Brian Flores – October 9, 2020
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Friday, October 9, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(Do you have anyone going on IR, and do you intend to have T Julién Davenport play left tackle in place of T Austin Jackson on Sunday?) – “We’re placing Austin on IR – Austin Jackson on IR. So he’ll be out. The other move was we’re bumping up Salvon Ahmed (to the active roster). What was your other question?”
(If you’re going with T Julién Davenport at left tackle on Sunday.) – “He’s definitely in the mix, I would say that. We practiced a few different combinations throughout the course of the week. I’ve got to watch today’s practice film before I make that determination, but Julién played well last week and he’s certainly in the mix.”
(Is T Austin Jackson a situation where he’s done for the season or do you foresee him coming back?) – “This is a tough kid. He’s a hard-working kid. I don’t like to put timetables on injures. Obviously you guys know with the IR rules changing this year, we can bring a player back as early as three weeks. Again, I don’t want to put a timetable on this one, so we’ll see.”
(But you foresee T Austin Jackson coming back?) – “Again, injures are – they’re tough to sit here and say, ‘it’s going to be this, it’s going to be that, it’s going to be six weeks, it’s going to be 12 weeks.’ Let’s just kind of take it one day at a time. That’s always my approach instead of trying to predict the future here, obviously in this climate. He’s a hard-working kid and hopefully – I think he’ll do everything he can to get back as quickly as he can.”
(Does having him out at least three weeks change maybe how you go about replacing him compared to maybe if it was just one week?) – “Yeah. I would say you’re looking for a long-term replacement, but we’ve got to get those conversations turned into, ‘hey, well what if so-and-so goes down?’ What are we doing then? I think we tried to work a few different combinations with that in mind this week. So we’re confident in Julién. We’re confident in Jesse Davis. We’re confident in Robert Hunt. We’re confident in (Michael) Deiter and really everyone in that o-line room. (Adam) Pankey as well. So again, we’ve worked a few, a number of different combinations this week and we’ll put out the best five or the group that we think is our best five offensive linemen.”
(Is there anyone else that you expect to be out or doubtful for Sunday?) – “Yes. Shaq Lawson, he’s going to be out. Durham Smythe is going to be out. No one else doubtful there. Jakeem (Grant) will be listed as questionable. He’s out with an illness today, not COVID-related.”
(Just if 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo is able to go on Sunday – I know you’ve talked about your history with him – what are some of his character traits that have led him to his success and how difficult is he to defend?) – “I expect Jimmy (Garoppolo) to play. He’s tough. He’s a competitive guy. If he’s close, I think he’s going to be out there. It sounds like he’s close. I expect him to play, but we’re preparing for all three quarterbacks. Jimmy – look, he’s tough. He’s competitive. He’s got a quick release. He’s got some mobility, athletic ability to step up, slide in the pocket, pick up yardage with his feet if he needs to. He’s accurate throwing the football and he’s got good leadership. I think those are the qualities you’re looking for in really any position, but especially the quarterback position. And it’s not just Jimmy. They’ve got a lot of talented players offensively from Deebo Samuel to obviously George Kittle to (Raheem) Mostert – he’s closing in on coming back also. The same thing defensively. They’ve got really good players over there as well, so it’ll be a tough test. We’ve got a long flight this afternoon and we’ll try to get acclimated to the time change and hopefully go out there and play a good competitive team football game and try to come out of there with a win.”
Nik Needham – October 9, 2020
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Friday, October 9, 2020
CB Nik Needham
(There have been two games where you played on defense and two games where you haven’t played on defense. What do you think is contributing to that? Is that game plan or do you think it’s your practice performance? What’s going on there?) – “To me, I think it’s game plan specific. I just come in every week and try to do what the coaches ask me to do, and if they don’t need me out there, that’s fine. I’m going to sit and support my teammates and just play my role.”
(What does the secondary have to do right now? You’re giving up opposing quarterback ratings of like 108. What does the unit have to do to tighten up?) – “We all have to be on the same page and execute. That’s what it comes down to. There has been some lack of communication out there. We’ve been working hard at that week in and week out. I think if we come out, communicate well and execute, we’ll be fine.”
