San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Brock Purdy, and others spoke with reporters after Thursday's 30-12 win over the New York Giants. Here is everything they had to say.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"Alright, guys. Injuries from the game: [WR] Deebo [Samuel] had ribs, [LB Dre] Greenlaw and [LB Demetrius] Flannigan-Fowles both had an ankle."
Seemed like S Talanoa Hufanga came out a couple of times. Is he okay?
"He is from what I've been told."
They obviously blitzed a ton. I'm sure you're thinking about that with a DC over there, but was it even more than you could imagine? Did that take a little while to get adjusted to?
"No, that's what they do. That's what we've been preparing for. Sometimes they do it more games than others, but I'll see the numbers later how much they did it. But you always got to be ready for that on every play. They're a team that had zero blitzes on any play. They did the first play of the game. They did a bunch throughout the game and that makes things hit or miss usually for both sides."
How do you think you guys handled that?
"A number of times, I thought we handled it real well. There's a couple times we missed it too. I say the zero blitzes were probably an even match. But we got a couple big plays on it also, especially that touchdown at the end to [WR] Deebo [Samuel]. But I said it was about even when they did that."
You missed one on the first play of the game. You were upset about something.
"Oh yeah. I was upset about something, but I can't tell you."
How would you evaluate QB Brock Purdy's play tonight? Obviously, he was facing constant pressure and just to get the ball out, there were a couple of balls that you didn't really hit guys in stride obviously because of the pressure.
"Yeah, he missed a couple today and guys made a couple of real good catches also. I thought it was just a huge challenge. One of the biggest ones Brock's been in just the short week to prepare for a scheme like that. Just how much they do, they had six guys on the line of scrimmage throughout the game, half the time they're coming, half the time they're not. There's not a comfortable play throughout a game from a play call standpoint and from the quarterback just because there's a lot of plays that don't work versus that. So, you got to constantly be looking at it and sometimes they do, sometimes they don't, which is a huge challenge for a quarterback. I thought he settled down throughout it as the game went and ended up playing good enough for us to win."
There was some discussion about Brock maybe being a little off under pressure, but then he puts up his first regular season 300-yard game. He scored 30 points, passer ratings over 111. Is this what happens to a quarterback who's expected to win, maybe?
Probably, I don't know that's your guys' decision how you guys want to talk about it. It definitely wasn't his best game but I think Brock played well, definitely wasn't perfect, missed a couple throws but he also made a couple plays that I didn't think were there. So I was definitely happy with him."
You guys have made an emphasis of getting off to a fast start this season, to be sitting here now 3-0 heading into your mini buy, what does it mean for you guys?
That's the goal and real happy to be 3-0 right now. It's really cool to do it after a Thursday Night Game. There's not many times in the NFL where you get enjoy a win more than just that night. So it's always cool when you win on Thursdays. I told the guys if they want to win and have a weekend off, we got to earn it, and those guys did. Now you can sit back and relax a little bit, kind of enjoy how these last three weeks have gone and be ready to go on Monday."
You came away from both of the first two games, expecting to watch the film and say, 'Now we got a lot of work to do still.' Do you expect to say the same after this?
"Yeah, definitely. We did real good, time of possession, I think we had like 40 minutes. I thought our defense played real well. I thought they stepped it up. They started doing that in the second half last week and I thought it continued into today. It was a good job making them one dimensional in the run game. But we did very well in third downs on offense today, which allowed us to keep some drives going. But I think we got to improve because I think we could have more points than that."
You had a few special team mistakes and they got closer than they probably should have been by the way the game was going. Is that the point of concern in the game?
"Yeah, that was huge. I felt like we had all the momentum right there and then those two special teams penalties gave them a chance to get back into it. They got the big one to get us backed up. Our defense did an awesome job. I believe it was three-and-out to start. That's our chance to really take control of the game and we ended up getting the penalty to have us backed up. We had a fumbled snap, I believe on first-down miscommunication between the quarterback and center. Then when we punted to get in that penalty two weeks in a row for the same thing was huge. That gave them a great field position and made it a game there for a second."
