The San Francisco 49ers continue practicing at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. They moved Friday's session, the second of three this week, indoors. Weather forced the change. It snowed overnight, leaving the outdoor fields in less-than-idea conditions.
On Thursday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the frigid temperatures would not force the team indoors. The only thing that would do so is snow. So the team held a lengthier-than-normal practice inside, where it was still cold, but players didn't have to deal with the wind or wet surfaces.
The 49ers will hold one more practice on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, the team will travel to Mexico City for Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
DeMeco Ryans, vampire repeller
DeMeco Ryans tries to stay positive with his players. It's easy to focus on the mistakes while analyzing the film, but the defensive coordinator tries to take a different approach and explained why on Friday.
"It's always positive," Ryans said. "I can easily harp on all of the negative things, the plays that we didn't make, or beat guys up, but that's not going to allow those guys to come back, and be confident, and make the plays that they're supposed to make. So, from me, it's always positive energy. No energy vampires allowed. I tell the guys, 'Always positive energy.' It's always upbeat because I want guys, when they make plays, I want guys enthusiastic about playing football.
"The game of football is fun. I want guys having fun out there, flying around, and most importantly, our guys have to be confident. You're confident when the energy is high, everybody's smiling, everybody's having fun. If we're making plays, that enthusiasm is going to be high, the energy is going to be high, and that's when turnovers happen. That's when big hits ... that's when big plays start to happen, when everybody is just bought in and playing for each other."
Colorado trip testing fortitude
The 49ers traveled to Colorado Springs to get acclimated to the altitude. However, the team didn't foresee the cold weather while planning the trip over the summer.
It turns out the weather, not just the altitude, has tested players the most. While Ryans has tried to keep things positive, the conditions have been challenging. Defensive end Nick Bosa hasn't minded the trip but admits that, for his teammates, positive vibes haven't been as easy to come by in Colorado.
"It's been an interesting trip," Bosa said. "It's definitely testing our fortitude and ability to stay positive."
On the bright side, it's great practice for a potential trip to Philadelphia in January.
Still, the players feel the trip will benefit them. They are getting acclimated to the altitude, which will give the 49ers an advantage come Monday night. Remember, the Cardinals have opted to practice this week in Glendale, Arizona, before making the trip to Mexico City.
"[The altitude] will test you a little bit," Garoppolo said. "You can tell guys are sucking air a little bit, but it's good for us. ... I think Nick worded it pretty well, so I'll just leave it at that."
Tipping plays
On Thursday, Kyle Shanahan was asked about the speculation that left tackle Trent Williams might be tipping plays at the line of scrimmage with his stance. The coach was unconcerned.
"It definitely would be a big deal [if true], but I don't study your viral videos ... or whoever's," Shanahan said. "We're pretty good with Trent."
On Friday, offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster was asked about the possibility that his veteran All-Pro tackle, among the best in the game, might be unintentionally helping opposing defenses.
"We're alway monitoring it to see where it is, and he's always working on it," Foerster said. "Sometimes it's just a situation where you start getting into your stance, and you realize what you need to do to get your job done demands that you just say, 'Whatever. I've got to get my job done.' Other times, there are times where he can be more conscious of it. So it's a constant battle with every player.
"Every player could give a tip, whether it's Trent with his foot, whether it's [T] Mike [McGlinchey] with this, or whether it's [G] Spencer [Burford] with this, or the center with this when he's going to snap the ball. We're always looking at it. We're looking at the TV copy. We're listening to everything. We're trying to see what the other teams may or may not get on it.
"If they think it's a tip, again, we're working on it, Trent's working on it. So that's about all I can say."
Williams was also asked about the topic, which has gone viral on social media this week.
"It's pretty nonsense," Williams said. "When you think about it, if you just think that football is as simple as knowing it's a run or a pass, then you kind of dismiss the knowledge that you have to have to compete at a high level. Just because you know it's [a] run don't mean you know what type of run.
"We just installed 50 runs with six looks [on] each run. I could show you run all day. Do you know which [of the] 50 runs we running? There's plays where we want it to look like [a] run, and we're passing it. And there's plays where we want it to look like a pass, and we're running it."
Williams added, "If that was the end-all-be-all, then that would be a big deal. But since it's not, it's only a big deal [as] a discussion on social media. It's not a discussion here."
Mooney's availability
Charvarius Ward missed his second consecutive practice. He has been away on a personal matter. However, the cornerback is expected to play on Monday night. The team informed reporters that Ward would rejoin his teammates on Friday night and participate in Saturday's practice.
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