(You were primarily on the boundary last year and adjusting to the slot this year. Have you split time in practice between both this week, or has it still been primarily in the slot?) – “I’ve been getting a little corner reps as well; but I’m just moving wherever they need me. I’m always ready. I’ve just been trying to stick to that.”
(San Francisco has a bunch of strong yards after catch guys. WR Brandon Aiyuk had that crazy play against Philly. How do you go about defending receivers like that?) – “Just swarming to the ball, that’s the key thing. Even if one guy missed, if we have 11 hats to the ball, that really won’t matter at all. Just finishing our tackling and coming with violent effort, that’s really what matters and how you contain a YAC-type of receiver.”
(I wanted to ask you about the return of CB Bryon Jones. There is an expectation that he’s going to play this week. What do you think he can do to help the secondary?) – “Like you said, he’s a veteran. He has great experience. He knows exactly what receivers are trying to do. He’s a very smart guy. He’s deep in the play book and I think he’s ready, physically ready, and he communicates well as well.”
Zach Sieler – October 9, 2020
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Friday, October 9, 2020
DT Zach Sieler
(Head Coach Brian Flores just talked about DE Shaq Lawson not playing in this game. Do you look at this as an elevated opportunity to sort of prove what you can do as an NFL starter?) – “With Shaq and his situation, I think it just – me as an individual and as a team, we’ve got to step up and help fill that role. He’s obviously a great player for us. No matter what, we’ve got to show what we can do, we can do.”
(I wanted to ask you about the 49ers’ running game. They’re really well known with Head Coach Kyle Shanahan for that wide stretch zone. I just wanted to get your take on some of the ways to best kind of defend that powerful running game that they have?) – “Yeah, obviously they motion a lot and guys are moving around. Ultimately, I think the key to us stopping the run game would be everyone on the defense reading their keys, striking their man and doing their job, and not trying to do too much.”
(Just kind of piggybacking on that, you talked about all of the motion they run. They do a lot with their receivers as well. When you guys have contain assignments or edge assignments, how does that change maybe your keys and what you’re taught to do this week against a team like that?) – “I think really it’s just all there to mess with your keys, obviously; but at the end of the day, you’ve got to know your responsibility and don’t let that mess with your eyes or mess with your vision, and just stay on your man.”
Matt Breida – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
RB Matt Breida
(I’m going to start off with the obvious question. How would you describe your level of excitement at facing your former team this weekend?) – “It’s cool going back playing against my former team. I’m not going to treat the week any different, though. It’s still like any other week.”
(At the beginning of the week, did you text any of your teammates or has your phone been silent on that end?) – “No, I talk to those guys almost every week, on a weekly basis, because we’re still close. But no, not about the game. Nothing like that. Like I said, I don’t think any of us are going to treat it any different. It’s still a normal week.”
(When San Francisco was kind of loading up on all those backs with RB Raheem Mostert and RB Jerick McKinnon and a bunch of other guys, what were your thoughts initially and then I guess what were your thoughts after you were traded to kind of have an opportunity here in Miami?) – “It was fun to play with all those guys. You need depth at running back. It’s one of those positions where injuries do happen. I was excited to play with all those guys. We had a good year last year, and then as far as the trade goes; when I got traded here, I was excited to be part of this organization. Not to say nothing bad about the Niners – they’re a great organization, too, but I always like new challenges and that’s how I looked at it.”
(From a production standpoint, you had the big screen pass this past week and another I think 12-yard gain or so later in the game against the Seahawks. Were you happy to get the ball more and kind of show not just us, but everyone, what you’re capable of in terms of explosiveness and spin moves and all that?) – “I think everyone knows what I can do. I’m happy just to whatever – like I said before time and time again – whatever my role is, I’m going to do. I’m going to be happy no matter what. I’m very fortunate and very lucky to play in the NFL, so I’m not a ball guy. I’m not someone who’s selfish. I just want to win at the end of the day, so whatever we’ve got to do to win, that’s my goal.”
(A handful of us are flying out to Northern California tomorrow – some of the guys on this Zoom call here – what did you like about Northern California? What’s something that you say, you know what, I enjoyed that?) – “I love the weather. The weather’s perfect every day. It’s probably one of the best things. Everything else, I don’t know. Taxes are high. Cost of living is high, so I don’t know. But yeah, the weather was nice. The people were really cool there and like I said, the 49ers are a great organization.”
(Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer and Head Coach Brian Flores and a bunch of guys on the defense, are they kind of asking you for some insight on these formations and gadget plays and pre-snap things that they’re going to have to be looking at on Sunday?) – “I feel like the coaches here, they do a great job of breaking down the film and going over what we need to learn and stuff. If they ask me for insight, then I’ll give it to them; but I think the coaching staff and all of our guys that don’t get recognized, our video crew, they do a great job breaking it down for us. I think they’ve got that well-handled.”
(What are some of your best memories of the Super Bowl run last year?) – “Just how close we were as a team. All of us are brothers. Like I said, I still talk to pretty much all those guys if not a weekly basis, definitely on like a monthly basis. We try to stay in touch where once you do something like that and go to a Super Bowl, you’re bonded forever from that. It was just a great experience last year being able to do that this early in my career.”
(Before we’ve had you on, you mentioned some of the similarities you’ve seen between this team and the early Niners teams that you were a part of. I just wanted to get an update from you on where you think that is in Week 5 for the Dolphins.) – “As far as team chemistry or…?”
(Just the similarities between the two teams that you’ve seen.) – “Definitely I would say very similar in the fact of guys who love to compete. The same thing goes back as far as I was talking about how close the team is. We don’t have a lot of egos on this team. It reminds me of going in – like I said – going into my rookie year and my second year, we had a lot of young guys that are playing right now and it’s a process. I understand everyone wants us to be winning right now and we’re right there. We’ve been in every single game that we’ve played in. We could easily be 4-0 right now instead of 1-3, but the fact is we’re 1-3, so we’ve just got to learn how to finish as a team and I think we’re on the right track and we’re very close to putting it together pretty soon.”
(How much have you been able to follow what your former, not only 49ers teammate, but college teammate, 49ers RB Jerick McKinnon, has been able to do and how remarkable it is?) – “Oh, me and him talk every day. I’ve been telling people this, though, since he hasn’t been playing and got hurt. I said, ‘he’s going to succeed no matter what.’ The dude works his tail off. I looked up to him when I came into college and we played together, and he’s proven a lot of people wrong still to this day that think that he’s going to come back and he’s going to be the same back. I’m pretty sure he’s still doing the same stuff he was doing before he was hurt, so I’m very happy for him and what he’s doing right now.”
(Obviously the 49ers gave you an opportunity as an undrafted free agent. How do you sort of process the emotions of the gratefulness that you have for that, and then also the fact that they traded you?) – “I’m very grateful. I don’t think the trade was like they didn’t want me anymore. The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and you can’t get your emotions too caught up in the business side of the NFL because at the end of the day, it’s a job. We’re getting paid to do this; and just like me, just like them, you’ve always got to make the best decisions no matter what the circumstances are. I feel like that’s what they did. I’m in a great position now. I don’t look back. I’m always thankful for them because that was my first team. They did give me an opportunity, but I’m also grateful that the Dolphins are giving me another opportunity to allow me to keep playing this game.”
(I know you’re going to try to approach this as just another game, but have you envisioned what it may be like to kind of warm up pregame, kind of be in the stadium again? What do you kind of envision Sunday’s game being like for you?) – “It’s just going to be fun, finally getting to play against those guys that I played with the last three years, finally in a real live game. Probably a lot of smack talking with them on the field, but at the end of the day, it’s a game. We’re all brothers, so I’m looking forward to it and like I said, I’m not treating the week any different as if we played Seattle last week. It’s going to be the same preparation, same thing. I’m not going to go out there and do anything extraordinary that I don’t do. I’m just going to do what I’ve got to do.”