Were they trying to get you to take those short passes and you just have to keep taking them until obviously Deebo breaks one like that?
"A lot of times they're bringing more people than we have blocking. So you got to get rid of it real fast. When people zero [blitz], they're always bringing one more than you, usually depends if the guy's blocking, if they want to hug up or dropping the coverage. Usually they're hugging up so you got to get rid of the ball fast when it's situations like that. But that's also why you got some good looks to run with it because if you make one guy miss, there's no one else left. We got some guys who are pretty good at making people miss and pretty good at breaking tackles."
Will Deebo need x-rays on his ribs?
"I don't know. I'm sure, but it was good that he came back in. He came back in, which usually means you're hoping it's positive but I know he is sore right now and we'll have to check that out."
In the series of the game where I think's third-and-15 and you put the ball in his hands and he gets the first-down. In retrospect, how big was that just to get the chains moving you guys go down to school?
"It was huge. That one to him on third-and-15, I don't know if it was the same drive or not. I think it was. Then we had I think a third-and-13 possibly that we did one to [RB] Christian [McCaffrey]. It's a great job by [OL] Spencer [Burford] getting up on the guy who had Christian in coverage and once he got him and we got by him, there was no one else left. So both of those were two huge plays because usually in third-and-long you're almost surrendering. But we got some good guys with the ball in our hands with hands and the blockers were all good on those plays too."
Do you think you could feel the absence of WR Brandon Aiyuk out there? How did you think the other receivers did?
"Yeah, anytime you're missing a great player – I mean there's always an absence, but I thought [WR] Ronnie Bell and [WR] Ray-Ray [McCloud III] played really well. Didn't give them many targets. They had a couple opportunities, and we got some zero looks so they didn't get it. But there was no play in the game where I can remember that they had a bad play. So, they did their job."
Thirty appears to be the magic number. You've scored 30 in all three wins. I would think it has to be somewhat encouraging given that you have more plays to be made.
"That's why we tried to struggle in the red zone so we could keep 30 three weeks in a row [laughing]. I didn't even realize that until after, but I mean, it's great to get 30 three weeks in a row but we felt like we left a lot out there too."
Was Aiyuk close to playing this game? If it was a Sunday do you think…
"I think he probably could if it was a Sunday. We were hoping maybe he could wake up different today, but he didn't have a chance once we saw that."
Did Ronnie Bell prove anything to you today?
"No, he already has proven to us. We've been real happy with Ronnie. Thought he was ready for the moment. I thought it was a challenge for him just on a short week getting all the game plan together, especially his first time going through that. But I'll see when I see the tape, but I thought he'd stepped it up and played real well."
The team has really scored a lot since Purdy's been your quarterback. Is it something attributable or is it just the fact that he's doing things that get you guys to score a lot of points?
"Yeah, I mean, he is playing well. He's played very well since he's gotten an opportunity to get in there. He's hasn't made many mistakes and he gets the ball in our guys' hands and reads the coverages right too. And when stuff isn't there, he makes a lot of plays to keep us on the field and he's done a hell of a job."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
Their defensive coordinator blitzes a lot, but even just from the outset it seemed like almost every time you dropped back they were blitzing.
"Yeah, that's their scheme. That's how they've done things. They're pretty good at it so going into the game we had an idea obviously just on film and whatnot that that's what we're going to get. They stuck to it and yeah, it was a four quarter game."
Was there a sequence in the game where you felt it looked like things kind of got off to a choppy start with the passing attack - was there a sequence that you kind of felt like things were starting to click?
"There were some looks that were there that I was off and inaccurate or some things just didn't happen right within our scheme. I felt like it was a little choppy at first and then once we got into a rhythm, we sort of saw what they were doing and at what point in the game they're going to start doing stuff. We had a good feel for it, a couple drives into the game once we got rolling, we were putting some drives together, we got in the red zone and we just have to score. Obviously the field goals and putting up points are great, but our standard, we want to be able to score touchdowns when we get in the red zone."
We've seen clips with former head coach Bill Parcells before talking to his quarterbacks in training camp and saying, okay, I know you don't like dealing with the blitz now, but pretty soon you're going to love it because that's where plays are made. Do you feel that way?
"Obviously that's the risk that the defense is taking when they're blitzing. We can capitalize on offense with some big plays and we had some stuff dialed up for what we were going to do when they did blitz. At the same time, if you're not on point, then they're going to get to you. There was a couple times in the game where they got us, but at the same time, I feel like we were able to get a couple plays here and there on their blitz and take advantage of it. We've got to watch the film, learn from it. When another defense starts to pressure and do things like that, I feel like there are big plays to be made."
How happy are you with the team's start so far?
"It's huge. Obviously you want to win every game, but we have a high standard. We have a standard that we want to be the best versions of ourselves. For us it's sort of like, yeah, we win the game which is most important and is great, but there's stuff out there that we can clean up and be better at. That's the standard that we have here. We have 14 more games to do that, to be the best versions of ourselves and clean things up. We're going to take it one day at a time, but it's huge for us to be 3-0 and have momentum."
You put up 310 passing yards and a passer rating over 111. Do you accept that as a pretty good game or do you don't even want to think about that?
"I don't really get wrapped up in the stats and stuff. There's some throws out there that I missed that could've obviously helped us get the lead earlier, quicker and faster. Those are the things that sort of are in my mouth that I have a bad taste from that I want to be better at. So watch the film, keep getting better and we just want to keep winning."
49ers WR Ronnie Bell
Tell us about your journey, you were a seventh round draft pick, no guarantee to make this team. You had a great summertime and now you make the roster and WR Brandon Aiyuk is out and you have an opportunity to show what you can do tonight.
"Yes sir, I'm just blessed and always ready. I kind of feel like the position I was put in being drafted seventh round is a position that I have found myself in multiple times throughout this football journey. So, it isn't anything I wasn't used to and I just feel really blessed to have a healthy and good summer in camp. I just to get the opportunity, I'm forever thankful."
Did you have a moment to kind of savor it on the sidelines?
"I was more just crunk on the sideline. I mean, yeah, like you kind of take it all in, but I was just really excited, you know what I mean? To get that opportunity, to get that chance."
It doesn't matter whether it's 10, 15, 20 years from now, you'll always remember my first NFL catch was a touchdown.
"Yeah, that's right. My first college one was a touchdown too. So, I mean I love that. Just looking for many more. That's right."
That wasn't your only play though. How about that tip ball that you went up and got?
"Yeah. Again, just the right place, at the right time. The ball just was in the air for so long, I wish it would've come down a little quicker, I might've had another one."
Ronnie, with the special teams tackle, do you pride yourself on showing all the different things you can do in the team?
"Absolutely. Throughout this whole process, throughout this whole NFL journey, I've prided myself on being as versatile as possible. Whether that's offense, special teams, or return. Wherever you need me, wherever you want me, I plan to make plays on the field. So yes, something I take a lot of pride in is being out there on special teams and making plays."
49ers DL Nick Bosa
Did you think it was a safety?
"No. I know he had the forward momentum."
How's the defensive line playing overall?
"I think tonight, all around as a unit, was one of the best performances. Well, the best performance we've had together. Winning rushes, everybody, really fast. Sometimes too fast where he [Giants QB Daniel Jones] could get it out. But the interior, [DL] Arik [Armstead] and [DL] Javon [Hargrave] had really good games today."
How much of your emphasis in this game was making sure that Daniel Jones didn't beat you guys with his legs?
"It was big. I think we did a pretty darn good job with that. Getting guys right in his face quick and being disciplined on the edge. It was good."
