S Antoine Bethea
What's the feeling when you almost hit New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, he extends the play, he's just a couple tenths of a second away from getting hit.
"It's tough. When you can extend plays like that, it's definitely tough on the back end when the receivers are scrambling around. Got to make plays."
It was 13-10 in the fourth quarter. Is that just a case of it being too tough to keep a guy like Brady and that Patriots offense down?
"No, I'm not going to say that. Like you say, it was 13-10."
I'm sure these losses are equally frustrating, but when it piles up to nine--?
"It's frustrating. Like I said, we don't come in to work every week to come out here and lose. It gets frustrating regardless of how many losses it is. When you come into work and put the time in that we put in, the coaches that put in and we come out here and play a decent game in the first half and continue to get the outcome that we get, it gets frustrating regardless of how many it is. It is frustrating."
Are you afraid of losing guys as the losses pile up?
"No, I'm not afraid of that. If that were the case, we would have lost some guys. But, continuously, week in and week out, come Tuesday, or even tomorrow, guys will be in the weight room working out. Come Tuesday, guys are in the meeting room paying attention, out there running around, flying around, so I'm not afraid of that. I don't think we have that those types of guys in the locker room."
Can you speak to the escapability of QB Tom Brady?
"He's been doing it for a long time. He has great awareness in the pocket. And, like I say, he's a future Hall of Famer. He did a great job today."
LB Ahmad Brooks
Today was a big deal because all of these very famous 49ers were here, Super Bowl guys and your team is in an entirely different situation. Does it make you think about things or even make you sad, the comparison?
"No not necessarily because it is a new era, a new day in age, times have changed, football has changed, it has revolutionized."
You guys were really close several times to getting New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and just at the last second he would escape and throw a good pass. Did you feel that throughout the game that it was a matter of inches on some of those plays?
"Yes. Well, me being a pass rusher, I was trying to get to him the best way that I could. I had to remember that he is a pocket passer. He is pretty good in the pocket. He likes to step in the B gaps. Our main thing going into this week was to get him off of his spot, which we did at times. He is Tom Brady so he is going to make the plays he needs to make and he did so today."
Did you realize early on how one dimensional that passing attack was with him and New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman?
"Yes. We emphasized all this week him liking to go 8 to 12 yards of throwing the ball to the hashes whether it was to [New England Patriots TEs Rob] Gronkowski, [Martellus] Bennett, or number [New England Patriots WR Danny Amendola] 80 or [New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman] 11, but he was getting the ball off really fast and it was Tom Brady."
Do you guys cringe at the nine game losing streak, and how do you guys try to get past it?
"The best thing for us to do is to try to get a win. A win heals all wounds. If we can get a win next week, we will feel better about ourselves in the locker room."
K Phil Dawson
How were the conditions out there?
"It got pretty tough there for a while. At first, it was just a nuisance. The field was fine. The balls weren't getting that water-logged. Then it just kind of picked up in the second and third quarters. I've got to hand it to our field guys. The field held up really well. But, obviously, the balls were water-logged. Everything was just messy. It was a challenging day. Both teams had to play in it. I think there were no turnovers, that's pretty impressive."
Where is that ball now and where are you going to keep it?
"I don't know where the ball is right now, but we'll find a special place for it when it's all said and done."
What does that [accomplishment] mean to you?
"I said in a team game it's hard to feel good about individual accomplishments. Probably when it's all said and done and I'm no longer a member of the team I'll enjoy it a little more. My focus today was not on the 400 [points] but trying to help this team win the game and we came up short in that area."
A lot of guys came up to you as you were coming off the field. What does that mean and were you surprised by that?
"Well, I've always tried to be just one of the guys on the team. I never wanted to be the weird kicker that did his own thing. To have that kind of reception means a lot to me given my efforts through the years. I try to be a football player and just go kick the ball on fourth down, so I'll remember that for a long time."
I think you're neck and neck with [Raiders K] Janikowski in career field goals. Do you know him at all?
"Just playing against him. Obviously, he's doing great and climbing the charts himself. It's nice to have a little active competition."
Chip Kelly talks about how you're the consummate professional. You know when the winds pick up at different stadiums. Do you keep a log of that? How do you remember everything?
"I do keep a log. I have ever since my days in Cleveland. I just feel like that's my opponent. While I do have things I need to know about my physical opponent, on game days, it's really the conditions of the day. When these guys are in meetings studying offense and defense and when my little special teams meeting is over, I come in and study the forecast and refer to my notebook. What does the wind do in this stadium, what's the footing like, what are the sight lines, all that kind of stuff. Some of it is just my personality. I don't like any surprises, so if I can feel prepared going in to an environment that helps me just relax so I can do my thing."
RB Shaun Draughn
What was the idea to go out and attack the defense? We saw so many different players getting involved early on, especially you. We hadn't seen you touch the ball for two games before this one.
"Yeah, I think each week is different. We have to get better at what we're already running and throw in some wrinkles here and there."
You were clicking with San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick today. What were you guys seeing?
"This is something we work on in practice. It's good to see it actually working in the game. It's a good payoff when you see it work, especially if you practice it that much."
What's the biggest difference for this team between the first and second half?
"It's hard to win in this league against any team. When you're playing yourself and the other team, it's hard to win, especially with penalties. We shot ourselves in the foot, hard to win."
WR Chris Harper
Was it a little bittersweet for you getting your first catch of the season against your former team, but the result for the 49ers isn't what you wanted?
"It's definitely bittersweet, but you know we've got to keep going back to practice, working as hard as we can and get the team as ready as we can for the next game."
You played this defense pretty well and it's a defense that's been struggling. It seems like the offense in the first half certainly found a lot of holes finding different players. What was the basic game plan against the Patriots secondary?
"To win, obviously, but that didn't happen. We played as hard as we could and it didn't turn out the way we wanted it to."
I think the one theme for this offense though is that in these losses, the team has been close at the half. The offense played so well the first two quarters but in the third and fourth quarters it's been difficult for this offense. Anything you can pinpoint? What is the big turnaround?
"We just need to finish. I think just all the main things in football: converting third downs, catching the football, just making plays. I think we need to get back to more of that, making plays, and doing our job the best that we can."
Your third down catch was the first third down conversion for the 49ers in the second half. Are those the kind of plays you're talking about?
"Correct. We need to make more plays like that. Whenever the ball is thrown to you, you've got to finish. I messed up an opportunity I had last game against Arizona. I had dropped a ball that was thrown to me. I just told myself 'I need to make up for it, especially against this team.'"
RB Carlos Hyde
The team was in it at the half and had a great first half, but in the third quarter once again the offense just sort of sputtered. Can you pinpoint why it's so hard for the offense to come out and get started?
"Make plays. At the end of the day, that's what's it's all about. Offensive skill guys, we have to make plays. We have to keep drives going. Definitely playing against [New England Patriots QB] Tom Brady, any quarterback of his caliber, you have to extend the drive. You can't go three-and-out. If you give him the ball too many times, your chances are slim to win. We just have to make plays."
How do you process losing nine straight games?
"Yeah, it sucks but it's my job and it's everybody's job in this locker room. Every Sunday we need to come out and fight. No matter what our record is, no matter what the score is, we've got to fight and not give up just because the score gets out of reach. Keep fighting. That means in 60 minutes of football, anything can happen. Just keep playing hard and things might fall your way. Next thing you know we'll have a win."
It seems like you had a really good second effort on your carries today. Did your shoulder feel better today or was there something?
"No, it's just last week I wasn't attacking the line. This whole week my mindsight was to attack. When I'm attacking, I'm extending the drive for us and picking up yards for us."
When you start attacking does the vision get better for you?
"I would say that. As the game goes on, it gets easier and I know where I need to go with the ball."
You guys now head to Miami and then have an extended stay in Orlando before the Chicago Bears game. What's the team's feel about that?
"My feel is get ready for the Dolphins. Get ready for another fight. We still have games to play. No matter what our record is, I'm looking forward to the Dolphins. Put this loss in the past and get ready for the Dolphins."
San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly said a few minutes ago that you really weren't built to be a throw every down team. With San Francisco 49ers WR Torrey Smith out today, was the game plan pretty run heavy? Was that the idea to establish yourselves in the ground game?
"Every week we want to run the ball. Especially when you're playing quarterbacks like Tom Brady, you want to get your run game going. You want to keep him off the field, minimize the defense on the field, and extend our drives. Yeah, you want to run the ball. Eat that clock off and score points."
TE Vance McDonald
Do you guys feel like you are this close from getting to the next level?
"Yes. Especially coming off of last week and coming in at halftime. Yes, you feel like you are in it. You are in a weird game. You barely see rain. It is we are that close and on so many levels, special teams, defense, and offense."
At halftime just down three points, this team is in it. You played great the first two quarters and the third quarter starts and its five straight punts and three straight three-and-outs. What is the difference in this offense between the first and second half? Is there anything that you can pinpoint?
"It is tough to do that without having another look at it. We come in and [San Francisco 49ers Head Coach] Chip [Kelly] said it and he is right. It is the extra strain. It is all eleven guys, whether it is straining up front and giving [San Francisco 49ers QB Colin] Kaepernick one more hitch for his delivery, or a receiver one more strain in to get that much more separation. It is tough because you are so close. So it is frustrating, but we will get there."
Is it sort of mystifying a little bit?
"I don't think so, not internally. Chip has done a great job. We are never chasing ghosts or anything statistic-wise. It is one thing whether it is the turnover battle, managing the ball, taking care of yourself in the redzone. Tonight, it really is a game and in the third quarter. We went three-and-outs on offense and [New England Patriots QB] Tom [Brady] does what he does."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers
