Jim Tomsula talks Seahawks, Kilgore, more

Opening comments:

"OK, [CB Kenneth] Acker, full go. [WR Anquan] Boldin, again, he's been going. He's not taking every rep, but he's been going and that's good, so we'll continue. See where that's at after practice today. [RB Carlos] Hyde, that was not an intentional mislead the other day. That was where I thought we were, where we thought we were and then the guys, the training room, medical staff just decided that he was a little sore and they just didn't want to do it. So, that's where that is. He won't be up there this week."

He'll stay here?

"Yeah. So, that's what I got there. That was it."

Just in terms of, with Carlos, and I know we can't get too into the medical stuff, but was there a setback at all?

"I don't think it was a set back at all. No."

Jim Tomsula Sets Focus on Sunday 

Just sore?

"Just sore. That's where that goes. When I get with those, just so you know where I'm at, I just deal with the facts when it comes to the injuries. I don't try to diagnose. I don't try to predict. I don't try to get into anything. I listen to the medical people and they tell me. So, we were optimistic that we'd get more work done."

Is it to the point where you may reconsider surgery now or--?

"Well, again, I'm not getting into anything."

Is the soreness in his foot or in the other areas because he hasn't been--?

"I think it was his foot. I didn't say it was his foot or his knee. They said he was sore, so. Was that a loaded question?"

"I thought maybe you knew something I didn't know."

Well, as far as the running back group as a group, you've had a couple weeks now with the new guys. How have they come around?

"Really well. The learning, obviously when you come in having to pick everything up quickly and the work that goes into that and the retention and all those things, and then along with game plan. But, those guys have done a nice job. [RB] Kendall Gaskins also. I don't want to, the work he's doing and has been doing has been really good too."

Obviously, Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch is a good back against everyone. There are numbers that suggest that he's at his very best when he plays the 49ers. Why is he, aside from I guess some of the obvious reasons, why has he just been such a thorn in your guys' side?

"Yeah, he has, particularly the last few years, this last game. But again, we don't, hats off to Marshawn and as talented as he is and how hard he plays. But, we need to as a team too, not put ourselves in situations where we're promoting them running the ball. The attempts are way up too."

Is he a, I mean you're a blue collar, rough 'em up type of guy. I mean, is he your type of running back?

"I take that as a compliment, thank you. Yeah. I think that's why people do respect him. He's a hard-running, hard-playing guy."

Do you have any clarity on how you figure to use your cornerbacks, like which ones will be getting the lion's share of the playing time on Sunday?

"No, quite honestly. They've all practiced all week, been nice practice. They've had a good week of practice, all the guys. And, we've got some guys coming back from injury and we've got some guys that have earned more opportunity. So, we'll continue on that path."

Will RB Shaun Draughn likely start at running back then, again?

"Yeah, see I'll tell you that, but depending on where we are on the field, depending on where we're starting off, things like that. If I say yes don't take it as I'm lying to you if he's not there."

But I mean, you saw enough of him the last game where you liked what he likes in a mainstay role?

"Yeah, but we've got those guys. And again, I keep bringing up Kendall. Gaskins has done a nice job too. So, we feel like we've got three guys there that will be playing some running back for us in the game."

You don't have any intention of bringing RB Jarryd Hayne back up in the foreseeable future?

"Well, not for this game. My foreseeable future is Sunday."

We saw DT Tank Carradine dressed as Seattle Seahawks DE Cliff Avril in yesterday's practice. Is that part of this idea of getting him lots of practice, firing off the ball, you know, what you talked about the other day, his get off, things like that?

"Yeah. I mean, I think you're seeing that part that you're out there at practice, you see what he's working on. And you can see he's changing his body. He's working really hard at that. I'd like to commend him on that. He really is."

Is he at a point where he can play at that position?

"We're in a transition period a little bit. I don't want to say transition period. A little bit of a transition. So, we'll see where that ends up after today and tomorrow."

What have you seen from G/C Daniel Kilgore this week and how close is he to being ready to go?

"Again, I don't want to, for me, a non-medical professional, a football coach, he looked good. Daniel's out there, Daniel's volunteering for all the extra stuff. Told you this week here when we had the stuff after practice with younger guys and stuff like that, Daniel was out there the whole time. Yesterday was a padded practice and Daniel was out there. Not only did he do some offensive reps, but then he took the lion's share of the scout team reps, the look team reps. Getting out there banging, pushing and doing those things and from a coaching perspective, looked good."

This is a little dated from the Falcons game, but there were two fourth-and-short situations and you went for it. What, obviously the situations are different, but did you have a more aggressive mentality or what was kind of the mindset in going for it on those?

"Well, we go through those every week and if we've got the look we're going to take it."

The defensive look or--?

"Yeah. I mean, if we line up, and I don't think there's any secret to that. If we line up and they give you a look, you run the play. If they don't, you try and draw them off, you know, go on a hard count. I'm talking about the one in the middle of the field."

In the time that DT Quinton Dial's been here, you've worked with him closely. What have been the biggest improvements or developments you've seen with him over the course of his career?

"[49ers.com Senior Reporter] Taylor [Price], you're around him quite a bit. So, you know what kind of guy he is. He's a tremendous guy. And he just works his tail off. He's a guy to me that we keep seeing getting better in all areas. He's, again, coaching him personally he's one of those guys that's an absolute joy to coach. You've got a lot in that room, a lot in that room with [DL Glenn] Dorsey and [NT] Ian [Williams] and [NT Mike] Purcell, [DT] Tony Jerod-Eddie. That's a really good room. Quinton's a big part of that."

You guy's got some playing time for Mike Purcell the last game before the bye. How did he perform in his snaps?

"Did well, did well."

Can you elaborate on that?

"No, I mean, he did well. He played the blocks. There weren't a lot of opportunities, but I mean squeezing, playing, did a nice job. Again, obviously I'm a big Mike Purcell guy. I think Mike's a really good football player. We've got, I just feel like we've got a group of them there, which is exciting. But then on the other hand, you only get so many shirts, only so many spots for game day. And then when you've got that, then you've only got so many opportunities with what you're doing. So, that's the other side of it."

Can you talk at all about just, I know you talked about foreseeable future as just this Sunday, but do you try to keep it in guys' minds that this season is still very much alive, that there's a lot of other teams that have scuffled through nine games, that there's still a chance looking ahead?

"Yeah, you know, I will tell you and just quite honestly, I've never used the terms still have a chance or still alive. I really do focus on first meeting of the week, our extreme long-term goals are Sunday and go back from that. So, really don't get into any of those conversations. Talking about, what's that, Martin Luther King wasn't it? Don't look at the top of the stairwell, just take the next step. Fall in the mud looking at the moon, you know what I mean? You've got to do this. Right now, I've got a walk-thru to get to and we've got to do really good at that. That's just how I, that's who I am."

* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers