49ers HEAD COACH KYLE SHANAHAN
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
KYLE SHANAHAN: Injury report. Devonta Harris had a knee sprain. Never came back. That’s all I have now.
Q. It didn’t probably make the analytics community real happy with your decision there on the first drive. What were you thinking by not going for it?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Just how long of a drive it was, I thought it was closer to two years than one. They have a pretty good run defense there. When you go that long of a drive, if we would have came out with no points, I thought that would just have given them a lot of momentum and got them going. I wanted to go for it bad. It was hard not to.
Q. When you called time-out, was it a look that you saw that forced you to call a time-out? KYLE SHANAHAN: I thought I called a play more out of emotion, and the longer I got to think about it, I didn’t think it was the smartest decision. I wanted to take the points and make sure we got three out of it.
Q. Two weeks in a row we’ve seen the long drives. I don’t know if you are planning it that way. What are you doing in your team in terms of setting a physical following at the beginning of the game? KYLE SHANAHAN: I think it does a lot. It’s hard to go on the long drives. That’s why I wanted to score so bad at the end. We’ve been running the ball pretty consistently, but I think that had to do with third down also. When you don’t get a big play, but you are running it consistently and keep making the third downs, you expect to eventually get in, and I thought we did a real good job at that, but we didn’t get the third down inside the five.
Q. Did you feel like if you gave the Jaguars that opportunity to stop you, that the complete momentum changes?
KYLE SHANAHAN: For it to take the whole first quarter — it seemed like there was a minute left on the clock to take that whole quarter. If we would have come out without any points, I realized once I called the play, I called it because I wanted to, in terms of with your emotion and your heart, and sometimes you’ve got to use your brain too.
Q. Was there any one in your ear talking to you? Were you discussing (going for it)? KYLE SHANAHAN: Usually it’s crickets in those situations because I think everyone feels the same. You never know what’s the right answer until after it.
Q. This game had all the makings of a trap game with the short week and the cross-country and the early start. What does it say about your team that you put together the stretch you have the last seven days, especially after the Arizona (Cardinals) loss?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I mean, I get that’s what everyone expects. We didn’t expect that. I don’t feel like we’ve ever been that way. I think we’ve been good on the road and going to the East Coast. We knew how much
our backs were against the wall before that (Los Angeles) Rams game, and we also know that that meant nothing if we couldn’t win today. I get how it looks, but I don’t think it was very hard to get the guys’ attention and ready to play. We know how that felt when we were losing games. We know how much better it felt versus the Rams, and we didn’t want that to end today.
Q. Going back to what you just said. You don’t know the right answers until after, so you feel like that was the right answer?
KYLE SHANAHAN: It’s better than the wrong answer. (Laughing) The wrong answer is when you get zero points, so at least we were halfway there, and it would have been closer. I think I would have done it, but I wanted it to be a yard or inside a yard, and I think it was closer to two from what I saw.
Q. You said a lot of people were up in arms about Josh [Norman] after the Arizona game. You must have liked the way he was playing because it must have figured in your obvious decision to stick with him. How big is that? Turnovers haven’t come a lot for you, but he has been good and has consistently created plays?
KYLE SHANAHAN: He has done it his whole career, and everyone knows Josh has played at a high level. He had close to an MVP season when he was with (the) Carolina (Panthers) and stuff. He has been one of the better corners in this league for a while, and, yes, he is towards the end where it changes a little bit, but the guy still plays the same way. He is a physical guy who loves playing football. He gives it everything he has, and he is the best I’ve seen at going for the ball with the peanut punch and everything. He gets us in practice all the time. He has gotten everyone in the league for a long time. It’s cool when he gets the opportunities, and he is by the ball. He gets that ball out a very high percentage of the time, and I’m glad guys are running to it, and Fred [Warner] got it, right? I think, yeah. It was a huge momentum for us to get on that ball.
Q. After that did you talk with him or was, he just — he lost his cool. It was a mistake, and you moved on. Did you ever have a meeting with him?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I talked to him the next day about it. He knows what he did wrong on it. That was his first one here. I think that was the first one on our team, which we don’t want any, and that is a big deal, but I also wasn’t going to be over-dramatic and make an example of someone who had just done it for the first time.
Q. Was it your plan ahead of the game to make Deebo [Samuel] a running back of the game, or was that how the game evolved?
KYLE SHANAHAN: We planned on giving him some throughout the game. We usually do, and usually when things work, you come back to them, and we had a couple of different things with it and play actions that we got in the third quarter. I think one off it, but, I mean, when he runs the ball that well, it’s pretty impressive to have. I think he had almost 10 yards a carry and eight runs and, you know, as long as it was 24 — usually when a receiver has done that, it’s because they have one 70-yarder, and Deebo is extremely efficient. He got everything and more on those looks, and I think he had one real bad look that he protected the ball and got down.
Q. Then is when did you put [Trent] Williams eligible?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Almost. I was prepared if he scored for a penalty, which I warned him not to. (Laughing) It was close. He did a good job. I thought he got tugged a little bit. I know he did. He was calling for it. It just wasn’t there.
Q. What have you learned about your team since the last couple of weeks coming back after the Arizona game?
KYLE SHANAHAN: After that Arizona game, it was pretty low because we were embarrassed on how we looked. When we watched the tape, we saw a lot of stuff that we felt we could fix. It wasn’t as discouraging as it felt during that game, and I was happy with the guys that instead of getting discouraged, they kept it real and just watched the tape and saw the stuff that we could improve on, and I feel like credit to the guys and some of the coaches that they didn’t get down when it’s easy to get down. They just kept focusing on trying to get better and practicing and just trying to detail stuff up, and I think we’ve done a better job with that the last few weeks.
Q. Did you have a goal for number of carries for this game?
KYLE SHANAHAN: No, I never gave them a goal.
Q. Does it shock you that they had as many?
KYLE SHANAHAN: It does. That’s a real good run defense. They commit to the run really well. I know that first drive helped out a good amount, and I know it’s good on third down and helped out a lot too.
Q. Was part of Deebo being so active in the run game a support for Jeff Wilson [Jr.] just him coming back?
KYLE SHANAHAN: No, not really. It’s what we did last week too when Elijah [Mitchell] and Jeff were up, and I think we had four running backs up last week. He was just good at it. It causes problems for the defense too when there’s a receiver you don’t know where he is going to be.
Q. When you look at the games that Brandon Aiyuk has had the last few weeks. What does it say about him as a player and just how he has been able to get through the adversity?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I think it says more about him as a person as anything because we all know B.A. is a talented dude, but it takes a lot of stuff to be able to play in this league week in and week out, and he started out behind this year, and I know I rode him hard and his coach did, and a lot of us did, and I just thought it was impressive how being younger, being new to this league, and when things aren’t going your right way and people are putting pressure on you, not just outside, but inside, it a lot of guys tend to point the finger and feel sorry for themselves, and that’s what worries you, and you have to wait until the offseason to bring him back. He wasn’t like that. He kept working, kept trying to get better, and I know everyone has seen it the last couple of weeks, but you could see it happening in practice too. He didn’t always get the results and targets and stuff, but we don’t really plan that. I thought Deebo would get more targets today. It just comes out the way it does, and when you got Aiyuk out there playing like a true starting player, Deebo, [George] Kittle, I think it’s the first time we’ve had those three, three weeks in a row. I don’t know if it’s right, but it seems like since in two years almost. I don’t know if they’ve ever been out that many times week after week, so it’s been good. When they’re like that, they’re out there more consistently, I think we just get better as a whole with the quarterback. Everyone would be more consistent.
Q. I know it’s not a top goal of yours, but have you and Trent [Williams] talked about getting him a TD or a catch?
KYLE SHANAHAN: He has been talking to me about it since the day I met him. He has never had one, and he keeps telling me that, and he probably is as good of a tackle that you could ever have to run a route. It’s tough. It’s my first time really doing it, and it didn’t work, and when you report as eligible, you can’t go in the next play, so calling that is somewhat risky. That’s why Trent had to come out, and you don’t
ever want Trent to come out, but I told him, “You didn’t get open like he always promised me he would,” so he has to keep practicing that route.
Q. He came in, and he had to go out?
KYLE SHANAHAN: [Tom] Compton or Jaylon Moore, whichever one was not in at the time.
Q. You have used Deebo on a run or in a pass, but not so much in the backfield playing a true running back. Is his ability to do so just a function he has mastered everything else and now you can add that or is there another reason why with how the last two weeks have gone?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Deebo? I thought he did it last year. He didn’t get to play. He was in and out all of last year. They didn’t count it as carries because you catch the ball, and you toss it three inches to him, but he ran seven of those versus the Rams last year in the first game, and I think he ran four of them the second game, but they all count as passes. I mean, he has been running the ball here when we started to realize how good he was during the second half of his rookie year. We haven’t tossed him, so he gets more running stats, and he is continuing to get better at it, and so we’re continuing to do more.
