San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly met with the media today and was asked to identify some aspects of the team where he thinks they are improving.
The 49ers are 1-7 and have lost seven-straight games in what can only be considered a disaster of a season for Kelly in his first year as San Francisco's head coach. Below are two areas where Kelly felt the team improved in their 41-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Return Game
"I think in certain aspects, I thought if you looked at yesterday's game, I thought our kickoff return did a really good job," Kelly answered. "Getting [CB] JaCorey Shepherd back there, in the three that we returned, we averaged over 30 yards a return."
Big Plays on Offense
"I think the big plays on the offensive side of the ball showed up," Kelly said. "Things that we need to do to stay in football games. [WR] Quinton Patton I thought had a good game. He had six catches for over 100 yards. [RB] DuJuan Harris in terms of getting his reps, getting in there, I thought really showed up positively. We've been really trying to look for that other running back with [RB] Carlos [Hyde] and I think looking at DuJuan yesterday, did a nice job in terms of not only the run but the pass. Had a real good game catching the ball, coming out of the backfield, but also did a really nice job running the football and keeping us productive so we weren't just a one-dimensional football team. So I think there are some positives in those aspects."
The 49ers are now preparing to face the Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on November 13.