Robert Hunt – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
G/T Robert Hunt
(I’ve noticed that in the first few games, you’ve gotten a few snaps where they put you in as an extra offensive tackle or tight end, and touchdowns are scored because it’s near the goal line. Can you just kind of describe the approach that you want to take when you get those snaps, especially knowing that right now you’re not starting?) – “Hello, everyone – first off. In my head, once I get that chance to go in and play, I’m going to try to take it serious. I prepare for it all week. We go over it, we prepare for it and mentally I prepare for it as well. Once I get in on the goal line, I try to give it my best. That’s my mentality on it.”
(I wanted to ask your comfort in playing left tackle versus right tackle, and also I know G Solomon Kindley has a great nickname – the “Big Fish” – I was wondering if you had a good nickname we didn’t know about yet.) – “(laughter) Nah, I don’t really have a nickname yet. My nickname that everybody calls me back home, yeah, but other than that, I haven’t gotten one of those “Big Fish” or “Big Cat” or anything like that yet. As far as left tackle, right tackle, guard or anywhere; I train, we all train multiple positions, and we all try to prepare for it just in case anything happens. I’m definitely working my way wherever I can and wherever the coach needs me to play.”
(I wanted to ask – you were just asked about G Solomon Kindley and T Austin Jackson – but what’s it been like as a rookie class when you come into the NFL? Usually that group has a special bond because they got here together. What’s it been like cheering them on and seeing them these first few weeks and knowing that you might get an opportunity here coming up?) – “It’s been exciting. I’m very happy for those guys. I’m very happy for all the guys because I think the o-line is playing well. We have been playing well, so I’m excited for all those guys. We do have a really close relationship. So we text, we talk, all that kind of stuff. We’re here together all day and things like that; but to see them play and go out and execute, and they’ve been playing really well, is really exciting.
(I see you’ve been lining up as the tackle eligible – the sixth o-lineman – so obviously there are things you can do from that package. What are your hands like if they call a play?) – “If they did call that play, I think I’d do well with it. I think I’ve got really, really good hands. I used to call myself a little Randy Moss back in the day; but I don’t want to put that out there and then if I end up getting that chance and I drop it. Then everybody will be like, ‘aw, man.’ (laughter) I won’t say too much about that.”
(I wanted to stay on that topic of that heavy package with the six offensive linemen there. Is that something you’ve done before in the past in college and if not, what can you learn from that package and kind of playing that extra man on the offensive line that maybe you previously didn’t know before the season?) – “No, this is first time actually playing the heavy tight end position. It’s pretty much the same as like a tackle or a guard. It’s the same deal. Same schemes. Everything pretty much ties in together, so it wasn’t a hard position to learn. It’s just like playing o-line, pretty much.”
(Have you been playing guard this week or tackle this week in practice?) – “I’ve been playing mostly tackle; but like I said, we cross-train everywhere so I’ve been playing wherever they need me play, wherever the coach needs me to play, and get in and fit in.”
(Obviously it’s unknown if T Austin Jackson is going to be available or not, but if you do play this week what will the party be like in Wiergate, Texas?) – “It’d probably be a big one. If so, if that were to happen, it’d probably be a big one.”
(Two-part question for you. One, going back to the whole rookie class part – seeing T Austin Jackson and G Solomon Kindley in there, I’m sure you’re very happy as you mentioned for their success, but does that put any added pressure on yourself to get in there in anyway? And secondly regarding your hands, do you have a touchdown dance?) – “I have to (get a) touchdown first. No, not yet. I think I’m a good dancer so whenever it happens, I’ll bring it out. We’ll all see it together, so it’ll be a debut-type thing. (laughter) And pressure-wise, I would say no. I don’t think there’s any more pressure on me. Once I get my chance – like I keep saying – once I get my chance or my opportunity, whenever the coaches need me and think I’m ready; whenever that time comes, I think I’ll be ready and I don’t want to play with pressure, so I think I’ll be fine.”
(A lot of Dolphins fans might not still know your story. Can you just talk about the significance of where you’ve come from and the fact that you’ve been in an NFL game now? You’re not only on an NFL roster but you’re an NFL draft pick and potentially could start some games down the stretch here.) – “It’s a blessing. A lot of people may not have seen my story or may have. It’s a blessing. To come from where I’m from, I don’t take it lightly. This is something that kids dream of coming from where I come from, and for me to be in this position, for them to see me and give them hope, it just means a lot to me.”
(What’s something that Offensive Line Coach Steve Marshall is constantly stressing?) – “Just the basics. Pad level, hands inside. Stuff like that. The o-line ritual, I would say, so we’re all pretty much doing the same thing. Hands inside, pad level, play fast, play physical. He tries to preach play style, so he wants us all to play fast, physical and strain after the play a little bit.”
(You talked a little bit about where you came from, but I do recall when you first got here you Tweeted out about the wildlife here in South Florida. I’m curious if you’ve gotten any more acclimated to seeing the lizards and iguanas out there and have you see any alligators or anything like that?) – “Alligators, I’m used to because I was in Louisiana for five years and plus there are some in Burkeville, too and around that area. It kind of calmed down with the big iguana things. It was kind of cool. I haven’t seen any. I’m used to the little lizards now. I hate – that’s like my biggest fear – the little lizards. I’m really afraid of those; but I’m kind of used to them now seeing them. I don’t really run from them. I just look at them; but I did see for the first time in maybe like a month or two – maybe a month and a half – I saw a huge iguana. Like the biggest one I’ve seen yet. I was in the car, so I wasn’t afraid, but it was huge.”
Kamu Grugier-Hill – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
(I’m wondering how much you were hoping that QB Jimmy Garoppolo is lining up on the other side so you can have a little EIU reunion?) – “I know. We’ve been waiting for this day for a while. I’m kind of bummed that he’s going to be questionable. We’ve got a little group chat back home with our boys kind of messing with each other. We’ll see. Hopefully he plays. It will be fun.”
(When we were watching the game the other night as spectators, we probably saw the leap by WR Brandon Aiyuk one way. And I’m wondering if you as a linebacker, saw it from a whole different perspective?) – “Nah. That was a crazy play. That guy is explosive and a good player. We’ve got our hands full for sure this weekend, but I think we’re going to do a good job.”
(What’s been better about the run defense the last couple of weeks?) – “I think we’ve been feeling more comfortable just with the scheme and the game plan and just with each other. Most importantly, we’re learning how to play off of each other. The d-line and linebackers are playing more in sync. There is always room to get better, so we’re trying to do that. I definitely think every week we’re progressing.”
(Some of your stats against the pass are a little bit better than some of your other teammates. What is it about that part of the game that makes it where you’ve excelled at so far this season –defending the pass really well.) – ”I think for me, that’s a part of the game that I really pride myself on. Especially with my role right now, it’s kind of the coverage guy and coverage downs. For me, it’s just trying to be out there and whoever I’m on, whether it be a tight end or a back or just in zone coverage, that I dominate that phase.”
(You said the word dominate and you said the word tight end, and I can only think of TE George Kittle. What are your thoughts on possibly going up against him and the kind of guy he is as a player on the field?) – “His film speaks for itself. He’s not a Pro Bowler or All Pro for no reason. I think he’s one of the tight ends that can do everything exceptionally well – whether it be blocking, pass, routes – so I’m excited to play against a talent like that. If we get a couple of reps against him in the game, that will be great.”
(This 49ers offense you’re going to see on Sunday uses more motion than you’re going to see from any offense in the NFL. I’m curious, as a linebacker, how do you evaluate what you see and react to it in real time and not take the cheese?) – “They do a really good job at that. Like you said, they’re one of the best teams that do that in the entire league, and their head coach comes from a background like that. He’s been doing really well with that over the last few years. I think for us, it’s just making the game a little simpler, knowing that whatever they are motioning too is to see what the actual formation is after that. They are lining up in one and getting to another formation; but at the end of the day the snap is going to be similar formations. Just slowing the game down a little bit.”
Julien Davenport – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
T Julien Davenport
(With the way practice has gone this week, if T Austin Jackson is unable to play, do you expect to be the starting left tackle on Sunday?) – “No clue, really. We’ve got a lot of guys playing multiple positions and getting reps at multiple positions. So we’ll see what the game plan is as the week goes on, as the coaches talk about it and see what they feel is best.”
(What do you think the benefit is of this past Sunday, that you were able to get in there for a couple of snaps. Your history with the team of having snaps – it’s nothing new to you like a rookie. You’ve been there before?. – “It’s definitely a benefit that I’ve got games under my belt. It’s definitely not like my first time stepping on a football field. That definitely helps; but just being ready when your name is called, that’s all I can do is be ready whenever that time approaches.”
(I wanted to ask you about T Robert Hunt. What have you learned about him in the few months you guys have been together and how has he progressed as a player?) – “He’s definitely progressed a lot. We all have (progressed) as an offensive line, holding each other accountable and making sure that everybody is maximizing their efforts to improve their game. I’ve always been talking to Rob, all the young guys – Austin (Jackson), Solomon (Kindley) – making sure that they do the little things to make sure their technique is as good as it can be and that their game is as good as it can be. He’s been on a steady progress going up and up, and I like the way that he is developing.”
(Where do you feel your game is compared to when you joined the Dolphins last September or whenever it was?) – “Definitely a lot better. I feel a lot more confident in my technique, my sets, my pad level. It’s a big emphasis for me. I worked real hard on things like that in the offseason. I’m still not perfect. I’m still working to improve on all of those little aspects and then some.”
(How did the leg injury you had last year – how do you think that affected your play and now that I’m presuming you’re 100 percent, how did that help you take a step in your game being healthy?) – “Injuries are a part of the game. You can’t use the leg as an excuse or anything. It is what it is. I worked my ass off to get that strength back in my leg and get it as good as it can be, and it’s been feeling good all year. I haven’t had any problems luckily so far with it. I’m just continuing to work and make sure this bad boy stays good. I make sure I’m focused on it, make sure everything is stretched around it and taking care of. I’m making sure everything is all good. The wheel is all good.”
(How would you assess how your appearance against Seattle went and was there one thing you were particularly happy with?) – “I thought it was ok. It definitely can always be better. One thing I guess you could say is I wish I didn’t let a defender get past me on the inside. I wish I had a better run block. I could say that about a lot of things. I felt like I did ok, but I’m still looking to improve.”
Brian Flores – October 8, 2020
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(I wanted to ask you about TE Durham Smythe and WR Isaiah Ford. With Isaiah, we know how smart he is, how well he knows the offense, how prepared he is. What skill would you say – what physical skill – has allowed him to get a more prominent role this year and allowed him to develop as well as he has from a guy who’s bouncing back and forth to now a guy who gets a lot of snaps? And with Durham, just curious how the knee injury happened and if you think he’s going to miss extended time.) – “Isaiah – like you said – he’s smart. He knows multiple positions. He’s where he’s supposed to be really a majority of the time. He’s dependable, he’s accountable, and he’s gotten open and made some plays in some critical situations, so I think he’s earned playing time for sure. I think that would be the kind of key term. He’s earned the playing time. We’re not giving it to anybody. As far as Durham, again, you saw him on the injury report yesterday. He’s working hard to get back. He’s already made a significant amount of improvement over these last three or four days, so we’ll just take it day by day. I don’t want to put a time table on it, but he’s definitely working to get back. This could be – hopefully as soon as possible.”
(How optimistic are you that the NFL is going to be able to get through its season?) – “I think if we continue to follow the protocols and everyone is responsible obviously inside the building, but outside the building as well. It’s really a lot of the same things we’ve been saying and really everyone across the league has been saying since we started training camp. We’ve got to make smart decisions; and if we do that collectively as a league, then yeah, I’m very optimistic. It’s going to be a challenge, though. This isn’t – like I’ve said multiple times – you can do everything right and still contract the virus. It’s airborne. So again, you put your mask down for a split second to drink some water – which you kind of need to do, especially in this environment – and you kind of expose yourself. Look, you could do everything. You can’t not drink water. You can’t not eat. You can’t cover your face at all times; but you’ve got to try to be as responsible as you can be. I think our players have done that. I know we’ve tried to create an environment that’s as safe as possible where we’re on top of these guys about masks and wearing them and trying to be smart outside of the building as well as inside the building. So I think if we do those things collectively as a league – I know I’ve talked to many coaches and we’re all pretty much saying the same thing. But again, this virus is – you can do everything right and still get coronavirus.”
(Question for you and I’ve asked you this question multiple times and you’ve never ever clarified it for me. What exactly do you call the position that S Eric Rowe plays that basically the tight end coverage guy? Does it have a name? Is it a rover? And what makes Eric suited for that role?) – “I think I have clarified this for you. I think it depends on the call where if I call this, the linebacker’s got him. If I call this, the strong safety’s got him. If I call this, maybe a corner’s got him. So as far as clarifying what Eric Rowe – he plays multiple positions. He’s very versatile. So on one snap he can play linebacker and on another snap, he can play strong safety and on another snap, he can play corner. So I hope that answers your question.”
(So it doesn’t have a name? You don’t call it a rover?) – “No, I don’t call it a rover; but maybe in someone else’s defense they do call it a rover. But I don’t. I think on one snap, you’re the strong safety, on another snap you’re a backer, on another snap – I mean you can call it a rover. Feel free. (laughter) You’re not going to force me to call it a rover.”
(Okay. So you don’t call it anything?) – “I call it a linebacker, I call it a safety and I call it a corner. And the calls dictate who has who.”
(We ask you a lot about the rookie offensive linemen and there’s been some big strides made from this point last year as far as sacks allowed in pass protection. I wanted to ask you because back in training camp we would see G Ereck Flowers come out with his bands and his harnesses and work the young guys after practice. Just want to ask you in your estimation, what has Ereck Flowers meant both from a production standpoint and a leadership standpoint getting those young guys brought along?) – “I think he’s played well through the first four games of the season. He’s brought leadership since really he’s been here. He loves to play. I notice his energy on the field really every week. You guys probably don’t see that, but if there’s a big catch or there’s a big run, he’s really the first guy down there celebrating with his teammates and I think that energy is infectious and it’s something I’ve highlighted in team meetings already. I expect him to continue playing the way he’s playing and giving us the leadership that he’s giving us and helping those young offensive linemen get acclimated to playing in the National Football League. Just kind of bringing overall leadership and good play to our team.”
(Just kind of going back on the corona question. When you see what kind of happens in Tennessee with all those tests – I think they just came back with two positives again this morning – what kind of emotions does that elicit in you guys and maybe the locker room?) – “To me, it’s more about their safety – the safety of those guys who are popping positive for COVID. You just hope that they’re safe, that they’re healthy, that they’re – I know they’re getting great treatment and all the services they need, but as far as just their overall health. that’s kind of where I go first. As far as football and whether games will be played or postponed, I mean whatever happens, happens. We really don’t have any control over that. The only things we can control are how we prepare, how we practice, how we go about adhering to the protocols. Do you start to think about, ‘okay, if we start canceling more games or postponing more games, what’s that going to look like for the rest of the season?’ Yeah, but I try not to look that far down the road. I think the league will handle those things, and if we end up being affected, then so be it. We’ll just try to keep doing what we’re doing, prepare and try to create as many opportunities to go out there and play as possible. That’s what I’m hoping for. I love coaching. The players love playing, so we’re going to try to do everything we can to create a situation where we can play an entire season.”
(I wanted to ask you about update on T Austin Jackson and DE Shaq Lawson. How is Lawson’s illness and if Jackson might do anything today?) – “Well Shaq, just so everybody is clear on this, it wasn’t COVID related. Just a bug. He’s feeling a lot better. He should be out there today. Austin, I don’t expect to see him today; but he’s definitely made some progress this week. We’ll see where that goes here. Maybe tomorrow. We’re getting other guys ready. We’re getting other guys ready.”
(I wanted to ask you about the run defense. The yards per carry allowed I think has come down the last few weeks. We’ve seen improvement but it probably still isn’t where you want it to be. How would you assess the status of your run defense? If there is one thing that’s improved, what is it?) – “It could always be better, but I think there is better communication. I think there is better overall technique. It’s been better, but I think it can be better than it has been. The improvement is because the players are putting more time into it and worked at it. There has been some improvement. We’ve got a great challenge in the run game this week again Kyle (Shanahan)’s run offense. (They have) good backs, a good offensive line, tight ends who block and then just schematically, these guys do a good job creating angles and putting themselves in good position to rattle off big runs. This will be a big, big challenge for us.”
(CB Nik Needham’s defensive snap count has been very unusual in that he’s gone from 0 to 40 to 0 to like 40 again. Is this strictly game plan related or does it speak to some issues with consistency in his practice work?) – “I’d say it probably game plan related. Again, it’s week to week, like we’ve talked about here several times before. Nik is a second-year player. He’s made a lot of strides. I think as we move forward, he’s improving and I would expect to see him out there a little bit more consistently, to be honest with you. I think he’s kind of earned that. But at the same time, he has to be productive when he gets out on the field. I know it’s kind of been up and down, but I think it’s game plan related. It will continue to be that way. I think he’s definitely making some improvement.”
(I know we’ve talked to you a lot about RB Myles Gaskin and how he got his role. We’ve talked about his hard work and what he did to get here. It seems rare to me for a guy to go from his role and what he was doing last year, at least early on, to being this guy now. I wanted to see if you could paint a picture of how he’s develop in that Year 1 to Year 2 jump to make him as prevalent in your offense as he is now?) – “I think you saw a lot of improvement a year ago. From training camp, to being inactive let’s call it the first half of last season. You could see even when he was inactive, he was in here on his off days training. He and Patrick Laird were training on their own. I’d walk into the bubble and they’d be off in the corner with bands and just trying to get better. He’s spent a lot of time with (Running Backs Coach) Eric (Studesville). I think Eric has done a good job with him as far as getting the mental side of the game down. He took this past offseason and really trained and got his body fit for an NFL season after having been through one. He felt like he needed to make some changes and he made them. Then he comes to training camp and he was very consistent throughout training camp. I’d say that’s the history behind it. All of those things happened. I think that’s happened with a lot of different players. Ultimately, if you get in the game and you’re productive, you get more opportunities, which has been the case for him.”
(For Head Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, are you dusting off old notes that you may have in the past of preparing for him? And how do you prepare for the steady diet of gadget plays and formations and movement before the snap and things like that?) – “You always go back into time and look at some things that you’ve done in the past. Kyle is very innovative. He’s always looking for something new to gain an edge offensively. Because every year is a new team, you’ve got different players, so you can’t just grab what you did a few years ago and recreate that. You have different players, so what worked or didn’t work in years past, you may want to do something totally different because the skillset is different. Kyle is the exact same way. He’s got different players so he’s going to play to the strengths of his players. Defensively, we’ve got to do the exact same thing. I think overall, there are some things that are – I don’t want to call them standard – but there are some things that are the core of his offense that he’s probably going to run some form or fashion. How he gets to it, your guess is as good as mine, because there are a lot of shifts, there are a lot of motions, there is a lot of missiles, let’s call it gadgetry to get to a formation. You really don’t know he’s getting to the old formation until you really look at it, hopefully on the tablet within the game. This is going to be a tough challenge from that standpoint. He’s a very good coordinator and we’re going to have to do a good job defensively with our technique, with our fundamentals and our communication.”