Q. Emmanuel [Moseley] came out of the game late. Is he okay injury-wise?
KYLE SHANAHAN: He was all right. Yeah, he was a little shook up on that. We took him out to see if he was all right. He was fine. We just wanted to get Ambry [Thomas] some reps too.
Q. Is Trey Lance okay on his quarterback sneak?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I assume so. I haven’t asked him. Was he limping off or anything? Q. He was a little slow to get up.
Q. How did Jimmy Garoppolo play?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I thought he played well. I thought he was efficient and made the right plays. Protected the ball, most importantly. Did what he had to do for us to win. All right, guys. Thanks.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Going to be tough to top that.
Q. I think last week you made some sort of reference to the feeling after a long drive –. JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Eric was a fan of that one.
Q. This week’s drive was even longer. Do you sense that in the defense, especially as the game wears on, that something has happened here? What is it?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Yeah, you get a feel for it. I think it starts with their exhaustion because that many plays on the field in this humidity, it adds up on them. But I don’t know, this one felt different than last week. It was more of a grinder type drive. Last week was just running down their throat type of thing. This week was a little different. Like George [Kittle] was saying before, I wish we would have finished with a touchdown, but it is what it is.
Q. How bad did you want to get LT Trent Williams a touchdown?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Oh man, I told him I was like, ‘I was throwing it to you, whether you were triple- or quadruple-covered, whatever.’ So, I tried. It’s a tough one, though.
Q. [Head Coach] Kyle Shanahan said it’s the first time he has called that play and LT Trent Williams has been asking for it for a while.
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Oh yeah. Well, the catches he made in practice. He had a nice one-hander in practice. So, he can do it. We’ll save that one.
Q. Jimmy, this was kind of a trap game. Short week, cross-country, 10 a.m. Did you have to talk about that? Were you wary of this situation? And what does it say about the team that you had the kind of last seven days that you’ve had after that bad Arizona loss?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Yeah, it was definitely talked about. The time change, it’s tougher than people think just getting up in the morning earlier than you are used to, getting your mind going and everything, your body. It was tough, but I think guys responded well. There was some good energy in the locker room this morning and that’s always a good sign.
Q. What do you think of that, just the way this team has responded after a really bad loss against Arizona?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: I think it’s good. I think these past 14 days have –I don’t want to say changed our team, but it’s definitely– we’re moving in the right direction now, I’ll say. We just got to keep going. There’s a lot of football left to be played. Minnesota is going to be a good challenge for us this week coming up, and we got to get ready for them.
Q. There was good energy in the locker room. Is that something that you monitor or you are curious about in this exact kind of scenario?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: Sort of. I mean, we’ve had other East Coast trips where it’s just—I don’t want to call it dead— but it’s different in the locker room. Guys aren’t as excited and everything. But the mojo was going this morning. Guys were feeling it and feeling good. It’s always a good sign when that’s happening.
Q. Metaphorically speaking you guys were getting bullied during the first half of this season. JIMMY GAROPPOLO: I thought you meant today. I was like – (Laughing).
Q. The last two games you guys, I mean, 40-plus runs each time. You look at the stats, and you look at the game, it’s just like you’re manhandling two teams. I mean, you talk about offensive identity, but just does it feel like you have your swagger, like, okay, we’re the big bad 49ers again? JIMMY GAROPPOLO: I think it’s just guys are winning one-on-one matchups, and when you can do that consistently like we are and we’ve had – we’ve got good players on this team, obviously. I think that goes without saying. But when you can—all 11 across the board—be winning one-on-one matchups, it kind of sets the tone for everything. People playing man-to-man against us is tough. Up front our O-line, I mean, they’re doing as good of a job as I have ever seen. I love those guys, and they just battle every week. So, when you can do that stuff and set the tone in that way and then the defense just getting turnovers, doing what they do, it adds up on a team and it makes for a long day.
Q. What did you think when Coach Kyle Shanahan called you back and said let’s kick that field goal in the first drive?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: A little surprised, not going to lie. But I mean, that’s his decision. So, whatever he decides, we’re good with. I think we’ve shown that on fourth down we come through most of the time, so it’s just a feel thing. Whatever he’s feeling, I’m good with, and we’ll make it work.
Q. 10,000 career passing yards. Were you thinking about it? Did it cross your mind? Does it feel like you’ve had 10,000 career passing yards?
JIMMY GAROPPOLO: I honestly had no idea until you just said that. That’s pretty cool. Thank you. Yeah, I don’t know. That’s cool. I didn’t even know that. I don’t know what to say. Thanks, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers TE GEORGE KITTLE
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
GEORGE KITTLE: Howdy.
Q. How is it when the offense was out there for 22 plays?
GEORGE KITTLE: It’s awesome. I needed a break. I got two plays off there in the middle, so shout out to [49ers Assistant Head Coach/ Tight Ends Coach] Coach [Jon] Embree for taking me out for two. I mean it’s awesome. I didn’t even realize how long we were out there until I looked at the clock and there was a minute [and] 50 [seconds] left. That’s wild. We caught a couple of lucky breaks, got a couple of penalties that helped with some first downs, but then we took advantage of it. I wish we would have scored a touchdown, but getting points after a 22-play drive, that’s awesome. Like what Josh [Norman]said, I think that when you are defense and you’re on the field for 22 plays, that’s tough. It is. It’s tough, and then your offense goes three and out, you’re winded. That’s what we’re built for. Those long drives and the fact that we can stay on the field for those long drives means a lot about this team.
Q. Do you already sense the Jaguars defense getting tired or fatigued in the second drive? GEORGE KITTLE: If I’m tired, I know the defense is tired. I feel like I’m in good shape, and if I’m winded, I feel like everyone across from me is winded. D-line, they switch out every once in a while, but those linebackers, those DBs they’re in there every single play and they’re running across, trying to tackle, trying to come downhill, and we’re a physical team. When you’re a physical team going against… I think the Jaguars were very physical. I think they did a really good job. I really respect their linebackers, their edge guys. But when you are on the field that long, it’s tough to be a defense.
Q. What did you learn about this team in the back-to-back wins the past two weeks? GEORGE KITTLE: We’re not turning the ball over. We sat here after the Arizona game, you know, bearing the building type of stuff. Everyone is trying to solve these problems, and we literally said we’ve got to stop turning the ball over, we have to get a couple of turnovers on defense or special teams, and that’s all we’ve done the last two weeks. We’re not turning the ball over, [we’re] converting third downs, and we’re putting our best players in positions to make plays. They’re taking advantage of those opportunities and they’re making those plays. Deebo [Samuel]’s looking great. [49ers WR Brandon] Aiyuk looked great today. I thought our tight ends blocked our tails off and our o-line looked great, and I think [49ers QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] is still slicing and dicing. Our offense is clicking right now and [49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan]’s calling the right plays that he knows that we’re going to take advantage of.
Q. This is the kind of game that would be a trap game with a short week and going across the country. Do you guys have to kind of warn yourselves against that or talk about it?
GEORGE KITTLE: Yes and no. Is it a 10:00 a.m. game for us? Sure, but if you use that as an excuse in the NFL, you’re not going to win a lot of games. [49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] said it from the start. He’s like, “Hey, look, this is a physical team. They won two games in the last four.” I thought they were a
good team. We got an early turnover. I think that’s what it was. Kind of similar to last week, we just came out with our foot on the gas. I think we’re a really good offense when we don’t turn the ball over and convert third downs. That’s what good offense is and that’s all we’ve been doing the last two weeks is we’ve been playing complimentary ball. All three phases are playing at a high level. Like you go 22-play drive and then they go three and out and then you have another long drive for a touchdown. It hurts when you are a defensive team like that. We gave our defense plenty of break, and I think [49ers LB] Fred [Warner] owes me a little bit for all those plays he got off.
Q. How badly did you guys want T Trent Williams to score?
GEORGE KITTLE: Three questions, Jennifer? Jeez Louise. How badly did I want Trent [Williams] to score? I wanted him to be triple covered because I was on back side, and I was open. But [49ers QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] said he was going to throw it no matter what. I’ll just stand and block next time, I guess. It was awesome just the fact that we had it up for Trent. I hope we continue to try to get him a touchdown. He said it was the first time he has ever been eligible before in his entire 12-year career, so I thought that was really cool. I would love to get him a touchdown. I think we should put him on fullback on fullback dive.
