San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and others spoke with reporters after Sunday's 44-23 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is what they had to say.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening Comments:
"Alright guys, injuries. [S Talanoa Hufanga] Huf went out, had a shoulder, returned. A spotter put him in the tent, but he was fine with that. [LB Dre] Greenlaw, had a calf, went for a little bit, ended up not finishing. And [DB Deommodore Lenoir] D-Mo had a stinger, he returned. Go ahead."
For you, what was the most disappointing part of the performance from your team today?
"You know that's a good team. You know they're going to make some big plays, but I thought the most frustrating thing was the spots we hurt ourselves. In that first half, some of the false starts that we had on offense, lining up in the neutral zone on defense. For us to have that false start on the field goal, I was obviously so excited because they muffed the punt the next time, but for us to have a turnover there was a real big mistake. Ended up being alright when they missed that field goal. We talked about some of that stuff at halftime. We come out, give up a huge kick return and then have a really stupid penalty to add 15 yards at the end of it. Those are the things that disappoint me the most."
In the first half, you guys were inside their 33 five times and only had one touchdown against a team like that, how hard is that to overcome?
"Extremely hard. Extremely hard, especially when we didn't slow them down in the second half."
You had a fourth-and-three and a fourth-and-seven, did you consider going for either of those instead of the field goals?
"The fourth-and-three was the first drive, no, did not consider it. When was the fourth-and-seven?"
The second half?
"No, didn't consider."
So much of this team is built on the defensive foundation, we know how well they've played. Is it a little bit of shock to see them give up more than 500 yards? To see an offense just go up and down the field against them?
"Yeah, it's disappointing. I think we're better than that. They had some pretty big plays where it seemed like there was a lot of space. I have to look at the film to see what happened, but yeah that was disappointing. I believe were better than that."
21-16 game midway through the third quarter. Why do you think things had out of hand late?
"They went down on a huge score. I think they had a third-and-20, they opened up scoring. I thought we did a good job answering right away. I thought we had our best drive there on the offense the first possession of the third quarter. Then I believe we got them in a third-and-20 the next time they had a 34-yard screen pass, which was unacceptable. They went down and scored. I thought the part that got out of the hand the most was we had a pretty good kickoff return. We had a holding call that put us back inside-the-five and ended up going three-and-out there with the safety and then they made some big plays after that."
What'd you think of the energy level being on the East Coast, coming back, that's been a problematic game for you in the past?
"Yeah, I didn't notice anything wrong with the energy."
RB Christian McCaffery opened with a 10-yard run and a nine-yard run, it looked like he was kind of trying to make a sudden impact, how did he fair today?
"I thought he did a good job and it was just impressive that he understood everything we were asking him to do. I don't think he made any mistakes in the game and was able to make some pretty good plays too."
I know you said you wanted to watch the film, but is there anything you could point your finger to as commonalities when it comes to those third downs that you guys allowed on the big plays in particular?
"Yeah, we knew going in how big of a challenge it'd be. That's why I think they're second in league on third downs, one of the best quarterbacks ever for a third-down situation. Didn't seem like we got a lot of pressure on them from what I saw. When we had them in the longer yardages, you try hard to keep them in the pockets so they can't get the off-schedules, but they were still able to get a big off-schedule it looked like, especially one down the field I think on that post throw. And then when you give up a screen that gives him an easy one that adds up."
How many plays did McCaffrey basically have available to him in this game?
"I gave him like 20 plays, something like that."
How do you think QB Jimmy Garoppolo played today?
"I thought he came out pretty good. I thought he struggled at times, just a few plays that he'd love to take back, especially that interception there at the end of the second quarter. The safety there at the end, but it wasn't him more than anyone else. We all had our moments."
You and John [Lynch] said Friday that getting McCaffrey doesn't like cure everything. Whatever was going on in the first six games. Does today kind of hammer home that point? Even when he is more available, there's just stuff to clean up?
"Definitely, we need to play better football. I think we had some opportunities where we made some pretty big plays on both sides of the ball. I thought that also happened today, but then we had some plays where I thought we had some opportunities and we didn't do well, especially on some self-inflicted things. Which I think went in all three phases, so regardless of the players we've added, we have good players I believe. And I believe we added another one, but we have to play better to take advantage of that."
Christian had quite a few plays on the field in the first half. Did you expect to use him more in the second, or was it just situation, the score and the way the game went?
"Especially there in the fourth quarter when we were in two minutes a lot, some of the protection stuff he hasn't been through. Just thought it was unfair to him."
What would you have preferred Jimmy to do instead of obviously throwing the pick? Is it to take the sack there or try throwing it away?
"Yes, to either. Yeah, they got us in a zero blitz and you can get rid of the ball or take the sack."
There's been a lot of self-inflicted wounds throughout the season, what can you do to help eliminate those?
"You just keep holding people accountable. You keep coaching and people have to focus and keep working to get better. There's no magical answer. That's what we do throughout the week. We coach and those guys work and that's what we have to keep doing."
Every season is unique to itself, but does this one feel like last year at all in terms of the slow start a year ago, what's going on right now?
"I think in terms of that, possibly, but just not having a winning record at this time and things like that you can look to last year and know what we have to do to fix that, but I feel that's the only comparison."
Is LB Azeez Al-Shaair a possibility to come back after the bye week?
"I don't think right after the bye, I think he's got a couple more weeks on that. Him and [RB] Elijah [Mitchell] kind of had the same injury. I just think Elijah's a couple weeks ahead of him."
Do you anticipate activating CB Jason Verrett this week?
"I'm not sure."
Do you feel like there's a significant amount of accountability in regards to the self-inflicted wounds?
"I think our guys are real good with that stuff. We always have hard Mondays and we don't really shy over anything around here. I think the guys are used to it and guys being accountable in our building with each other has never been an issue."
How do you think DB Jimmie Ward played in nickel and just overall that combination with S Tashaun Gipson Sr. playing free safety?
"I'm not sure, we didn't play that well as a group, but I'd have to watch the tape. That's just a little too detailed of things between those two guys."
You said 20 plays for Christian. How quickly can he expand now that you're going to have a full week with him? How quickly can he get up to?
"He'll learn the whole gameplan for next week."
WR Brandon Aiyuk has had a couple good games for you, what's the biggest progression you've seen in him and his developments since last year?
"I think he keeps getting better each year. I think it was documented the work he put in this offseason and it's carrying over to the season. I think these last two weeks, I thought he had his best game versus Atlanta. Just from all the plays. I'll see when we watch the tape here, but B.A. is continuing to get better."
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
How much did you take a role in helping RB Christian McCaffrey kind of get to speed and learn the offense?
"As much as I can. Spending time with him after practice, I thought he did a really good job today. I know some of the plays he had never even heard before when he was in the huddle, so there was some explaining to do, but no, I thought he did really well. It's definitely a little spark for us, that's for sure."
And was that something in the huddle, did you have to like give him a quick reminder on all the plays he was in there?
"Not all of them. He's a smart guy, so he's picking it up pretty quickly. But yeah, I mean a couple little things here and there, but like I said, he did a good job today. I thought there were some bright spots with him."
When you're in a game like this against an offense like that, how much are you aware of, this may be like New Orleans in 2019 where we have to put up points and then along with that, how frustrating is it to come away with field goals and not putting it in the end zone in the first half?
"Yeah, you said it right there. I thought especially early on in the first half just getting those field goals instead of touchdowns, I thought that was a big difference. Just momentum and things like that we knew it going into this game that we had to score touchdowns and match with these guys, and we didn't. And I think that with the combination of the turnovers and penalties, that's the result you're going to get."
What happened on the interception?
"They zeroed us. Just tried to throw it to [TE] George [Kittle], left it short there and yeah, the guy made a play. I didn't even see it, but just left it short."
So that was for TE George Kittle, not WR Ray-Ray McCloud III?
"Yeah."
This is not the first time that you guys have spoken to us about self-inflicted wounds. What's your first step? I know there's no magic button to press to eliminate it, but what steps do you take going forward?
"I think it starts in practice. I think the way you practice is how you play and so just can't let little things slide like that in practice and I don't know if all that stuff happens in practice, but I think that's a starting point for it. Like you said, there's no magic trick to it. It's just hard work and guys doing the right thing and doing right longer than the other team. I think that's a big part of it."
Do you feel like there's enough accountability in the locker room?
"Yeah, I think we've got the right core guys especially to hold people accountable. We've got to stay together right now This is a tough time, obviously a tough loss. You never like to lose games in this league, but just the way we did today, we just got to stick together right now."
You guys have gone on runs and played well against better teams, particularly this season. Just given the history you have with this team, how would you describe sort of the frustration level to come out with a performance like that against a team that you'd like to measure yourself against?
"You're obviously frustrated after any loss, but you've got to take it in stride. We're only 3-4 right now. There's a lot of football left to be played, so we don't want to hit the panic button or anything like that right now and just got to keep plugging away. There's a lot of football left in this season. We can make some noise here."
Do you see any differences or any similarities with this 3-4 start versus last year and do you take any solace in the fact with how you finished that season?
"It's hard to compare, just a different team, different players, a lot of different coaches too. You go back and you just retrace those memories. I think pulling from that and seeing what got us out of that rut we were in last year I think has some application, but it's a different season. You've just got to go back to work, man. This stuff ain't easy. It ain't for everybody. So, we just got to go back to work. I think we got the right guys for it."
We haven't talked to you since the trade for Christian. What was your reaction to that and what message did that send to you guys in the locker when they made that?
"I was fired up. Bringing in a player like that, and not to take anything away from our running backs either, we got stable backs back there and they all are capable of doing great things, but just adding another guy, another weapon like that, like Christian, I think it could only make us better. Competition's always a good thing."
With you guys playing the Rams next week and you're 2-0 in division play, do these games, almost you can shine a light on them saying, okay, forget about these losses that were non-divisional, now we get the division, we know that's the most important game to play?
"Yeah, there is a part of that. You like to win every game. We're competitors. Division obviously is very important, those games count a little bit more, but as competitors, you want to win every game. You go out there, you put your best foot forward, you put all this work in throughout the week, you grind through it, you want to have a good result at the end. But yeah, these division games definitely do carry a little bit more weight and so we've got to be ready to go this next week."
WR Brandon Aiyuk
How was it having RB Christian McCaffrey out there?
"It was exciting and fun to have him in there. I know everybody got excited. We all got excited to see him carry the ball, so it was fun to get him in there."
What kind of pressure do you feel after a loss and two straight out?
"You don't want to lose any, especially not two in a row. But like I said, come back, watch the tape, clean it up. I think we know what it is. We kind of hurt ourselves a lot through the game. That's been a story for us, so we have to be clean."
How surprised were you that the defense gave up over 500 yards?
"We knew the test that Kansas City would be on offense. I look at it more so, the offense didn't score enough points to keep up with them. So it's really not about the defense. We have to score more points than the other team."
DL Nick Bosa
How do you think the Chiefs were able to run the ball so successfully?
"I think we made some mistakes, including myself in the first half. That allowed them to stay on the field and when you don't force them to get into those passing situations, you kind of let them fall forward and get those four or five yard runs. You never really get in the position that you want to be in and we need to do a better job on the D-line for sure. We knew that it was going to be a game that the D-line had to be the major run stopping because our guys in the back end obviously have to deal with what they do in the air. So, we just didn't play good enough as a D-line."
The defense was so dominant for the first month or so and then to have a showing like this against a good opponent, what's the frustration level when you go from one extreme to the other line?
"It's frustrating. I think we really haven't played together as a team, offense and defense yet and special teams. So, we need to get clicking on all cylinders if we're going to make a run this year."
You had the sack early in the fourth quarter after you guys got the touchdown, then Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes came back with a 57-yard completion to kind of put that fourth quarter away. Was that kind of reminiscent to the Super Bowl where you guys had momentum and then he knows how to take it away?
"Yeah, it was tough. It was a good chance for us to get off and get our offense, who was playing really well, get them back the ball and I think it was one possession at that point. But there's a lot of plays early on, especially in the first half that kind of led up to that being a big play."
TE George Kittle
You get inside their 35-yard line five times to come away with one touchdown. How hard is that to overcome you?
"You said it, you've got to score points against the [Kansas City] Chiefs, you know? They've got a really good offense that's firing on all cylinders. We had to help our defense out today because they have great players, they're going to make big plays and we have to put up points. We scored what, one out of five in the first half? That's tough. Especially after the fumble on the punt return, we needed to turn that into any type of points and so that's tough. We were in position and we were moving the ball. I think we had 10 penalties and know those aren't all on the offense, but we have a lot of procedural stuff, which is very sloppy. It doesn't really matter who's doing it, but we were doing it as a team and so we have to get better at that. I thought we were moving the ball well. [San Francisco 49ers RB] Christian [McCaffrey] did a pretty good job I thought being in there after being here for three days, so I'm excited about that. That's promising. Overall, we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. We had four turnovers if you include the safety, so I mean that's just not very good football."
Why do you think you've had such a tough time scoring points this season?
"It's a great question. I think it's a combination of penalties in the red zone and mistakes in the red zone. Whether it's where we miss a target or something like that, we don't really have a lot of second [down] short yardage. We have a lot of second and longs. We're a really good running football team, but it's hard to run the ball if you're in second and long. I think that's been an issue for us. We have plenty of guys that make plays. [WR] Deebo [Samuel], myself, Christian, [RB] Jeff Wilson, we have a lot of guys out there. [WR] Jauan [Jennings] too, we have plenty guys that can make plays and unfortunately today, I think it really showed that we just couldn't get the ball into those guys' hands at the right times. Penalties, like I said, that just kind of sabotages ourselves."
How will Christian McCaffrey change this offense and its capability?
"I'm pretty sure in his second or third year he was an All Pro in two different positions. That kind of speaks for itself. He's an amazing football player and I know that [Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and our offensive coordinators are all going to come together and figure out a way to get him the ball in space. He creates space too. It's just fun to see him out there, dicing dudes up. I'd love for Christian to get 15 to 20 carries in our offense and run some outside zones, but you know, when we got down in the second half, we kind of had to get away from that. When we get away from the run, that's what we do really well. I think when you get down by 20-plus points in the fourth quarter, there's only so much you can really do."
