San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters after his team's 51-13 rout of the Carolina Panthers. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Injuries from the game, [RB Matt] Breida left with an ankle. Didn't return. And then, Wilson left with a stinger. Passed the concussion exam though in there. That's all we have right now."
Do you have a prognosis on Breida's condition?
"No, it was ankle. I know he was trying to go back in. We probably would have given him a chance if the score wasn't what it was like and if we didn't have to play Thursday. We'll see, you never know after the game and how he comes back tomorrow. Hopefully he'll be alright by Thursday."
Are you surprised the Panthers came in and had some good things going for them? 41-13. Are you surprised by what you did to them?
"In the NFL, you never expect to just blow someone out like that, especially a good team like that. They're a real good team. They're a team who will be around at the end of the year. They can run the ball. They play really good on defense. Our team was just ready to go. Everything was clicking, got a few turnovers. Defense set us up with some great field position. We were able to capitalize on both of those, all three of them I believe. The turnover that our offense had, they got a field goal. Our whole team played very well and everything was just hitting today."
How pleased are you with how you guys did in the red zone the first few trips? And how much did you dig into your playbook to come up with some of those calls?
"It has to do with what they play. We got a few good screens on some of the stuff that they were doing. Then they switched it up in the second half, which takes away some of those screens and you've got to do some other things. It was nice how some of them hit. You never know how it's going to hit and our guys did a good job blocking on it so our guys could run it in from a little further out."
What was your impression of DL Nick Bosa's day?
"Probably the same as you guys. It was pretty damn impressive. I'm sure when I watch the tape, it'll look even better. The play that he made on the interception was one of the more impressive plays that I've seen from a D-Lineman. Thought he should have scored, but it's always nice when they don't and they let the offense score too. So, it was alright."
He just turned 22. Are you surprised at his kind of poise? He kind of seems to be matching what his brother has done as a veteran in the league.
"I think since the first day he's gotten here he hasn't changed. No matter how everyone looks at him or how he plays or if he's hurt or not. He's always very even keeled. I think people like that are very impressive. He's just very confident himself. The more he plays, the better he'll get, as long as he can stay healthy. He's a special player. Definitely hasn't arrived yet. He has a lot more to go, but he's been playing extremely well."
Kind of following up on the red zone stuff, you guys entered the game as the third least efficient team in the red zone this year. How beneficial is it having WR Emmanuel Sanders out there today? Obviously, the first red zone touchdown went to him today. How much did that open up your playbook and kind of free things up for guys like TE George Kittle and some of your other receivers down there?
"I think it was just a coincidence, but we did have some better looks today. I thought we played very well down there. Hopefully, as the year goes, we don't end up where we've been ranked these last six games. Hopefully we can balance that out. I know we took a good step in that direction today, but it's week to week. Loved having Emmanuel out there. It was very fun. He came out and helped us big at the beginning. Had a few big passes to him. Had that touchdown. I think it was tipped, so he made a helluva play on it. But, guys did good up and down the field today."
Have you ever been 7-0 before?
"No. I have not."
Something that just kind of feeds on itself, to get to this spot?
"I think so. It's always one game at a time. The more games you win, the more confidence guys get. Just like the more games you lose in a row, the less confident you get. Both can be a little bit contagious to the team and I think our guys, we've won a lot of different ways. Been in a lot of different types of games and I think our guys, the more you do that, the more you can reassure yourself that you can pull out certain types of wins. When it's low scoring, high scoring. When you have certain injuries. When you have to play in certain weather. The more you can have a team that does that stuff, it's something you can always go back on. No matter what the circumstances are, you can find a way to get a win in."
How much growth have you seen from CB Emmanuel Moseley since he's been here?
"A lot. We gave him a chance, we thought he was going to help us out last year when we got him up on the roster and he ended up getting hurt on, I believe it was his first special teams play that he had with us. He was very aggressive last year on the practice squad. Always working and found his way to get up and had that bad injury. But, he was the same in OTAs. Same in training camp. Played his tail off in the preseason. Got his opportunity when [CB] Ahkello [Witherspoon] got hurt and he's gone out there, just like a lot of our guys who have got their opportunities because of injury. The game hasn't been too big for them. They've looked the exact same way in practice every day. They don't get too into who they're going against or too nervous under the big lights. He's gotten better each week the more he plays and I think that will continue."
How much of a challenge has it been creating these game plans and these designs without your two tackles and your fullback these last three weeks?
"It's always a challenge, but it's not our first time having to do it. We've all been coaching for a little bit and the more situations you go through, the more you learn how to do it. I know it sounds like a huge challenge when you are down to your fourth and fifth tackles, but that's kind of an insult to those guys because those guys definitely haven't been playing like fourth or fifth tackles. They've made it a lot easier to put game plans together, because they've been impressive."
Is something like that possible because you've had most of these guys now for multiple seasons and you've had that foundation in place?
"It gets easier the more you're with people, but [OL Daniel] Brunskill and [OL Justin] Skule are new guys, so this is their first year here. I think it makes it easier for the other guys to step it up because they have an idea of the different directions we can go schematically, which you want that to be any way possible based on what you're going against. Those two have stepped in well and been very impressive. Felt bad about that call I left them out on, backed up. That was a tough deal for Skule, but that happens to a lot of people. You try to keep them out of those situations with the play calls."
What was the wind like and did that affect your play call at all?
"It didn't affect mine. I was very well aware of it going out. The times I've seen [QB] Jimmy [Gar throwing in the wind, he's been effective. I try to just ignore it. I know, it would mess me up if I was thinking about throwing because I can't throw in anything. So, I just try to watch how he throws and if it's not bad, then I don't let it affect my mind. If it is, then I'd adjust."
Has it been a readjusting process for him or is it a matter of things have clicked for RB Tevin Coleman?
"Tevin is very similar to how he was when I was in Atlanta. Just his skillset and everything, doesn't change. I had him his first two years and I think he is more of a veteran now. He's been through a lot more. I think everyone matures in this league. Tevin was great right away, but I think he knows what he wants. He knows how to play in the offense. Tevin can play in any offense, so that doesn't matter. But, he had some good looks today and when Tevin has a good look he can usually get it across the endzone. That's what he got."
On the safety, rolled the dice a little bit on that play. You felt confident on it?
"Yeah. I didn't after it. I was kicking myself for that call. We did a run, got it out a little bit. Thought we'd get a little bit different of a look, we didn't. Always want to put pressure on the quarterback to get it out, never take a sack. But he had no chance on that. Jimmy did a good job just protecting the ball, not making it worse. Taking a safety on that was probably the best play because it was the only play that you could do. I'm just glad we were able to play defense and score the next time we got it, so that didn't end up biting us."
You got Emmanuel Sanders involved very early. His connection with Jimmy Garoppolo, was that what you expected after seeing them a couple days this week?
"Yeah, he was great all week. Just for a receiver to get here on a Tuesday night and the way he looked in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It helped give him a head start, just having a little familiarity with the offense, being in Denver. But still, a lot of new stuff and a lot of different words and everything. He was a true pro, he crammed it in right away. Even when guys cram stuff in, you never know in the heat of the battle if they're going to resort to how they used to know it. Emmanuel didn't make any mistakes. It was a helluva first game for him and he'll continue to get better learning out stuff."