Q. How much confidence do you see from QB Jimmy Garoppolo on the field right now? GEORGE KITTLE: I think a lot of the confidence comes from we’ve been having a lot of really good practices, and I think the guys that [49ers QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] is throwing the ball to and our run game, we’re making it easy on him. We’re not putting all the pressure in the world in him. We don’t want to throw the ball 40 times. We want to run the ball, going to run play actions and hit those big shots and move the chains consistently and have those long drives. Jimmy does a fantastic job of that. He gets us in the right play calls. When we have a bunch of options, like when he has to change the play at the line of scrimmage, he does a great job of that. He gets us on the right calls and allows our best players to take advantage of those plays, whether it’s a run or pass game. I think Jimmy’s confidence comes from when Jimmy throws me a ball and it’s contested and I catch a touchdown or when [49ers WR Brandon] Aiyuk is wide open in red zone, Deebo [Samuel] is running the ball at a high level, and our offense is blocking. That’s what gives Jimmy confidence and our team confidence, and when Jimmy is rolling, I think we’re rolling. He is a hell of a leader out there. He really inspires us to play our best ball.
Q. You prefer to be a run-heavy team, and in some ways you just kind of got an elite running back in WR Deebo Samuel back there. How big a deal is that to be able to throw him back there? GEORGE KITTLE: You can’t say enough about Deebo [Samuel]. He hasn’t blinked. He hasn’t hesitated at all. We’re running power with Deebo. I mean, that’s one of the positions [if they’re] like, “Hey, George, do you want to run the ball?” “Not really. There’s a lot of big guys in there that hit really hard and they land on you and it hurts.” The fact that Deebo does it without blinking, it’s awesome. When he has the mindset of him to run and to score every single time he touches the ball, it really sets the mindset for the entire team, and you just love that and you respect it. Especially we lost what I think is one of the best running backs in the league in Raheem [Mostert] the second play of the game, that changes our offense dramatically. I think Elijah [Mitchell] has done a great job of coming up, and the fact that he was hurt this game, like, we needed someone to step up, and I thought Jeff Wilson [Jr.]… I was really happy to see the steps forward that Trey Sermon took. As a rookie, it’s all about just confidence. He has to figure it out, and he had a couple of really good runs and, what was that, in the two-minute drill he had a nice catch. That gave us a field goal. That’s huge. I’m excited to see more things from Trey. When you put Deebo back there and you can be out there at 11 personnel, 21 personnel, 12 personnel and, oh, shoot, it’s Deebo Samuel at running back. You don’t really know what you are going to get, and that’s awesome.
Q. What was your perspective of the fourth down play where you were on the field and the time-out is called, and then K Robbie Gould trots out there after a 20-play drive?
GEORGE KITTLE: 22.
Q. Actually, it was 20.
GEORGE KITTLE: I had 22 pitches. Did you not count the penalties?
Q. Yeah, we don’t count the penalties.
GEORGE KITTLE: You guys are lame. Screw you guys. I’m not going to answer this question. I’m kidding. Let’s call it 22.
Q. It was a 22-point drive including those.
GEORGE KITTLE: Thank you. That counts. Thank you. Let’s just say the time.
Q. Was there some sense of not being fulfilled by not getting the touchdown out of the 22-play drive? GEORGE KITTLE: Yeah, 22 plays and not scoring a touchdown, it hurts a little bit. Like I said, I didn’t know how long we were out there until I sat down on the bench and looked up, and there was a minute [and] 50 [seconds] left on the clock, and I was, like, all right, we scored. It is what it is. We got points on the board. All I knew is that our defense was very well-rested. When you’re an offense and sit on the bench for 15 minutes, you come out a little rusty, not rusty, but you come out cold. I knew that our defense was going to take advantage of that when they go three and out, and then we we’re allowed to go out and had another long drive. I think we had the defense on its heels a little bit. Yeah, do I wish we would have scored a touchdown? For sure. But the fact that we got points out of it and our defense responded and held them, I loved all of it. Thanks, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers DL NICK BOSA
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Q. What’s it like for you this entire weekend to basically sit out for the entire first quarter? NICK BOSA: It was a little weird. We had, like, three plays in the first quarter, but we were kind of frustrated as a D-line. We were, like, we want to get a part of this game. (49ers assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp) Tapp told us this is how you win, and we were, like, all right.
Q. It took a lot of convincing.
NICK BOSA: We’ll take this any time.
Q. How do you feel the defense is playing ever since not-a-very-good game against Arizona? NICK BOSA: I think it’s been obviously a lot better. Starting fast, getting going, and taking advantage of our opportunities as with turnovers and as a D-line for sure, and guys behind us are covering really well.
