San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens spoke with reporters after Sunday's upset 26-23 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks and the team's second-straight win. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Can you take us through that long pass to WR Dante Pettis in the fourth quarter that was right on the money?
"Yeah, it was man coverage. It's a play that we like against man coverage. As long as I just held the safety, then I like Dante on the matchup. He did a great job of giving me space to throw it and made a great catch with a wet ball. So, it was a great play."
Among the positive things CB Richard Sherman just had to say about you, he said he felt like you really established yourself and you're a guy that he hopes is a big part of the future plans here. Do you feel like you've proved that, not only to yourself, but to the league?
"I think I can play in the league, that's for sure. I believe that. But, as far as the extra stuff goes, I don't really worry too much about it. You know, today I was focused on the game one play at a time and really just trying to end the streak against the Seahawks. It's pretty cool that we got to do that as a team today."
How has your confidence grown in the last few weeks? How confident do you feel now?
"You can't play if you're not confident. So, I always take the field as a confident player. I'm confident in my teammates, as well. Everybody worked together really well today. I've said it to you guys so many times, but when everybody is focusing on their specific assignment, working together, that's when we're best. That makes me most confident. So, that's how it felt today. Confidence; the more you play, the more you do it, the better you feel. Always confident, that's for sure."
On the same topic, how much do you think the success you guys had in the second half against the Seahawks a couple weeks ago, how big was that coming in today knowing that you could do it against that defense?
"I think the previous game against Seattle helped us a lot. I really felt like there were places we could attack them. Even in the first game, we just didn't do a very good job of it. So, we were excited coming in. We knew it was going to be a dog fight. We knew they were confident. We were confident. Obviously, the rivalry and things like that. Those are the games you get pumped up to play in. Like coach said last night, I don't even have to tell you all anything. If you're not pumped up for this, then something's wrong with you. So, that's kind of how I felt going into the game and how we felt. We knew it was going to be a dog fight. I was just so proud that we found a way to win. Might not have been the prettiest. Everybody worked well together. When we were passing the ball, that was cool. But when we didn't do good passing the ball, we ran the ball well. Then, when we didn't convert on offense, the defense stepped up and then the special teams touchdown. So, if you want to look at a textbook, collective team win, I believe that was it."
The last two drives of regulation didn't go well. But as you said, you guys somehow scrapped together, found a way to move in overtime. What was the conversation like in between regulation and overtime to get that to work?
"We worked great as a team. Everybody had each other's back. Offense didn't do well; the defense did great when they needed to. That's how you play winning football. If somebody is not doing good, the next guy steps up and does something. It was cool."
Was there an offensive adjustment you guys made from regulation to overtime to get that to work?
"Nothing too specific. Obviously, we had good field position in overtime. It was really cool to see us run the ball to win the game. I don't know how well we ran the ball previously. [RB] Jeff [Wilson Jr.] with the fumble, for him to step up and get two or three really important carries. There's a lot of cool stories about overcoming adversity in this game. So, for us to be able to run the ball to win the game, I think the O-Line and myself take a lot of pride in that. That was really cool to see."
Speaking of Jeff, considering that he did fumble earlier in the game and he's fumbled three times over his last three games, how much confidence do you guys have in him, giving him the ball? I know RB Matt Breida was out.
"We believe in Jeff. He came in undrafted and has done everything to earn his opportunity. He's doing a great job of taking advantage of that opportunity. Had some tough moments today, but the fact that he could fight back, be resilient and get those two great carries to seal the game, that's awesome. It shows what type of player he is and the type of team we are. We're never going to back down and he definitely didn't today."
Where does this win rank among your all-time achievements in your life?
"Mine? That's a great question. I really don't know. I'm pumped for the fans, as far as what is it? It's been a while. But, for us to beat the Seahawks is a pretty big deal I feel like. So, I hope the fans are pumped up, as happy as we are. It's a big-time rival, a big-time win. Had a great time playing with my brothers out there, man. That's the biggest thing. Offense, defense, special teams worked hand-in-hand. Everybody played with great energy, jumping around, celebrating. That's how you're supposed to play the game. We did that today."
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said he feels like every week he sees you getting better. Do you feel that? If so, how?
"I try to. I try to get better every week. That's definitely the goal. What you do in the past doesn't matter. It's all about what you do today and the next day and the future. It's definitely a goal of mine to get better every single day. Feel more comfortable out there. Obviously, experience helps. You could say the experience helps and I feel more comfortable. I'm just enjoying playing."
