Jim Tomsula talks Ravens, Simpson, injuries, Seahawks, and more

Opening comments:

"Good morning. The injuries; last night [WR Anquan] Boldin's leg was sore. That guy fell on him, so we'll find out more here as it's going. We're in the middle of it right now. [S Eric] Reid got the wind knocked out of him, he was pretty sore, but nothing, I know they checked him. There's nothing broke or anything like that, just sore. And then, [RB Carlos] Hyde, his foot got a little sore there on the one cut. Your foot moves in the shoe. There's nothing there, just soreness, so we'll continue to do what we're doing there. And then, [WR] Jerome Simpson, we have requested a one game roster exemption for Jerome. So, that's where we are with him. Any questions?"

Is it possible, would you have enough practice time to make the determination to bring him up for Thursday and include him in the 46?

"I don't want to really say on that yet. He has been in meetings all year, so I don't really want to make a statement one way or the other. We'll find out through the next few days."

And then with Hyde, is that a bruise or what is, what's the issue with his foot?

"I don't know the whole thing, but his foot's sore. I don't want to put a medical label on it, but he's sore in there. I guess it's a bruise. He's got an orthotic and they are working through that way and then we're just managing it with the pounding in practice."

They haven't used the word plantar fascia or anything like that? So, you don't think it's something that will linger necessarily?

"No, ma'am. No, it's none of those things."

Is the ideal plan from the 49ers point of view on Simpson is that he's exempt this week, the Seattle game, and then will be part of your roster the following week, the full week, up to that Sunday game, is that correct?

"Yeah. We're going to see, if we get a roster exemption that means he can practice. So, we're going to see how he does."

What kind of contact could you have with him at all during the suspension? Have you not spoken to him this whole time?

"No, the league rules, he's been to all the meetings. They outline exactly what you can do, so he's been at every meeting. He's lifted weights, he's run, he's done all the conditioning with our strength and conditioning people. He just can't go on the field, so he wasn't able to be--."

We just haven't seen him.

"Yeah, that's why you don't see him, because he's not allowed to be out there while we're out. We don't even have him on another field working out. He does his workouts and then he goes through the meetings and then we go out on to the field. We don't have him, we don't want to touch that. We want to make sure we do that right."

Do you plan on having G/C Daniel Kilgore begin practicing next week?

"I'm not going to make a statement. I know he's coming along and I'm just going with the trainers on that. But, I know he's moving around. You saw him the other day, he's moving around pretty well and running. So, when we open that window, they'll tell me when, and I know now is when we can start opening windows, but we've got some time. So, I'll just take their advice on that."

There was a lot of talk about LB NaVorro Bowman and his snap count and going into this game he played all 77 snaps. How do you think he looked?

"Good. We are in the process of addressing his rep counts in games. I realize they're high. That's something I look at on every player. And they're high. We've got to get them down. We've got to get some of those reps down on him."

Jim Tomsula Ready for 'Big Game' vs. Seahawks 

It seems the morale hasn't been this high since Week 1 with the first win after which we saw how the next four weeks played out. How do you take the momentum and confidence from yesterday's win and kind of bottle it up for this short week?

"When you say that, the morale, the one thing I have thought about these guys is that they've shown up for work every week and locked their jaw and gone to work. So, I don't know if I'd phrase it that way. But, taking good energy and moving forward with it. We're definitely trying to do that. And, just the point of finishing the game with a win, going through it, we've still got a lot of things to get better at. But, the guys are, again I keep saying it, they are willing to work at it. We'll get that."

Is TE Vernon Davis still your starting tight end?

"Yeah. Vernon is coming off a leg and obviously we're trying to make sure we monitor that."

Was, and the fact that TE Garrett Celek played more, etcetera, are you saying that--?

"No controversy. Yeah, no controversy. No."

OK, there's no tight end controversy. Is he, and it's been well documented his production, his last 17 games he has 30 catches, 310 yards. Those aren't numbers we are typically used to seeing from him.

"Well, I can speak for yesterday. They were paying some attention to him, so the ball went other places."

How do you assess though, when Carlos came out, just the running core as a unit, just at this point in the season? Obviously you have a new player to the game and then you have a rookie kind of back there. Just what are your thoughts on where those backups are right now?

"Improving. Are they as good as our starter? No, they're not there yet, but they are improving and we like both of them. That's where it is. Carlos Hyde, to me, is a special runner."

Can you just address the defensive line? Obviously, you've been with that unit for so long that they haven't had a sack the last two games. But, is that indicative of how they're playing and just how much more do they have to do to get pressure on the quarterback?

"It's both. And we do need to generate that as an area that we're looking at. We've got to generate some more pressure there and there's some thickness. You see us in there playing thick. We're playing thick and lighter box stuff and things like that. There's no magic to any of that. But, we've got to be able to transition and get going. But, that's a good group. We've got to help them out and we will."

With Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, he presents a different challenge than a lot of these other quarterbacks you've faced, so is that--?

"Again, you start ripping shoulders and getting up field and giving those vertical creases, you've got a guy that's going to take off."

Do you expect RB Reggie Bush to play this week?

"Right now, very optimistic. Yes."

Given the lack of experience in the backfield, is it safe to say that he's the guy that can potentially help?

"Yeah, right now I'm very optimistic on where Reggie is. From the information that I've gotten, yeah, I feel good about it."

Can you give us an insight to just the transition to put Colin under center more these last two games? I mean there's been a vast difference than the first four games.

"Yeah, I guess the way I've heard the questions, it was like for Colin. It was for the offense. Just game plan-wise and wanting to have everybody on time and some of the things that we are doing in our game plan. He can still be in the gun and he has, but he can be in it more. Just with the game plan and the things we are trying to do."

He talked specifically about the offensive line yesterday, some of the strides and just how significant that was for you guys to win the game. What was your take on how the offensive line is coming along maybe the last couple weeks?

"Yeah, they played hard. They played to it. There were a few breakdowns, but there's improving. We're improving, but there were a few breakdowns. We gave up three sacks and that's a combination of things. But, just keep working. Guys keep getting better and they are."

What would a win over Seattle mean to you?

"A win over Seattle, to us or me?"

How about us and you?

"Well, to me any win is a good win. To us, that's one thing around here that we all know being in this area that this is a big game. We don't make any bones about that. Any time you play Seattle it's a big deal. So, I wouldn't expect that we've got to get anybody pumped up for this game. But, all wins are big wins and this is another one, division. So, it's a big game for us."

What do you recall from that Thursday night game against them here last year? It was Thanksgiving and Seattle Seahawks CB Richard Sherman was eating turkey on your field and there were a lot of elements.

"I didn't remember that until you just brought that up. Yeah, I don't really pay much attention to the pomp and stance [pomp and circumstance] around it."

In this offense, how similar or dissimilar is the fullback position to the tight end positions and is there enough crossover that could potentially allow FB Bruce Miller to play more?

"There are things that, you take tight end and then you talk H-Back, move tight end, then you talk fullback. So, you get into a hybrid of things there. Bruce, structurally, his frame and things is not the prototypical on-line tight end. But, the movement stuff and the lead blocking and some of the slice plays, you see all that. And then, in the passing game he can do those things in a lot of ways. But, then the in-line stuff, on-the-line stuff, getting into routes, that's different and the timing's different."

Could we talk about the turf issue for a moment? Would you say the turf is in good condition?

"Yeah. That field to me was great for us."

Are you satisfied with the field as is?

"I am very satisfied with the field."

How do you adjust preparations for a short week? Is everything kind of condensed or how do you handle it?

"Yes, sir, again stating the obvious, but you have to make sure the bodies are back and the minds are on. But, the balancing act, doing a lot less physically. We've got a game in three days, so there will be a lot less physical and a lot more spending more time on the mental and locking in that way. To me, the stress just moves from the bodies more to the brains. So, we're always just trying to manage the stress and where it is."

What you've seen from Seattle so far on film, what jumps out at you? Are they the same team as last year?

"Yeah, they're the same team as last year. They are the same team, they are. They're the same team and they are a good team. Seattle is a good football team and their quarterback is still the quarterback, their running is still the running back, their O-Line, they've got a couple of new faces in there, but it's the same schemes and they are doing it well. Defensively, they are running their defense. They are doing the things that they do. So, they are a good team."

How's your mental and physical stress right now? How are you doing?

"Well, I'm good. I'm good. I don't worry, I just work. That's what I try to say."

Talking about Seattle, obviously the difference is they are 2-4. Why is, something obviously is not quite the same. Can you put your finger on why?

"No, they've played some good football teams too. They've played some very good football teams. So, no they are a good football team."


* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers