Brian there was a third and 18 play in the 2nd quarter where you guys ran the ball for two yards to set up the field goal. Was that Head Coach Kyle Shanahan's call or did you see something at the line and check?
"It was the play call."
Any frustration?
"It's 3rd and 18 in the red area. Your chances of converting that are probably pretty low. They know that you're just trying to take the field goal. I really don't know a play that anyone could call. Maybe you bust a screen. But, that's a smart call."
On the two-point conversion there at the end Kyle said that WR Pierre Garçon was the first look there. He was covered well. Did you see WR Trent Taylor slip on that play?
"That was the same route that Trent scored on earlier. He sells an out and comes back in. He actually beat the guy out. So the guy, when he came back to run back in the guy was kind of there waiting for him. He beat the guy so well going on the out route that when he came back in I think that's kind of why the guy was there waiting for it."
Did Taylor not see that he had the out?
"It's not like a two-way go. You know what I mean. So, unfortunately he beat him on the way out and the guy when you beat him on the way out he's usually there waiting for it."
Kyle said Taylor was the third read on that particular play, why did you go there?
"Pierre was covered I think. I mean, I have to go watch the film but I'm pretty sure they had someone underneath him. He was kind of going to the back of the end zone. And, really Pierre is kind of the second read too. You're reading the first guy as he's clearing it out hoping that they jump him and get Pierre. I think both those two guys were covered. So, worked Trent. He had already scored a touchdown on that route in man-to-man coverage. He's usually pretty good at it. It was just unfortunate that he beat him outside and the guy was inside waiting for him."
To have only scored fifteen points in the first two weeks, what's it like to finally get that footing offensively?
"Well, we should've scored more. You'd like to score more touchdowns when you get in the red area. But, that was just the way it was going. We knew we had to score touchdowns. We saw that was how the game was being played. When that's the case, obviously you always want to score points when it's a close game and it's nine to six or whatever it was. You know that's the kind of game that's being played. When you go out there tonight and you know that you're going to have to score 41 just to tie it up, then that's what you have to do. Maybe you take some more chances with throwing the ball. Throwing it up to [WR] Marquise [Goodwin], letting him make a play. Calling a go to Pierre and letting him run underneath it. We just knew that we didn't have a lot of time and we had to take some big plays."
Brian you guys are built to be a run-first team really in a lot of ways. But, some of those sequences in the second half inside the five Kyle gave you an opportunity to throw as well. How much do you appreciate that confidence and how much is that due for the offense when it's making it a little hard?
"You have to do both just to keep the defense on their toes. We also knew that the defense that they play down there was tough to run against. I think that was part of it. They kind of crowd the box and man everybody up. They have a lot of people in there to try to stuff the run. We scored one of the touchdowns in goal line, and another one with [RB] Carlos [Hyde] out of the gun with a good run call. So, I think we're mixing it up well enough."
Brian what happened on that first throw of the game?
"The guy made a good play. He guessed right. We're thinking with Marquise going over there, the speed that he has, the guy's going to back way off. He just decided to sit on it so you chalk it up the guy making a good play. Making a good guess. I think that's also why we knew we were going to be able to throw it deep later because they were squatting on a lot of stuff. You chalk it up. You move on, and go play the rest of the game."
Did you tell yourself anything? Did you talk to Shanahan?
"No. Not at all. Literally, you just look at it. Tip your cap to the guy. Good guess, you made the right play. Then you go and play the rest of the game."
Did you feel like you're playing catch up the rest of the game after that play?
"Not at all. No. Obviously we don't want to put our defense in that situation on the first play of the game. That's not fair to them. But, you just go and you keep playing. The one thing that I'm proud of and that I learned is we have the right guys. We have guys that are going to give it their all. It's definitely not for lack of effort. And, we played until the end. That's what you've got to do. Especially when you're a young team. You're trying to learn how to win. It takes time. Unfurtunately, it's been three games and we still haven't got a win. I think we have the right people in that locker room and the right coaches. Once we put it together it'll be good. We have to play a complete game. When the defense plays well, we've got to score points. When we play well, we all got to play together and figure out a way to win. Whatever it takes."
What's your view on the play when Trent Taylor was called for offensive pass interference?
"I don't want to get fined."
Just what you saw--?
"I don't see it because I'm thrown into a spot. In that time of the game I would think you would let people play. But I haven't seen it. I have to go and watch the film. You know what, you don't want to leave it up to the refs hands anyways. You hope you make a few plays earlier in the game to change the outcome. If it comes down to that, then that's what it is. That's what the guys job is to do."
You seem to be slinging it a lot more this game. Was that the nature of the game or did you find some level of comfort where you're like 'Hey, let's chuck it'?
"I think that was the nature of the game. The plays that were being called, just trying to execute them."
Pretty good spike when you got the first touchdown when you ran it in. Some emotion there?
"That's, I think my first rushing touchdown in eight years. The last one was a quarterback sneak. Also too, that was our first touchdown on the entire year. So, capping a long drive off and scoring, I think that was good for the whole offense really and just pumped everybody up."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers
