As part of the fallout from the San Francisco 49ers' Monday night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, linebacker Bobby Wagner told Jim Trotter of NFL Media that the defense gained an advantage late in the matchup. He and teammate K.J. Wright were allegedly able to pick up on some of Jimmy Garoppolo's checks at the line of scrimmage and better anticipate what the 49ers quarterback was about to do.
Interesting insight from the Seattle locker room after OT defeat of the 49ers: If it looked like the D had a good read on Jimmy G late, LB Bobby Wagner told me it was in part because he and KJ Wright began picking up on Jimmy's checks. ...
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) November 12, 2019
"They're a team that runs so many different things that it's hard to get a tendency, but I felt like the last couple of times that we played them, we were able to figure out what they were doing," Wagner told Trotter. "Because they run so many different things, it's a game where you have to be disciplined, and you just have to read your keys. It becomes kind of like simple football: Read your keys, and it will take you to the football.
"Once we started reading keys, me and KJ started hearing the calls and picked up on the checks he was making, and it allowed us to break faster."
Whether what Wagner said is true or not is unknown. Maybe it is just something to put into Garoppolo's head for the next time the two teams meet during Week 17.
Perhaps not.
It wasn't in Garoppolo's head as of Wednesday afternoon. The 49ers quarterback learned of Wagner's comments from reporters during his weekly press conference.
"I did not see that (report), no," Garoppolo responded. "I think our coaches do a great job of [mixing up the checks between games] week in and week out, getting the game plan together, tying runs, pass, whatever it is.
"But, yeah, I didn't see that report. We'll just have to work harder, I guess."