RB Christian McCaffrey
Christian, how did it feel out there? Did you feel pretty secure and comfortable in your assignments and everything else?
"Yeah, it felt good. You know, obviously it's a lot getting here on Friday. I just tried to do the best I could to learn the most I can in two days and get rolling."
What was the most challenging part of learning the verbiage compared to what you were used to with the Carolina Panthers?
"Yeah, just a new playbook, you know. All the coaches have done a hell of a job preparing with me and spending extra time with me. So that's going to continue and just have to keep learning and doing my best to perfect this offense as quick as possible."
Can you tell us what those last 48 hours were like? How much time were you spending here and looking through all that stuff?
"Yeah, it's been a lot, but I just try to focus on one thing at a time. Just learn as many plays as possible so I can go out there and do my job. But yeah, you know, it's takes what it takes."
CB Charvarius Ward
Is it disappointing against your former team and that kind of performance?
"It's kind of disappointing. I'm not worried about former team or not, I'm just worried about this team right now. This is where I'm at, this is who believes in me, this is who signed me, this was a nice deal. We'll bounce back. We just got to bounce back next week against the Rams. Chiefs, they won the game congratulations to them, but hopefully we see them again later on down the line."
You guys seemed to have some mojo early in the game with the interception. What was working there early? Do you think it was because of the past rush kind of got home?
"I just feel like we came out with some good juice. We just didn't keep it up, we just didn't maintain it. They started to make some plays and we stopped making plays. That's what it was. They were making plays and we weren't making plays. Got to have better energy, better eyes, better techniques. We just played a sloppy game on defense. We can't do that."
Against a team like that, that is so explosive, is it important to be able to clear your head after a battle like this?
"Yeah, you definitely got to move on to the next play. They kept throwing the ball up. We had some opportunities. We just didn't make those plays like we did early. We saw Huf [San Francisco 49ers S Talanoa Hufanga] interception, Gip [San Francisco 49ers S Tashaun Gipson] broke it up. We just got to turn into playmakers and forget when they make a good play. Move on to the next play. Just bounce back."
LB Fred Warner
How has their offense changed? I think this is the third time you've played them either in the regular season or obviously the Super Bowl. How has their offense changed over time?
"Pretty similar. They're obviously trying to get those big plays and used the run game where they can to set up the pass game and rely on [Kansas City Chiefs QB] Patrick Mahomes to make plays. So pretty similar."
For the first month plus you guys were so dominant as a defense, especially this week, it wasn't there. Is it jarring for you to go from one extreme to the other? What's that feeling?
"That obviously sucks. We have to find ways to get back to playing our style."
You guys haven't been great on the game after the East Coast trip. Did it feel like other times that you've done that in the past today?
"Not really. I wouldn't use that as an excuse honestly. The game was there. Through three to four quarters we were still in it, still could have made plays, still could of found a way to make it our game. We just didn't."
That second touchdown in the right corner, you came off the field and tossed your helmet in frustration, talking to some of the guys. Was that general frustration or was that just specific to that play breaking down?
"Just general frustration knowing that we were better than that and I felt like they were just kind of marching their way down the field, prolonging drives. It's something that I have to go back and look at. We just have to find ways to get off the field."
Do you notice any similarities between this 3-4 start and last year's 3-4 start? Does that give you guys any sort of confidence knowing how you finished last season, moving forward?
"Yeah, at the end of the day, every year is its own year. We can take the experiences that we learned last year and apply it to where we're at right now. At the end of the day, I look at it as one game at a time. Always. I never look ahead. I never see it for anything other than what it is. You have to look at the tape hard and correct the mistakes, come back and be better."
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
How frustrating was it for you guys to go out there and have mistake after mistake?
"It was very frustrating, especially when we had the chance to not only take over the game but close out the game. You know, at least put ourselves in a better position to close out the game. It's just a lot of personal stuff, in house, that we have to fix. We just can't hurt ourselves playing a team like that."
What's your relationship like with Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes? I see you got his jersey here. Is that a Texas thing?
"Yeah, no doubt. We're both from East Texas, 903. For us, coming from that small town and that small world to being on the big stage, it's just a blessing. He's proud of me and I'm proud of him."
Are you impressed with what RB Christian McCaffrey was able to do just with one and half days of practice?
"Oh, yeah. And our offense is not easy at all. So for him to go in and do what he did and produce the way he did, just off the strength of him, speaks volumes of him. It's just a matter of time before he gets settled in and understands the offense. He's going keep flourishing and keep adding a great asset to our offense."
What needs to happen for you guys to play cleaner games without penalties?
"It's just us. It's in the details. At the end of the day, if you don't own your details or hone in on the details, playing that type of caliber team, you're not going to win. Where we are trying to go and what we are trying to accomplish, that's stuff that we have to hone in on. Because later down the line, those are all the teams that we are going to be playing. And if you get into the playoffs, playing the way that we played, we'll be back home after the first run."
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
Opening Statement:
"All right. Really don't have any injuries to mention here. We should be on a positive note [Kansas City Chiefs DE Mike] Dana, [Kansas City Chiefs CB Trent] McDuffy and [Kansas City Chiefs CB Rashad] Fenton, we have a chance of getting back here, this next week here, so, and it is a bye week. I got it. But we get them back when we get back. Anyways, listen, I'm proud of our team for the job they did. This is a very well coached football team, with the 49ers and they've got really good football players and they got their guys back and were very emotional. Had a nice big trade that they added to it. So their future is as bright as can be. On the other hand, I like the way our guys approached the game. They came out and didn't get caught up in all of that. They didn't get caught up in being down by 10 points. They just kept playing. Had some young guys step up and make some plays. I can go through and name all of the guys that had a good game but I'll end up naming all of them. They all played well somewhere along the line contributed. Coaches included it was a great game plan for both sides and special teams. The resilience of our special teams in the first half was a bit shakey and then the second half the guys stepped up. The return that to start the second half was a thing of beauty. That really helped us get going there."
What did you see from Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes after starting with that interception?
"Yeah, that again, that's a great learning experience for [Kansas City Chiefs WR] Skyy [Moore] on that. So Sky's got a wraparound route right there and we try to put everybody inside outside, so you got to kind of work into that spot and know how to do it. And he got a little too high and Pat, trust him. That was the positive part. So next time around we'll, we'll knock that thing out. And they talked through it and that was a good thing. So, good learning experience."
You got Kansas City Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman more involved today and the running game. Is it something about this opponent that led you to do that?
"Yeah, not necessarily. [Kansas City Chiefs offensive line coach Andy] Coach Heck had these jet sweeps dialed up and really he liked them. He did like them against this group, but he normally likes them. So I, I thought Mecole did a heck of a job going fast, being patient and then hitting it and our guys block it well. For him, yeah, I think he had three touchdowns on it, that it's the same play really three different times."
Going back to Sky Moore for a second, do you have to step back from him for a second on the punt returns?
"No, listen, he, from what I see, he, number one, he doesn't hang his head. And number two is he learns from his mistakes. So that was a tweener thing going on there. And, and he'll learn from that. And I'm not that worried about him."
Coach, you mentioned the signing of San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey. Did your defense have to change anything as far as short notice and such an impact player, just kind of like being prepared for something like that?
"Yeah, we had put together a tape on if he did play of all of his carries and catches. And so Spags [DC Steve Spagnuolo] buzzed through that. We figured they'd use something, that would be familiar to him. And we did. Now he had some nice plays. He's a great player and he's going to be a great addition. Kyle knows how to use offensive players and he'll be exciting once he gets in the flow of things."
We talked this last week about your guys getting more man coverage. How do you think your receivers responded today?
"Yeah, we've had it for, really throughout the season. I thought our guys did a good job with it today, to answer your question we had some pretty positive snaps against it and particular at big time. So we had some, we were decent on third down, really good on third down. So that's normally where we've been seeing most of it."
What did you see from your defensive line today?
"Yeah, I saw a relentless football. And nothing tells you that more than what Frank [Clark] did at the end there with the safety against one of the great; you'll go down as one of the great offensive linemen ever played this game. I mean, he's a tremendous football player, ton of respect for him. So I think all the guys did that. You saw [DT] Chris [Jones] doing the same thing. [DE] Carlos [Dunlap] had a nice batted ball and a big penalty against him, you know so there were some just positive things. I 99 [DT Khalen Saunders] was a contributor, 91 [DT Derrick Nnadi] was a contributor. He saw [DE] George [Karlaftis] had some positive snaps and it's a good rotation [Defensive line coach] Joe [Cullen] has going there."
Niners had a couple offensive tackles that were coming back from an injury, probably weren't a hundred percent. What was the key as far as just trying to put pressure and get San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo off balance and making the bad throws like you guys did in the second half?
"Yeah, Listen, Jimmy's a good football player. It's in every quarterback in this league you want to try to get him off balance. He's a veteran, so we are bringing people and he made some nice plays in that second half hitting the hot receiver and to where we stopped doing that. And those guys, the guys that came back will do nothing but get better for you guys. So I think it's a positive outlook for the 49ers even though this score got away a little bit. I think it's down the road the Niners are in good hands."
Heading into the Bye Week, I know you don't get to choose when the Bye Week happens, but is this a good time for you guys coming off the win?
"Yeah, I think so. I think it's a good time. Five and two looks a lot better than four and three. I think it comes where we could afford to get a little bit healthier in some spots, in particular the corner spot, as long as the guys are out there and being safe. And that's kind of my primary concern right now. To get back on time. That's always important. This leads them into a nice positive week where they can have some recovery time."
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Can you take us through the go patterns?
"That was a skinny post route. That wasn't really a big alert in my read, but the way their safeties were playing and their cover four, I knew that they were gonna drive [Kansas City Chiefs WR] JuJu [Smith-Schuster] who was the primary on the other side. And so once I saw [Kansas City Chiefs WR] Mecole [Hardman] clear out the middle and he was one on one, I just put it out there. I've told him, 'I missed you in Indy. I've thrown these two short. So I'm going to get them out there to where I can get you some touchdowns out of these and put them out there a little further.'"
He said you guys had a conversation about the fact that he thought that route might be open later in the game.
"How they were playing… you see it on the first pick. Their safeties were driving down and they have aggressive safeties. They're really good. But they were trying to use their pash rush to drive down and make plays. That's what happened on the interception. Once early in the game, I saw that. We talked about it on the side, and I said, 'Hey, if that safety drives, just make sure you keep that down the field.' That stuff you build throughout the season. And I think we're gonna continue to get better and better at that."
JuJu talked about Friday. He said you guys gained a lot of chemistry playing Call of Duty in War Zone, I guess one three straight. Can you describe it from your perspective?
"I don't play all the time. But some of the guys play. I had a free night on Friday,so I told him, 'I'll get on with y'all for a little while.' It was me, [Kansas City Chiefs TE] Travis [Kelce], [Kansas City Chiefs WR] Marquez [Valdes-Scantling] and JuJu. Marquez and JuJu are really good. Me and Travis are just all right. We did our part and we went three for three with three wins in war zone, which I don't do often. So I felt pretty good about it going into the game."
He says you guys have developed some chemistry. Did it feel like it playing that?
"It's cool when you get away from the facility and you're doing kid-like things and you're on the headset, talking, joking around, and talking about the week. It gets your mind off of football. And it's about building those relationships. And so it's definitely cool to kind of see these guys, even if it's on the game, outside of the facility."
He just said, building the trust, ever since Dallas and that was kind of part of the evolution process where it kind of clicked in the Call of Duty game. He said that you were able to trust. How do you feel that evolution has happened, trusting those guys to have the performance you did today?
"It's getting better and better. I think we can continue to get better. I look at this season, I think we're going to continue to get better and better as the season goes on. We'll learn from our mistakes and we'll go out there and improve and be even better when the season gets to the end of it. And so to go out against a defense like this, and show that we can still be explosive and have those big plays, I think that will bode well for us as the season goes on because people don't know where it's going to come from."
You start the game with a pick and you're down ten nothing and against a pretty good defense on the road in a loud building. Does any of that take you out of your comfort zone at any point? Were you anywhere close to that today?
"Not necessarily. I knew we needed to, after the pick, we needed to go down there and get the points on that next drive. You don't want them to get too far ahead because of how efficient and good their run game is. We were able to move the ball down the field that next drive and get it into the end zone. We knew that we needed to get points on the board, but I saw early that their safeties were playing a little closer than teams usually play us. I knew we'd have opportunities. It was just gonna take us protecting, which our offensive line did a terrific job of against a great defensive line. And guys winning down the field, which they did."
How is it that you don't get out of your comfort zone in those kinds of situations? Just having done it so many times before?
"It's having done it, and there's so much time left in the game. I'm going to compete until the final whistle. Until coach takes me off that football field. And so whenever you get down in these games, all you can do is think how you can effect and go out there and have a positive next play. And you continue to do that, for the next play and the next play. [Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator] EB [Eric Bieniemy] preaches that. The most important play is the next play. We go out there and execute that play. Continue to make the drives happen, and then once you get in the end zone and it gets a little bit closer, you keep that same mentality going."
I know you don't care where the ball's going, as long as it's going to an open guy, but everybody got involved today. Big game for a lot of guys. What's that like for you when it's working, whether you get the ball to Hardman or JuJu or Marquez or Kelce?
"We have guys everywhere on this offense. The receivers obviously had a big day today. The tight ends have had big days. Running backs have had big days. That's going to be who we are as an offense. It's gonna be everybody. As long as it all starts up front and the offensive line plays like they did today, we'll have a good day as an offense. We have a lot of playmakers on this team."
Everybody knows that Mecole is fast, but why do the jet sweeps work so well? Is there something that you guys recognize or saw from the 49ers defense that allowed that play to maybe flourish more than usual?
"First off, jet sweeps work better when you run the ball well. I thought we ran it in spots really well. Run it downhill. And then when you get other guys like Travis and stuff going through the middle, sometimes they lose sight of that jet sweep guy. I think what makes Mecole so good at it is, he's super fast, but he runs really hard. A lot of times, when you get smaller receivers and you get them on those jet sweeps, they want to get outside and get to the sideline and kind of get yards and go out of bounds. If you know Mecole, that man puts his foot in the ground and gets upfield and then trusts his blockers. And you don't see that out of a lot of guys in this league. And it's a special talent that he has."
There was so much talk about how the 49ers were looking at this as a rematch of the Super Bowl, and of course you guys just really took care of business today. How much did this game mean to you guys? Every opponent I know is important, but was there anything at all in regards to playing the Niners again?
"Whenever you play against the best teams in the league, you wanna go out there and show what you're all about. And I believe the 49ers are one of the best teams in the league. And obviously one of the best defenses. For us, coming off a loss against the Bills, you don't want to go out and have two losses going into the BYE week. And so we knew this was an extremely important game. And I thought the guys accepted the challenge. Especially how we started and responded and went out there and found a way to get that win. And that BYE week is a lot better when you're coming off a win."
National Tight Ends day. I know Travis was just two yards shy of a hundred yards. I didn't know if you were aware of that near the end. I know you were trying to get the ball to him.
"I didn't know that. I wish I would have, I would've stayed in and tried to get him those yards. But that's not who he is. If you know Travis, you know, he just wants to win. He's a competitor. He doesn't care who gets to shine. If we ever have those opportunities, I think you see this team, we want to make sure we give him that credit and we give him those chances to make those historic record type of games. And he's done them. He puts in the time and the work. So let him go out there and try to get a couple more catches there at the end."
And going into the BYE week, how do you assess where you guys are right now at this break?
"Yeah, we had a tough schedule. Going into the BYE. We knew that going into the season. Obviously, we lost a couple of games that we wanted to win. But when you look back on it and you're 5-2 and you're first in the AFC West, you can't ask to be in a better position. So now we have to recalibrate, get off our feet, get our bodies back and then learn. Because when we come back in this next best stretch, we're gonna be ready to go and try to make a push to get to the playoffs and then try to get to the Super Bowl."
Chiefs LB Willie Gay
Was there any extra juice knowing RB Christian McCaffrey was making his debut today?
"Honestly, man, no. We just kept the same game plan. He's just another player. Of course he's good. He can wreck a game, but we didn't change anything up. We didn't get too high or too low, you know? We didn't try to overemphasize him being a factor to it. Like I said, we kept the game plan the same and tried our best to stop him."
How eager were you to get back out there and make a contribution today?
"Man, I felt like my strength coach did a great job keeping me in shape over the past couple weeks. So when I got out there, I was getting the flow of things again. Four weeks was a long time not being able to play football. I'll tell you, you can run and lift weights all day, but when you're really out there and your mind gets to roll you're like, 'ah, okay, let's go.' I didn't get winded so I could have fun out there with the guys today. I made a couple plays and I was thankful to be out there. Came out of here injury free. So, hey, we had a successful day and a win."
Where did you think you guys showed improvement today compared to the last few weeks?
"Honestly, man, I wasn't in the building the past couple weeks. But being on the field with those guys is a different feeling. Sometimes it might be a lack of energy, you know, just finishing the game like last week. It couldn't be any fun, man. Playing together this week, no matter, we get behind or they get close almost on our tails and we just pull off like we did today. It was just a great serve by us. So let's go to the party right now.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman
Three touchdowns. What are you most proud of in this type of performance?
"First you just give it to the offensive line. [Kansas City Chiefs LT] Orlando Brown, I don't know if you saw him, but he was getting out on the edge. [Kansas City Chiefs TE] Jody Fortson had a key block out there, too. Without them, I wouldn't get in the end zone. I think coach called the play at the right time and we executed."
It seems like the Chiefs have been trying to get you the ball in those open field type of plays, the screens and the jet sweeps. What makes you, other than that you're fast, so good in those open field situations?
"I think I have a good feel for it, man. Honestly, just the vision and trying to find the little holes and the little gas between the defenses you try to hit. If you can get through them with speed and you try to get somebody one on one, it's going to be a long day for that defender. So I'm just trying to do that."
Can you describe that longest touchdown of year, that 25 yarder? You kind of waited to set up some blocks, did some work to stay in bounds maybe?
"Yeah, I really thought they were going to flow better to that side. I didn't want go out of bounds. When I saw [Kansas City Chiefs TE] Noah [Gray] got off the block and I went back left, I'm like this is wide open over here. Let's just go over here then. So I just went back left and then back right. They kind of didn't do a good job of flowing over there, so I just took advantage."
