The following are some postgame locker room quotes from several San Francisco 49ers players following the team's 20-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. These quotes were provided by the 49ers Communications department.
LB Elvis Dumervil
How did you feel about your defense today?
"In this league, you either win or lose. Give them credit. It was a better team today. We'll go back and watch the film and see how we can get better."
You've been around a long time but chances are you've never been in the situation this team is in this year. How tough is that to stay positive and keep going?
"You have no choice, you've got to stay positive. It's not like we want to go out and lose. We've just got to play a lot better. Give the Cardinals credit, they were a better team today."
Do you take a little bit of solace in the fact that out of any number of reasons this team could pack it in, it doesn't feel like you guys are doing that, especially on defense?
"It's a team game. All three phases: special teams, offense, and defense. Collectively, we lost today."
That being said, how important is it for you to get a win to kind of validate all that hard work?
"I think week in and week out we're going to come out and compete. That's the goal is to get a win. Today we made plays but there were a few plays they made before us and that's why they were victorious."
Is it kind of hard to believe all of the injuries? It's like week after week it's something new.
"It's part of football. I'm sure the other 31 teams are dealing with it. We don't feel sorry for ourselves. We have professionals here. We've just got to get the job done. We've got the Giants and we're onto them."
LB Reuben Foster
Did you get banged up a little early?
"It was just a nick. Injuries don't recover right then and there. Thank God that it wasn't too serious. I just recovered back."
Was it the high ankle sprain that re-occurs every now and then?
"Yes. It scared me for a minute, but it is like a shoulder it feels like it is gone but you still have a little nick. All it can do is just get better if you just rehab and listen to the doctors."
You seemed to be flying around the field and it didn't seem to bother you or affect your speed. Do you feel like you are as fast as you have been?
"Yes. I feel great. I feel blessed. I am not injured or hurting. I feel good. I just want to go out there and do it for the fellas."
How important was it for you to be able to finish a game?
"It was very important from a mind standpoint. I have been hurt for the two games that I started. It is bad luck. You just can't ask God for no injuries or to not get hurt but if it happens it happens. I am happy that I finished the game all four quarters. "
What was it like to have some violent collisions against a future Hall of Famer in Arizona Cardinals RB Adrian Peterson?
"I felt good hitting him. That is one of the greats. I watched him when I thought about playing football. To play against him, you know that he has some good wisdom under his belt. He is tricky. He has the vet moves. He did a great job today and I was honored to play against him."
OL Brandon Fusco
What do think of the way that San Francisco 49ers QB C.J. Beathard kind of hung in there?
"I'm proud of him, how he has handled himself. As an O-line, we haven't done our job well enough. That starts with me, that starts with anyone. We have to be better. We have to watch the film and get better from this. We have a good team in front of us in the Giants. We have a big challenge ahead of us."
Can you take any solace in knowing that you guys stayed in this game and you were fighting right up until the end?
"Yes. This team is always going to fight no matter what the score is. I thought we came in with a good game plan. We knew that it was going to be close. We just have to find a way to make more plays and move the ball. As an offensive line it starts with us and we have to be better."
WR Marquise Goodwin
Was today another rough day at the office?
"It was another rough day, but I still come out smiling though. At the end of the day I just have to do better."
What affect does it have on a team when you have a rhythm but then there's a dropped pass or a misfire that takes the wind out of the sails?
"Critical drops. I dropped a first down ball that I make 100 percent of the time. Well, obviously not. I just have to do better, especially with [49ers WR] Pierre [Garçon] out. I just have to do a better job of being complete the whole game. I can't be sporadic. We fought and we played hard. We just have to execute. People want to make it about us being young, but the league doesn't care about it and the fans don't care about it. We just need wins for the great coaches that we have and our great GM and great owner. They treat us so well here. We just have to do better. That's it."
In your opinion, what was the difference in the game?
"The difference in the game was the offense converting and staying on the field and penalties. It's the same thing every week. It's the same story. We just have to get better from that. I know how, which is to not false start or to not get a holding or to not drop a ball in a critical time. Self-inflicted wounds. They didn't go out there and beat our heads in. We did it to ourselves each week. That comes from guys like me, this is my fifth year, having to step up and assuming that role. I have to do a better job at that. I have to do a better job helping my quarterback. He's young. This is my fifth year in the league, and this is his first. I have experience over him. I have to be the person to make him better and make everybody else better. Then all the other stuff won't matter."
So many of you guys have never been in a situation like this before where you're 0-9. How do you keep trying to find something potentially positive out of this eventually?
"There will be plenty of positive to come out of it. How do you get to that point is just faith. You have to have strong faith. You have to believe in something, and you have to believe in each other. We do. That's why we come out each week. We're not coming out losing the game already. We come out with the mentality to win. We just have to execute that. We have to be that. That has to become a part of us. We haven't quite gotten there yet."
S Eric Reid
What did you see from San Francisco 49ers DB Adrian Colbert early on?
"He played how we thought that he would. He hit the holes hard and made sure we stayed disciplined in our gaps and if we weren't, he was going to find the open one. He did exactly that."
How do you think the defense played overall today?
"Not good enough. Once again we didn't get enough turnovers to give our offense enough opportunities with the ball. We got a couple but we needed another one."
Did you see improvement today? They only had one long-scoring drive for the touchdown.
"We are battling, which is encouraging but this is the NFL and no one cares if we are trying hard. We just have to get the job done."
Take us through the pick in the end zone.
"We practiced that route. It was a tendency that we knew, so great job by our defensive quality control guys and assistant coaches of getting us that play. I was just able to make a play on what we practiced."
You looked very comfortable moving back to safety. Did it feel pretty comfortable for you?
"Yes. The cool part about it is that now I know what everyone is doing. I know what the linebackers have and we can communicate better. I know there are issues. At the end of the day, I think that the move helped me."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers
