits. It's always good to add depth to a position like that of a good player."
Anything that you've noticed in terms of how head coach Kyle Shanahan's teams approach a Bye that allows for the team to be pretty successful after the Bye? Other than the fact that the teams are pretty good. But what do you think about the way you guys handle a Bye?
"I don't know if it's anything extraordinarily different. I think he just stays consistent in how he talks to the players and talks to the coaches. I think he's just really consistent in, the main thing with Kyle is it's continuing to coach and continuing to get better and it's staying on it every day. Some people can get in a lull and I don't think we ever allow that to happen here. And it's you never think too far ahead, you don't look back too far to think negatively either. It's just what's happening right now and how can we get better this day, this practice. And what is it going to take to win this game? And I don't think it's any magic potion other than you get a Bye and you rest up. I think a lot of that goes to our players and how they handle Byes too, because they usually use that the right way. If guys use it the right way, you should come back feeling pretty good."
He said he wants the coaches to get away from each other for a couple of days. Did you do that too?
"Oh yeah, no he's good about that. Yes, I did spend time with the family. It was nice."
How much stress can a guy like RB Christian McCaffrey being on the field put on a defense if you're planning against him?
"Christian, he's, yeah, I remember going up against him a few times before he came here. He's just, he's a tough matchup problem. In the pass game, but he's also just an awesome runner. He has great vision, he's not some guy that you think is smaller that won't hit it inside. He's got great vision. Obviously his ability to cut and run and break tackles, but he's also really tough. But the obvious one is how he can do so many different things in the pass game."
They have three backs that are all pretty good. Are there any trends in how they utilize the three of them?
"I think for them, they're all so versatile and I just love the mindset of how they play. I think a lot of it kind of matriculates off of how tough and competitive Baker is. I think that, that just permeates through the whole team. Just a competitive group. Those guys all run with energy, they can cut it anywhere. They play tough, even though they're not huge guys, I think they will play big in the finish, whether it's breaking tackles or dipping a shoulder when they need to. Which is kind of like how Baker plays, if it's third down or something, he will dip a shoulder on you. And I think that's the cool thing that we respect about this team is they're just competitive, tough guys. Regardless of the noise of the two really good receivers they don't have, it's a competitive group. You saw it last week and you continue to see it."
Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Chris Foerster
How much more do you get out of pass protection when you have RB Christian McCaffrey on the field?
"I think all the guys do a really good job. I'd put him in the category. Christian's always done a good job with protection, but I think the other guys do a good job as well. So, I think there's much of an uptick. Everything's an uptick with Christian, I'm not going to joke. Everything gets a little bit better with him, obviously. But I wouldn't say it's that big a difference."
Is there a player in the league quite like Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Vita Vea in terms of size?
"No, I'm trying to think of one, big guy from Baltimore last year [Baltimore Ravens DL Michael] Pierce I think his name is. He was a similar player, big guy. Vita Vea is one of a kind. I remember last time we played him up here last year or two years ago, I don't remember which game it was. It might've been two years ago. They said he was sick pregame like he wasn't going to play. We're all hopeful. And I go out there and he's playing, what's that game where they kick the bag around…hacky sack. He looks like a like a middle schooler playing hacky sack. He's three hundred and fifty pounds kicking the ball in the air. It's unbelievable how good he is. He's really talented, very agile for such a big, gigantic man."
When they line him up sometimes as an edge rusher. What kind of challenge is that?
"It's hard, yeah. Obviously, you can get some more help. Sometimes you can get a little more help to him with a back or a tight end as well. It is scary to think that he has a running head start at the quarterback. But I did say this morning, he's got that direct line to the quarterback right over the center in the A-gap. It makes it difficult. He's a challenge for everybody."
Does he remind you of anyone?
"Well, the thing is, these guys today have become better pass rushers. There's some great players in the past. I'm not quite sure they were as big as him, but I won't go through the list of guys due to time today. The guy is an edge. He can get on an edge and be a good rusher as well as a power guy, which makes him unique."
What about Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Calijah Kancey? He had a couple sacks last week. He's not the same build but he's really effective player.