Q. Is there any reason you can pinpoint for the difference? Is it just that game kind of slapped you guys in the head?
NICK BOSA: We’ve definitely had a lot of rough bounces turnovers-wise. We’ve been getting after the ball all year, and things like that when we get the ball on the ops we create, it kind of flips the momentum of the game. And those big plays that happen throughout the game, sometimes when they don’t go your way, it snowballs. You’ll have to ask (49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans) DeMeco on the exact reason because I just rush the passer, and I don’t look too much behind me. I know when we’re getting there, (and) it’s because they’re covering behind us.
Q. Your 10.0 sacks are a new career-high. Where are you individually just in terms of your development and maybe where you would like to be or where you are relative to where you would like to be as a player right now?
NICK BOSA: I think I’ve definitely improved a lot. I think I’m starting to get the hang of just how to really get sacks, get numbers. My rookie year I was just out there rushing, trying to win every time, and it worked well, but now I’m really getting the hang of how the sack leaders in the league do it. They go out there with a plan and know when their opportunities are going to come, and they’re ready for it. A game like this, I thought my ops were over, and then I get two. I’m just staying in the game and just playing mind games with the guys you’re going against.
Q. Before the season you were talking about being a little bit lighter, a little quicker. I mean, have you felt that play out over these first 10 games? Do you see that happening on the field? NICK BOSA: Yeah, I definitely feel like I’m moving better than I ever have, which, coming off an injury is great to be able to get to this point. It’s a credit to our training that we do back home and all the work that me and my brother (Chargers defensive lineman Joey Bosa) put in in the offseason, and it’s paying off.
Q. That second sack, I mean, as a pass rusher, do you know, I could get a cheapy here? NICK BOSA: Not on that one. I’ve never gotten one like that. We always watch them in the film room, and we’re, like, oh, man, that’s B.S. Come on. (Laughing) I don’t know. Did you tell me, Fred, that it was a sack? FRED WARNER: What’s that?
NICK BOSA: That it was a sack?
FRED WARNER: The one on the sideline, yeah. Right away, I’m like, that’s a sack! NICK BOSA: Yes. I thought I had late hit him because I was just running. I didn’t know where the sideline was, and it paid off.
Q. That was a B.S. sack?
NICK BOSA: Pretty much. I’ll take it. (Laughing)
Q. You say you felt like your ops were up. Explain that. Is that just the —
NICK BOSA: I just thought we were probably going to get taken out of the game that last drive where (49ers defensive lineman Arden Key) Arden got one. I was, like, all right, we have a big lead, (49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan) Kyle might pull us soon, but it’s the NFL and we’ve got to go end it, so all it takes is one drive. Got to be ready.
Q. Appreciate it, man.
NICK BOSA: Thanks.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers CB JOSH NORMAN
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Q. Josh, when you look at upcoming opponents, do you kind of look for those opportunities on film where you can do what you did today as far as creating that turnover?
JOSH NORMAN: Not really, honestly. You know, I kind of — my game kind of evolved it a bit, not just playing the outside role as just being a cornerback. I think you’ve got to put a little bit more into it. You got to be a trench monster, as we call it. You got to look for opportunities and ops. They’re out all over the field. I respond by using this and this and out-think the player, and if I get 60 ops a game, like, somebody going to be slipping, so for me I just look at it like I just go after the ball, but I don’t use it as much as I would do power. Just precision really. Just keying in. Somebody is going to come up slipping sooner or later.
Q. How long have you been working on your punch, and was there a point in your career where you felt like you perfected it?
JOSH NORMAN: Probably starts the end of last year. Probably towards the end of last year. I knew that. You know, as long as you’re playing this game, it never seems to — you keep learning. More and more comesto you. Just something that I had in my tool belt that I can just use at any given moment if a situation occurs, but it seems to be one of the strengths now. It’s kind of cool how you can see it from the time that you play in this league in the first (year) beginning as a rookie, third year, fourth year, just going for interceptions and now it’s towards the back end, like, there’s 10th, ninth year, you looking at it from a forcing fumble machine. For me, I just thank God for allowing me to be as durable as I have this long and just keep making plays.
Q. Is there a boxing element to your routine that helps you?
JOSH NORMAN: No. No, not at all. Just see a play, and you go and get it.
Q. You do it at practice to them as well, though?
JOSH NORMAN: I be playing. (Laughing) Honestly, I just key in on the ball. Every time the ball carrier has the ball, I’m not really watching him. I’m watching how the ball actually moves, and I see it as an opportunity to work on my precision, work on my eyes, keying my target and then that maximum opportunity to make the perfect punch. Sometimes I get it. It seems like most of the time now I’m getting it more so than not. (Laughing). Before I was wild with it, and now I’m more precise in what I’m doing.