Chiefs DT Chris Jones
Chris, coming off of a loss last week, where did you feel you guys showed most improvement in this game?
"I think we focused more on us where we can get better. I think we gave last week's game away. We had so many opportunities late in the game where we could have capitalized; whether it's a pass rush or a pass we could have caught. I think the focal point this week is that we capitalized on those opportunities. It's a great team that we played today. We know it's a hostile environment so we capitalized on those opportunities. We gave ourselves a chance to win."
Chris, we talked so much about you playing defensive end last year but you've been pretty successful at it in the spots you've played in this year. Was that something that's just game plan related? Is it something you're seeing during the game? How does that come about?
"You know [Kansas City Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo] calls the defense. We just try to give them a different look. I got a heck of a supporting cast with me and when they get double-teamed it frees me up to get a one-on-one. My job here is to win the one on one."
You guys have been down 10 points for more than one game. Can you describe being down 10-0? What is the energy like on your guys' sideline after you get down?
"I think we actually play better when we're down. I don't like to be down because it puts so much pressure on us to go out and score or go ahead and make a stop. But, I guess we like challenging ourselves at this point. But no one, no one got rattled and we came together as a team. I said at the beginning of this year we're going to face a lot of adversity as a team but it has continued to build character as a whole."
Heading into the bye week, where do you, how do you assess your team and the progress that this team has made for just seven weeks of the season.
"We're 5-2 right now. We're in a good spot. Most importantly, we're missing a lot of key pieces within this team. A lot of guys are still hurt, banged up. So we will get those guys back healthy. Everyone can get a little rest, get off their feet, take care of their body and we can come back and make some strides."
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco
Today, you had your debut. Talk about the feeling of being out there. Talk about the feeling of being a starter.
"It is definitely a good feeling. You know, just go out there and work but I'm not satisfied. You know, there's more work ahead for me and more game improvement. I definitely want to keep this rolling."
When did they notify you about the starting position?
"I didn't get notified about the starting position. I just came out there ready and my number got called. I'm ready to hit the road and do whatever coach wants me to do and take full advantage of it."
This afternoon you did the kickoff, the kick-off return, kickoff coverage and you were still playing running back. Can you talk about that?
"Definitely the transition from special teams to the offense is a little bit different, but you know, as a player, that's what it's all about; being able to be on the field of all cost I like doing it and if Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid continues to use me in that fashion, I'm willing to do it and I'm excited to see we got here and ready to keep going".
What do you take going into the bye week now with the second half of the season of coming?
"Go home and put in the work. We have to get ready for this next team and watch film so we can get a good look at our defense in order to execute once we get out there and make the plays".
Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Why do you think you've had so much success the past two games?
"I think it's the hard work we're putting in. Like I said, it's the chemistry. [Kansas City Chiefs QB] Patrick [Mahomes], you know, getting to trust all of us and putting the ball where it needs to be for us to go out and make the play. As you can see today, two tight ends, three tight ends catching balls, receivers catching balls, [WR] Mecole [Hardman] scores, I scored, and just spreading the ball around. Then, when your number is called, making plays."
Third game this year you've been down at least 10 points early and you guys came back to win. Is there something you've noticed joining this team about how they operate in those situations?
"Energy. Energy all day. That starts with [Kansas City Chiefs TE] Travis [Kelce], you know. That starts with Pat and it starts with [Kansas City Chiefs DT] Chris [Jones]. Those are the guys that get this team going. In the second half you can feel that. You can feel the passion that you're playing for one another."
Did the wide receivers take all the man coverage that you guys have been facing to heart this week?
"Oh no. It doesn't matter what we go against. Zone or man coverage, since I've been here, I've seen it all. I've seen every type of coverage you can go against. Coming into this game, I guess it's always like the first series. I'm like, 'what do we see?' 'What are they showing us early?' It kind of slowly changes as the game goes on. The coaches call the plays, we go out there, we execute, and we make the plays."
Chiefs CB Joshua Williams
Do you feel more motivated after this win?
"Absolutely, you don't ever want to give up two touchdowns in a game, nonetheless one. So when you do something like that you want to get back there, prove that you want to play."
How much did you want another opportunity to start?
"As much as I wanted to start week one, I'm always wanting to start. I understand everybody has a role, I am willing to take whatever role the coaches want to give me. [Kansas City Chiefs CB] Trent [Mcduffie] is a great player, I can't wait for him to come back healthy. I am going to do whatever it takes to help this team win until then."
How does it feel when you pick up a fellow rookie in Kansas City Chiefs WR Skyy Moore, after you made the interception?
"Skyy is a great player, he is a great returner too. I know he wants that play back, he came over and said 'thank you'. That's Skyy. I am glad we got the opportunity to stop them from putting points on the board. That was just a big turning point of the game."