"Guys are excellent pass rushers on the edge. They've got good length; they've got good speed. They're great speed to power guys kind of like the guys from the Rams do a good job with that. They're up the field, they have long arms, they're able to push the pocket and condense the pocket. This team can condense the pocket and make it collapse. Then [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd Bowles does a great job with his pressure package as well, where guys come free and create some issues as well."
How has OL Jon Feliciano looked in practice and have you been looking at him more as a center this year versus a year ago?
"Nope. He's the same. Right now, he's competing. He's trying to get well and see where he is as his progression as far as rehabilitation towards being active. We're looking at him right now as the backup center, guard. So, if we something were to happen to the guard, he could go in, something happen to the center, he would go in. Definitely not looking at him at this point in a starting capacity. He's in a backup capacity at this time for as well as the guys that are playing in the interior three at this point. But we're great to have Jon because we have a true starter in a backup role. [OL] Nick Zakelj who's been playing that role as a backup center and then [OL] Spencer [Burford] being the backup third guard. I think we feel like we have a guy that's started and played more football at both positions and it's great to have as a backup."
I know it was a little before you got here, but in 2018 RB Jared McKinnon had signed here and got hurt right before the season. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan had said at the time, it really kind of blew up all of our plans of what we did the whole season. Has there been a similar thing with Christian this year where it's made it difficult to kind of just adapt your offense because you don't have as many variables with what you can do with him?
"I don't think it feels the same way. I think that there's other players that have kind of learned from Christian a year ago. Christian was not in and out last year, but the guys had to step in and we had to continue to play with [RB Jordan Mason] JP or whoever if Christian was in and out of the game and things like that. So I think we felt real confident that without Christian there, we all know that he brings a whole different dynamic to how we can game plan and how defenses approach us. So yeah, the defense may approach us differently, but I don't think it caught us quite as – I think at that point, I wasn't here to remember exactly, but I think it was a little bit more like, gosh we were really counting on him and without him, there really wasn't somebody else that was going to pick up that slack that we encountered for him to do. I think we have guys now that can kind of do a little bit, albeit not as much or as good."
Do you handle the Byes here differently than other places you've been? The record here post Bye is pretty good.
"It's changed because the league kind of said what to do. I remember my first year in Tampa, going back now in the dark ages, the 1990s. We had actually full practices because we were one and eight. So [former Head Coach Tony] Dungy was like, let's go out there, we're starting from square one and we just did full padded practices all the way until Friday. How time has changed, right? So now the league slowly mandates less and less time for us to be able to be available that the players are able to work. So we kind of go off what the league does and what they say. And we're really hesitant to do much banging around in the Bye weeks. I think it's paid off. I think it's coming back from the Bye that's so critical and important as to how you can take care of your players coming back."
How's Christian looking? How's he feeling? How's the team responding to him being back?
"Everybody's always positive to have him back. It's always good to have a great player back on the field working with you. And when he's out there, he practices so hard and everything's right. That's the thing you see, like all of a sudden, he runs his own play and as well as [JP] and [RB] Isaac [Guerendo] have done and the other guys. It's like all of a sudden it's just 'bam' and he hits the hole right in time, perfect timing, perfect pacing of the play, catches some balls down the field and things like that. It's nice. Again, it's a process getting ready to play. There'll be no decisions made until later in the week obviously. But having him back out just being out there and practicing like you've asked is really cool for the whole team. It energizes everybody. At the same sense, you always got to temper that too because you just don't know, as a guy's trying to get his feet back under him, is he going to be ready to go?"
Bowles likes a blitz heavy scheme. Is it different than what Minnesota does? Both are kind of blitz heavy teams.
"Different. It's different. I can't explain exactly why, but there's some similarities and I think there's a little bit of give and take. Todd's gravitated a little bit towards some of the things that he's seen [Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian] Flores doing and then vice versa. So, Flores has always kind of done what he's done. But similar, but it's not like identical."
Does having Christian on the practice field help those younger guys in terms of whether it's route running or just the little techniques and having him hit a hole?
"They've all seen it before. This is the first time for Isaac getting a full dose of it. So, I think it'll help to see him and see how he practices, see how he plays, see how he prepares, all those things."
QB Brock Purdy
How was your Bye week trip with TE George Kittle?
"We flew out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and got away and golfed. But yeah, it was really nice to go out there and breathe."
What's it been like just having RB Christian McCaffrey back on the field this week?
"Yeah, it's been awesome. Just what he brings to the table and really just firing everybody else up around. All of us coming off the Bye week and feeling good and fresh and then you get two-three next to you in the backfield, it's been awesome. Looks great moving around and he's trending in the right direction. So, we're excited to see what happens."
You've played together a lot, but do you need a little extra time just in terms of some of the pass game stuff, getting back on the same page, getting timing? Do you do any of that this week?
"Yeah, just in the pass game with, we do a lot of stuff where he makes a decision based off of the defender and just being on the same page and that kind of stuff. So it's sinking back up into that kind of world. But obviously, he's really smart and it's been a pretty good transition so far."
How is this, preparing to face the Buccaneers, how is it different than two years ago when you were going through that process for the first time against this defense?
"Two years ago, it was more of I've got to prove to my teammates and everybody that I can step in and do the role really well as a quarterback for this team and compete in that regard. Now it's like, 'Alright, we're going into year three and we all know what I've been able to do and what I can do for this team.' And so now it's where we're at, we're four-and-four coming off the Bye, and it's how can I continue to elevate my game and play at the standard that we need to be successful right now? And so that's the mindset, it's a little different. Obviously, I was trying to prove and make a statement two years ago, but playing this defense now, man, personnel is a little different, but the scheme is there and they're a good team overall. That's the mindset going into this week."
You've been through it a couple of times. I'm curious why you think the Bye almost seems like it's a starting gun for you guys to really get going?
"It's nice that we had a Bye and get guys healthy. You get everybody back together and it's like, alright, we know how important the second half of the season is. It's all about one game at a time and stacking up wins and everything. We've obviously known that from the last couple years, but every year is different. That doesn't mean it's going to be guaranteed this year that we're going to go and do the things that we did the last couple years. It's, we've got to put our heads back down and just go to work one day at a time and chip away at it."
What stands out to you about Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles' defense when you watch them?
"I think just the pressures and all the variations of coverages they do with guys blitzing and stuff. He does a really good job with that, he always has. Guys play together and they're gritty. You don't see anyone on the tape that gives up or anything like that. Like against the Chiefs this last game, man, they brought it all the way into overtime. They played as a team really well. And so, his defense is going to bring it and we've just got to be on top of our stuff and play our standard and compete for four quarters."
Against a team that blitzes as much as they do, having Christian as the outlet, how does that maybe sort of change how you can attack the blitz?
"I think it's always nice knowing you have Christian, obviously for checkdowns and stuff as a running back. And then they have to account for him for sure and can open up other guys in the pass game. But more than anything, we have really good playmakers across the board and we're going to try to get the ball into all our guys' hands at the right time and the right situation. It's always nice though, knowing that I can go through my read and come back down to Christian. But at the same time, they blitz and stuff, so we're going to have to have him in pass protection, and our other running backs stepping up and doing their job as well. But that's the name of the game. They're going to pressure and try to get you off guard and off schedule and we've just got to be on top of our assignments."
You mentioned throwing a lot of man coverage at you, especially without Christian. How much do you think he maybe affects how teams prepare in that way?
"In year's past there's usually been defensive schemes where they usually have to double Christian, have a guy play outside and a guy playing inside leverage and just double him. It's obviously tough because you want to get him the ball, but then you hit other guys like George and [WR] Deebo [Samuel] and [WR Brandon Aiyuk] B.A. and [WR Jauan Jennings] J.J. So that's been a thing, but at the same time, you never know. Going into each week it can be different and stuff. But that is the blessing of having really good players across the board and a guy like Christian in the backfield."
Is there more of an imposing guy to look across the line at as Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Vita Vea when you're taking a snap from center?
"He's definitely a guy that you've got to know where he is at every play, every snap. He's very disruptive and a strong guy. He's been like that for however long he has been playing. He's always a problem. We've faced him multiple times and he's had his moments. So for us it's like, how can we be smart both in the pass game, run game, knowing where he's at and understand that he can change a game at any moment."
