San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters after the team's 37-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. Here is everything he had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Injuries: [RB Tevin] Coleman had a shoulder, didn't return. [CB] K'Waun [Williams] had a hip, returned. [LB Dre] Greenlaw, ankle, he was cleared but didn't return and [S Jaquiski] Tartt, ribs. Go ahead."
42 runs and eight passes, pretty rare in this day and age. Did you have a sense, maybe not that, but it might look like that at the end of the game?
"We had an idea going in. We were hoping to do something like that going in. But, you never plan for it to be like that. When you're watching how the guys were running and everything, and then watching how our defense was playing, it made it very easy to stick with, even the third downs and stuff. The guys played as aggressive as any team I've been on, and they made it very easy to call plays."
What kind of feedback were you getting from RB Raheem Mostert outside of what your eyes were telling you?
"The lanes that we saw and the way he was running, just wanted to keep feeding him. Raheem is not someone who is going to come up and tell me a bunch during the game. I know he was feeling it and it wasn't too hard to see."
Third and eight, Raheem's first touchdown, and what were you thinking on fourth down on that play?
"Possibility, if it got close it was. But we liked that play also, just some of the stuff that -- some of the looks you can get there. We thought we could sneak one in. And if you did in that area you sometimes get two downs. It would have depended how close it was, but if not we would have been happy with a field goal. For him to take it to the house was a lot better than anticipated."
With all you've been through with this team during your tenure here, what goes through your mind when you watch the seconds wind off the clock and head to the Super Bowl?
"I think a lot more will go through my mind when I get home and just sit down and relax tonight. I am never comfortable in games until it's officially over. Once it was officially over I got bombarded by everyone. I'm sure I'll feel those injuries tomorrow. But, it was really awesome to have my family down there, my wife and kids. It was just so cool. I know how happy our players were, how much they wanted this. And, I was just so proud how hard they fought."
What about getting the trophy from your dad?
"It was pretty special. To get a trophy handed by anyone is really cool, but especially [49ers CEO] Jed [York] making my dad an honorary captain. Jed told me it was special for his mom when his uncle handed her the trophy before they won. And, Jed planned all that and did that. It was pretty cool, I didn't know what was going on, but it was pretty cool that it happened there at the end. It was pretty special."
All year you've had guys who weren't necessarily starters kind of stepping up. Is Mostert the ultimate example and what has he shown you this year?
"I definitely think so. He made a lot of plays for us last year. He'd get some opportunities here and there. Battled through camp and kind of came into the season in the same situation. Got a lot of opportunities versus Tampa Bay in Week One because Tevin went down with an injury and [RB Matt] Breida was fatigued a couple times, from what I remember, and he played incredible there. He's just earned everything. He's been on a number of teams, earned everything he's gotten. He earned today. He's such a good person. And for him to help us as much as he has on offense -- and you saw the play he made last week on special teams -- he would have made some more today too, I'm sure. But, once we lost Tevin we only had two backs left, we had to make sure we pulled both of those guys off. I can't say enough good about Raheem."
You've had some 49ers legends in the past talk to the team a lot throughout the season. Did you have anybody speak to the team before this game this weekend?
"No, just this year. [former 49ers QB] Steve [Young] talked to us, I want to say it was about the Rams game, I'm not sure what it was, but Steve talked to us. That was it this year."
What was the message to the team last night?
"Just that everything this league is earned. That's one thing that's really cool about the NFL, nothing's given. And, I told the guys how proud I was that they had earned the right to be in a game to play for the Super Bowl. And, regardless of what was going to happen, though, and what got us up to this point, that we were going to have to go out today and earn the right to go to the Super Bowl. And, no one was going to give it to us. Those guys came out with that mindset from the first play on. They were relentless. And, I know we're going to enjoy tonight. But, we're going to be ready to care it over to Miami too."
Some big-picture perspective, when you're coming off 4-12, probably don't even dare to dream about qualifying for the Super Bowl. So, can you put the whole season into context? I know it's like seconds after that you just won the NFC Championship --?
"It's a good question, but it would be impossible for me to do. The season has been so long. It's also gone so fast too. I just can't tell you how close of a group of guys we have. I know a lot of people say that, but I've been coaching a while and I do feel like it's different. And, I've been on a lot of close teams. Our guys have a lot of love for each other, I think, in the way they play. You can see them play with a lot of love for each other. Doesn't matter who is going, who is up. No one's hesitated. No one really worries about it. I've never had one meeting this year with one player saying, 'Hey, I need the ball more or we need to do this.' Everybody has just been on a mission to try to win each game. And, it started Week One versus Tampa. Today was the same thing. And, I can officially say now we only have one more game left. Hopefully we can do it again."
You've done this as a coordinator, obviously. What are the next two weeks going to be like? What will you tell the team?
"Kind of the stuff I told them right now. It always gets hectic and it gets a little hectic when you get down there. I think this first week is very important. You've got two weeks, but we want to treat it like we're playing Sunday. We'll come in tomorrow having a normal Monday. We'll bring all our families in tomorrow afternoon and let them get their tickets and everything situated. Us coaches will put the game plan in mostly tomorrow and Tuesday. We'll try to have a normal week of practice and make sure when we pick up and go down to Miami, which I believe will be Sunday, that we've got our game plan in and we have everything taken care of with hotels and tickets and stuff. So, when we get down there, we've got a lot more media obligations and stuff when we get down there that get you out of your routine. Hopefully, we'll have our stuff done and we can spend a week tweaking it and making it as good as possible."
What are your thoughts about going against Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs?
"Now would be my first thoughts. I mean, Andy Reid is as good of a coach as there is in this league. And I think he's a for sure Hall of Famer. I know how good Andy is. I know how good their quarterback is. I know how good their team is. We got to see them last year. We haven't seen them this year. I know we're going to enjoy tonight and look forward to starting to watch that tape tomorrow."
What's it been like to watch Levi's Stadium go from a place that maybe didn't provide a home field advantage to an atmosphere like tonight?
"It's been great, I think something our whole team is proud of. When I first got here -- growing up, from sixth grade to ninth grade, I lived out here and went to Candlestick every week during the season. And, that was a place that I loved. Every place gets new stadiums and stuff. So, I came back here and when I get here I hear everything is different in the new stadium and stuff. But, then I look at our record and everything, and I kind of understood why. I don't think you could totally judge a stadium off of that, especially our first year starting 0-9 and our second year being 4-12. But there were times, especially our first year starting 0-9 and our second year being 4-12. But, I did know there were times especially our first year when we were 0-9 and we got on a winning streak at the end. I remember the Christmas Eve game versus Jacksonville, how loud I thought the stadium was that game when we had won four in a row. That was the first time that really I sensed that our fans were hungry. They were going to go wherever we went. We just had to give them something to be excited about. And, they have been like that since the first home game against Pittsburgh. It's only got stronger. I've played the Packers a number of times, and I don't care where you play the Packers, there's always a ton of Green Bay fans in the stadium. And out of all the times I've ever played the Packers in any stadium in my life, I did not see green out there, and that's pretty hard to do. So, I love it here. I love Levi's and hoping our fans follow us to Miami."
The injury to Tevin Coleman?
"I know it was a shoulder. He was sitting there. I didn't get to talk to him too much about it. I'm hoping he'll be all right next week. I don't totally know yet. But, I know he's not ruled out or anything. I think there will be a good chance."
Nostalgia sake, would` you bring the backpack?
"I will, but I'll lock it to my arm if you're around. I know what you do."