Q. Josh, the worse loss you had this season was against Arizona, and I think because you had a personal foul or whatever, that was —
JOSH NORMAN: You think that was the loss, the personal foul? Do you think that was the loss, a personal foul? Yeah.
Q. The team had the worst loss, and because you got benched in the game after that incident, I think a lot of people — you took a lot of heat and a lot of criticism. Some people said, oh, you should be cut, et cetera, et cetera. How did you deal with that criticism and adversity at the time?
JOSH NORMAN: George, how did I deal with that?
GEORGE KITTLE: You look handsome, I’ll say that.
JOSH NORMAN: Thank you. You look sharp too.
GEORGE KITTLE: (Off microphone).
JOSH NORMAN: There’s your answer.
Q. How do you think the defense is playing overall the last couple of games?
JOSH NORMAN: Exceptional. Man, I can’t be more happy with any of those guys. You know, man, I enjoy that play. Him, (49ers linebacker Fred Warner) Fred, the whole lot of the boys back there and (49ers safety) Jimmie Ward. I’m so glad to have him back. Then you got (49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley) E-Man and (49ers cornerback K’Waun Williams) K.K., having himself a Pro Bowl year, you ask him. The trench monsters up top, up in the front interior and the outside. Man, listen, I think I’m one of them boys when I come downhill and getting them fumbles out for sure. I like to be a part of them because they make our job so much easier. We just having fun with each other, and it’s just a joy and a treat. A real treat and honor to be on this football team. I got to show my head coach (Kyle Shanahan) some love. I’ve been giving him hell lately. That’s my guy.
Q. Josh, what’s it like to be on the sideline for as long as you were on the sideline to start this game? JOSH NORMAN: It’s an amazing feeling, man. When the offense can have another outing of an 18-play drive — I don’t even know.
GEORGE KITTLE: (Off microphone).
JOSH NORMAN: I’m sorry. 22. 22. Thank you. Thank you, George, for your commentary. See? I kind of lose track. I mean, even did a better output than last week, so it tells a story in itself. Man, if you can have that and get us out there, we fresh, and we get the ball right back to them. That’s a backbreaker, and it’s a blow to their morale because now you got to deal with (49ers tight end) George Kittle and his pancakes and all the guys coming down the field. It’s an extremely good feeling for a defense like us.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers LB FRED WARNER
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Q. Fred, how alert, how wary do you have to be when you know that CB Josh Norman is coming up on the guy with the ball that would be football on the ground soon?
FRED WARNER: Any play. He has been doing that all season. It’s crazy to watch. I mean, that play I was just running to the ball, and I didn’t know what happened. The ball comes out, and you automatically think, Josh [Norman] must have been around somewhere. Azeez [Al-Shaair] thought he had it, and he was a little sad when he found out he didn’t get it. But man, Josh has been amazing doing that this year.
Q. In your own mind you’re thinking there was a fumble, it must have been CB Josh Norman? FRED WARNER: That was my first thought, yeah. That’s just how it be. When he is getting them out – he gets them out so easily, and especially out there on the perimeter, that’s where he’s coming outside-in, and just got that knack for it.
Q. What’s it like as a defender sitting on the bench for the first 13 minutes of a game? FRED WARNER: It’s outstanding. Got to stay warm, right, but the offense did an outstanding job starting that game. I just remember looking up and seeing the clock wind down to about 3, 2 minutes, and I’m, like, wow, they’re really out there the whole first quarter. They did an outstanding job taking the ball all the way down the field.
Q. Is there a point where it feels like this really has been a long time? Does it kick in to you? Usually five, six minutes at most or whatever.
FRED WARNER: For sure. You could feel it just the fact that they were picking up those first downs, running the ball, getting those plays that they needed. Like I said, that’s great for us. We’re on that sideline just waiting for our turn, but they did a heck of a job.
Q. Do you or any of your teammates pick Josh’s brain on how he goes about that? It seems like such a basic thing, but, obviously, if it was easy, everybody would be good at it.
FRED WARNER: Right. It’s just a knack for it. I had it on my mind today. I tried to swing at a couple, and they just didn’t come, but with him I think the good thing for him is coming outside-in. Sometimes those ball carriers, they always carry the ball on that outside arm, so he is coming outside-in. It’s just the perfect spot, but like I said or like you said, if it were just easy, everybody would be doing it. He’s got a knack for it, and he is constantly going after it and has it on his mind and is outstanding at it.
Q. The defense has really come alive the last few games after a pretty bad showing against Arizona. What do you attribute that to?
FRED WARNER: I think I attribute it to just everybody kind of locking in, coming together, playing for one another. You know, the mentality on defense is to get –the mentality all season has been to get the ball back for the offense, and that’s happened obviously these past two weeks. That’s one of the biggest differences of why you see us dominating teams is when we’re winning that turnover battle. That’s always
a plus. I think just playing for one another, just playing hard, and eliminating explosives is what has helped us.
Q. The manner in which you have won these two games, the 40-plus runs and ten points for your opponent and Jimmy [Garoppolo] playing efficiently, does it feel like you got your swagger back and you are the “Big Bad Niners” again?
FRED WARNER: Yeah, for sure. I think it’s just coming together, right? Right at the right time when we’re getting in the back half of the season and we’re getting hot. I think that’s just who we are, though. I think all along we’ve been trying to find that identity, trying to find ourselves and it’s starting to show through.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
49ers OT TRENT WILLIAMS
Jaguars vs. 49ers
Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Q. What did you think about the potential pass interference penalty that was not called?
TRENT WILLIAMS: Right? Come on, man. I don’t know why [49ers Head Coach] Coach [Kyle Shanahan] isn’t challenge that or something. That’s crazy. I know that wasn’t legal.
Q. Can you walk us through your play as an eligible receiver?
TRENT WILLIAMS: Man, it was such a blur, but once I saw [49s QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] throw it, I’m like, yeah, this is my time now. I got to go up and get this. As soon as I left the ground, I got blasted. I don’t know who hit me. I felt like it was like ten people right there. It definitely is way harder than it looks, for sure. I got a different respect for receivers now.
Q. Is it true that’s the first time you’ve been eligible?
TRENT WILLIAMS: That’s the first time.
Q. Was it the first time in your whole career?
TRENT WILLIAMS: Whole career.
Q. What about in college or Pop Warner?
TRENT WILLIAMS: Never.
Q. Have you been asking to call that play since day one?
TRENT WILLIAMS: I was about to say for at least 12 years now, yeah. It took a little minute. We finally got it in, though.
Q. What was the practice like for that play?
TRENT WILLIAMS: I was wide freaking open in practice, so, you know, I definitely didn’t expect to be double covered. It is what it is. They get paid to.
Q. We all knew that the ball was coming your way in the press box. Did you sense that the Jaguars were sensing that as well?
TRENT WILLIAMS: When I reported eligible, I heard the whole defense yelling, we got to double-team 71. I’m joking. I’m joking. I don’t think I sold it long enough. I think I was a little bit too excited to leak out, so I got to stick in there a little bit, maybe open it up.
Q. 49s QB Jimmy Garoppolo said he told you in the huddle it’s going to you no matter what. Is that true?
TRENT WILLIAMS: I’m protecting, man. I got my quarterback’s trust. It’s either a completion or incompletion. I was either going to catch it or knock it down, you know what I’m saying?
Q. You started the game with another really long drive. How was that drive for you to be on the field for that long, and is it the kind of thing that just sucks the soul out of the opposition?
TRENT WILLIAMS: I’m pretty sure it’s tough on them. It’s very tough on us too playing for a whole quarter straight, not leaving the field. It’s not for the faint of heart, trust me. We were all bowed after that only to get three points, which sucks. But at the end of the day, it’s all about just sending a message at the beginning of the game, first drive to be able to walk the ball methodically down the field. I feel like even though we didn’t get it in how we wanted it to, I think it did send the message we wanted it to.
Q. In the last two games, you have just imposed your will on the opponent and just run the ball. Is that giving you guys your swagger back?
TRENT WILLIAMS: No, I don’t think it’s that. We just finally, it started clicking. I think [in] the Cardinals game, we moved the ball pretty good. We just had turnovers. This game, we didn’t have as many turnovers, so I think it all worked out for us. But, no, I don’t feel like some light clicked on or nothing. That’s what we want to do every game. Sometimes they make a good play, we make mistakes, and it doesn’t go our way, but that is how we always want to play a game like that.
Q. TE George Kittle basically said that everyone was trying to make it so complicated and that the answer is to not turn the ball over and it’s not that hard. Do you agree?
TRENT WILLIAMS: The answer is definitely not that hard. Any time I think you look at the history of NFL or even just this year, I mean, when you lose a turnover battle, I think about 90 percent of those games end in losses. So, that’s the one thing we had to fix, and we had two good games with pretty good luck in that margin. That’s what we’ve got to keep going.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
