DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ANTHONY CAMPANILE
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2025
(On what DEs Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker can do for a defense) “It definitely gives
you more options, obviously with their ability, their athleticism but I think it’s just more
they’ve been working so hard during the practices and that’s showing up in the games. And
I think when some of your best players are your hardest workers, that’s a real positive for
everybody overall in the defense but it definitely gives you more options in terms of
coverage.”
(On the challenges presented by the 49ers offense) “Yeah, a lot. They do a great job in the
run game, play action pass. Having played them in the past, I think they’re as good as
anybody when it comes to that and they do a really good job in the drop back game,
constant movement before the snap and just the motions, making sure everybody’s on the
same page, communication and getting lined up. So yeah, they present a lot of issues.”
(On WR/DB Travis Hunter has done on defense) “I think Travis, like I said last week, he gives
us another great athlete that’s got ball skills back there. I think he’s progressing, getting
better every week and I think he did a good job, some of the man-to-man coverage stuff last
week and some of the zone coverage. I thought he did a good job tackling as well. So, we’ve
gotten a bunch out of Travis and, like I said, looking forward to him progressing as we move
forward.”
(On 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s receiving ability) “Yeah, just if he was a receiver in
general, you’d say, this guy’s a really good receiver. And he is a great back, so I think he’s as
good as there is at that position in terms of catching the ball out of the backfield and
presenting issues in the pass game. Yeah, he’s special.”
(On why LB Devin Lloyd fits into the defensive scheme) “Yeah, I think Dev [LB Devin Lloyd] is
just a really physical guy and he’s blessed with a multiple skillset. I talked about that a little
bit in the summer and sometimes in the spring when we had talked about personnel and
defensive structure. He gives you the opportunity to do some different things on defense
because he can rush the passer, and he’s done a good job in pass coverage as well. I think
he’s playing really physical in the run game, so overall I just think he’s really doing a good
job for us and pleased with his effort and everything to this point.”
(On the challenges of a Kyle Shanahan offense) “A lot of what I just said before like the pre-
snap movement and they’re really well coached up front. That’s kind of a staple of all his
teams I feel like. I think the backs do a great job of running the ball one hole at a time and if
you leave a crease in there, they’re going to take it. But they’re well-trained and well
coached at the running back position, offensive line. I think one of the things that shows up
with those teams over the years is the tight ends and receivers block. They do the dirty work
and that’s usually the staple of any team that runs the ball well. They do a good job making
their play-action pass stuff look like the run game, as good as anybody.”
(On if the fumble forced by CB Tyson Campbell is what he wants to see from the defense)
“Yeah, that’s what we’re talking about all the time, and I think that just speaks to him as a
player and a person though. Bouncing back the next series and making a huge play for us
but constantly attacking the ball, believing that you’re going to create takeaways and the
work that he’s been doing in practice, showing up right there in the moment was huge for
him and I think huge for our team. That was great.”
(On the confidence he has in S Antonio Johnson) “Yeah, I think everybody here has
confidence in Antonio. Like I said last week we were talking about him, he’s a big athletic
guy with ball skills. He’s physical, he’ll tackle you and he loves football, so he’s in here
doing extra. He’s in here every morning studying and preparing. So, I’m just happy for him
that he was rewarded that way because he’s been doing the work so excited for him, but he
really is doing a good job.”
(On if it takes a few weeks to identify the strengths of the defense) “Yeah, I think I said this a
couple weeks ago you guys were asking something similar, it’s such a long season. Over the
course of the season, you kind of figure out who you are. You have a great idea and a plan of
what you want to be, but the players really can dictate that sometimes. Their abilities and
talents, trying to utilize them as best you can to put you in the best situation or be the best
defense you can be. You’re definitely growing and learning every week. Hey, we do this well,
we seem to really have a good feel for this, let’s kind of expand on this I think that’s
something that can help us. So, you’re definitely learning every week who you are.”
(On how he gauges the improvement of players who haven’t played in games) “Yeah, like
we watch everything. We watch the defensive scout reps as well, and then getting them
opportunities out there with our guys when the defense is going. So, I think [Defensive Line
Coach] Matt Edwards has done a great job of that, just kind of rolling guys into practice and
making sure they’re in competitive situations and we’re really keeping an eye on that, their
progression, to get them where we want them to be.”
(On the challenge of preparing for different quarterbacks this week) “Anytime that’s the
case, it certainly is a bit of a challenge but we’re definitely preparing for both guys and both
guys are good players. I’ve coached against both of the players in the past and have a ton of
respect for them and they both have a great skillset at the position, so both super smart
guys. But it definitely does. You’re kind of splitting a little bit of time watching both guys and
have to have a plan for both of them, for sure.”
(On if it is helpful having played the 49ers last season) “It’s definitely a resource. Like
anything, anytime you play a team, you’re always looking back at that and what you did
well, what you didn’t do well. I’m sure they’re doing the same. So yeah, it’s definitely a
resource.”
(On how he likes to motivate the defense) “I don’t know, I think it’s just knowing your guys
and then hopefully you’re just being yourself and if you find something that you think is a
great example of what you’re talking about and you feel like it’s something that will drive the
point home to the players, it doesn’t matter from where, it could be anything. And I think
sometimes it’s always good to get those messages from outside sources and things that’ll
resonate with guys because it’s stuff they see every day.”
(On what he credits the defensive success to so far) “The players, we have good players.
Honestly, that’s number one and we have guys that really care. They’re trying so hard to get
it right. They’re very honest with each other and they’re honest with me and that helps me
because I don’t think anything gets better without honesty. There’s no job or there’s no
relationship in the world that honesty can’t help you with. So that’s the number one thing,
for them to be able to be transparent with me and myself with them and with each other.
They’re kind of counting on each other, pouring into each other, every day and they’re all
selling out for each other, not on each other and I think that’s what I would attribute any of
the success to. To those guys, to the players.”
(On how he built trust so early with the players) “I just think we did a great job of building
the roster here and there was a lot of good people. Like we got good players, but we got
really good people. They’re good guys. Like if you can’t coach these guys, you shouldn’t
coach. They’re really easy to coach because they work hard. There’s never any complaining
about like, ‘hey, this is really hard, this is,’ no, we try and practice physical every day.
Demand of them great attention to detail in the meetings and the walkthroughs and
everything. And if you have good veteran leadership like we have here, I think that’s much
easier to do and to me that’s player led.”
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR GRANT UDINSKI
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2025
(On the problems that the 49ers defense can present) “I think problems on all three levels.
The pass rush, you see those guys getting off the ball, then the linebackers, Warner [49ers
LB Fred Warner] obviously makes plays all over the field, sideline to sideline, pass game,
run game, shooting gaps, in coverage, tackling screens. Then at the third level, they
challenge guys in the back end, track the ball, ball skills. So, there’s a reason the defense
has put up the numbers they put up and perform the way they performed, really because of
the way they execute and the guys they have and the way they play.”
(On if the first quarter is a projection with the loss of a player like DE Nick Bosa) “A little bit
but at the same time, defenses are rotating guys, especially at the defensive line position,
so it’s not like there are no snaps from previous games where Bosa hasn’t been on the field.
So, you expect things to be a little bit similar, a little bit different in some regards, but it’s
not like losing a quarterback or something on offense where every single snap is a
complete overhaul of the offense. Certainly, his loss will be felt because he’s such a
phenomenal player, but you feel things out, but you’ve seen a little bit of how the defense
looks without him out there.”
(On the keys to getting the pass game in rhythm) “Yeah, a lot of that’s on us as coaches
putting together a plan first and foremost that gets guys touches, gets easy completions,
gets guys in space for run after the catch. So, getting those things from the beginning of the
game all the way throughout the third quarter, into the end of the game, creates that
progression for guys to settle in and then have success as the game goes on. So, it starts
with the plan, and then it’s the guys mastering the plan and going out and executing it,
really is the key to be able to get that thing to progress.”
(On how the coaches can help WR/DB Travis Hunter) “Absolutely, I would agree that we can
help him in a lot of ways, not just the mental load, in terms of lining up, shifts, motions,
what route he has, what his assignment is, what the different adjustments off those things
are, but also trying to help him with the technique and some of those development things,
learning to play the position and run different routes that he has run before by trying to
refine down and limit some of that and at the same time keep things really clean, black and
white when we’re able to. It’s not always going to be black and white for him. There are
different coverages, different looks, different challenges that the defense can pose. So, we
try to limit that as much as we can so that way he can get really good at the things that we
know he’s going to do, but at the same time give him the answers when those unknowns
and those variables show up that cause things to change. So, I think it starts with our plan
as coaches trying to refine it down for him, and then his preparation throughout the week
has been great and really embracing the game plan and trying to do extra, so he feels
comfortable and is able to play fast on Sunday.”
(On whether there is more of an emphasis on coaching against drops) “We’re always trying
to evaluate the things we need to improve on. So, we’ve adjusted some of the things that we
do in terms of ball skills, catching before practice, during practice, post-practice, and we’ll
continue to evolve with, whether it’s something we’re successful at or whether it’s
something we’re struggling with. We’re always looking for ways to try to improve our
processes and the way we practice, whether it’s new drills, new techniques, new
fundamentals, or just the way we teach certain things. So, we’ve certainly done that with
the drops and try to give guys different opportunities and different looks at catches,
different drills, all those things, but that’s really the same for any fundamental they see on
the field. It could be the same for blocking, could be the same for different route running,
for reads for the running backs. We’re always trying to look at how can we improve those
things that show up on Sunday?”
(On the balance between patience and taking shots when playing a team like the 49ers) “I
think hopefully we build a plan where you find those aggressive opportunities within the
plan, where you’re not going outside of the scheme and trying to force something that’s not
there. There are going to be extended plays and that’s awesome that Trevor [QB Trevor
Lawrence] can do that with his feet and all the guys can really do that by breaking tackles,
run after catch, all of those things create explosives that might not be within the scheme,
but we will be able to build the plan in a way where we have productive plays, efficient
plays and then when the explosive opportunities present themselves we can capitalize on
those.”
(On if scrambles from the QB, like the one on Sunday by QB Trevor Lawrence, can ignite the
offense) “Absolutely. I think the guys love to see that effort that he put out there first and
foremost, the demeanor and the attitude with which he ran the ball, but also the fact that
he took us from a play that might not have been a great play, maybe they had things
covered or things broke down and he can make something out of nothing. That’s an
advantage for us, whether it’s third down, first down, first quarter or fourth quarter.”
(On the value of WR Tim Patrick playing in multiple spots) “A ton of value. Not only can he
play a bunch of different spots, mentally able to handle the different receiver positions, can
line up inside, outside, but physically he can do a bunch of different things. You see him in
the run game finishing blocks, in the pass game, chipping and then getting out on routes,
great run after the catch that you guys saw on Sunday. So, he can get down the field, in-cut
out-cut, all those different things, provides a bunch of versatility for a guy in his position,
where really, like you said, he’s playing all those spots across the entire field.
(On if he hates hearing the term illegal shift) “It’s definitely up there, but at the same time,
we’re accountable for those mistakes, so we’re doing everything we can to address those,
but it’s certainly up there. I probably wouldn’t use the word hate, but it’s not my favorite,
that’s for sure.”
(On the cause of the illegal shifts) “Well, each one is a little bit different. They’re not all the
same mistake happening every single time. At the same time, we’ve got to address those
mistakes as coaches and try to put guys, just like we talked about with the Travis question,
in position where they can go out there, play fast, execute, line up without having to think
about those things and worry about some of those shifts and motions that have caused
those illegal shifts. Then the preparation from the guys and the coaches included
throughout the week to master the plan and understand those different things we do. So,
each one has been different. Some of them have been guys lining up and moving late.
Some of them guys have been lining up wrong. Some of them have been guys breaking the
huddle wrong. Some of them have been an adjustment that we don’t get communicated
correctly. So, it just takes one guy off to cause that issue. So, we have to all be on the same
page and really emphasize clear communication and execution.”
(On the importance of WR Parker Washington with WR Dyami Brown’s injury) “Parker’s
absolutely important to fill Dyami’s gap, but he would be important probably without Dyami
out there. I mean he’s made plays when he has had opportunities and I think the way he’s
worked and continues to progress, he’ll continue to have opportunities to make plays.”