How confident are you in QB Brock Purdy?
"I'm extremely confident in him and I know when I see him after games, he's never too high or never too low. Even when there are plays out there that he misses, he's very keen on trying to make those improvements. He had an amazing day."
49ers DL Javon Hargrave
Do you feel like you guys were getting a little more pressure this week than last?
"Yeah I think they were really giving us a chance to get back there, so we got a lot of opportunities."
DL Nick Bosa being back his third week, does he feel like he's more up to speed?
"Oh yeah, he's a monster. He draws a lot of attention, so it just opens up a lot of other guys."
This was a game where essentially, the dogs needed to eat and you guys ate tonight. What was working for you where you just owned the line of scrimmage like that?
"Everybody was just winning. Everybody came into the game knowing we needed to win on a short week. We did a good job, just taking care of our bodies this week and just having a lot of energy today."
49ers DT Javon Kinlaw
DT Javon Hargrave was just over there saying that you have just been killing it since you've been out there, since he's been here watching you. How does that make you feel?
"[Hargrave] is the man. I can't say it enough about him. He's just a great athlete. It shows. Powerful guy. Strong. Does what he wants out there. Whatever he want to do, it works. It's a blessing for me to be able to come in after him, and then I get to learn from him and what's he is seeing out there. So it's a blessing right now. Also, [DT] Arik [Armstead] was winning at a high rate tonight. He's been winning at high rate all season. That's what he does. So it's a blessing for me."
I know you said Arik Armstead is one of your favorite players. Is Javon Hargrave maybe the second? A runner-up?
"For sure. I just try to see who I can compare myself to. And I feel like Arik [Armstead], that's the number-one guy. Everything he does from a power standpoint to working edges. It's just everything that I want to be in the future."
How much have those two upped your game?
"A lot. We just talk a lot of ball. We talk a lot about moves and things that work. It's been awesome for me to improve the toolbox behind those two."
Is there a move in particular that Javon Hargrave has really helped you perfect?
"Just running through people. He does it at a high level, so shoot, I just like to come in behind him and do the same thing."
49ers TE George Kittle
3-0. How does it feel?
"3-0, it feels great especially after a Thursday night game so you have a couple extra days to enjoy it. I am just looking forward to watching a lot of football games on Sunday and getting ready to play another week".
Can you describe the groove you feel like San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy is in?
"I think Brock's just confident in his abilities. His confidence is pretty high in our offense and just in general, he's getting really comfortable with the playbook. So he's just got to go out there and play quarterback. I think the great thing that he does is he gets hit a couple times and he stays in the pocket and he delivers. That's what you want in a quarterback. He's just stepping up. He's making the plays, and he's giving our best players opportunities with the football."
Should San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel be an honorary tight-end?
"Yes and no. Yes and no. I think that the YAC definitely one hundred percent puts him in that category. I don't know how much he likes to put his hand in the dirt, but yes, he can be honored. I'll take that."
George, you guys have talked a lot about getting off to a fast start, so what does this start do for your long-term goals?
"It's a great start. That's what it is. You know, last year I think we started 1-2 and you don't want to do that. So starting 3-0 is definitely better for us. We're just going to try to keep that train chugging along."
3-0 in a short week, is there a lot you should be critical of?
"You would expect it to be a super skimpy playbook. Definitely not. I think it was one of our biggest game plans that we've had. It is just a testament to our coaches believing in us and our guys. Taking that responsibility, studying, and, getting all those plays right. We had a lot dialed up that they had to prepare for and I think that actually really helped us out in the long run because we did so much different stuff that I just don't think they were one hundred percent ready for."
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
They blitzed a lot because of the playmakers that you have. What's out there if you do it right?
"Yes, anytime you get a team that plays a lot of zero, does a lot of different blitzing, it's hit or miss, you really have to execute. You have to be on your Ps and Qs. You have to know when you're hot. You have to know what you have in protection and go from there. You just let the game take care of itself."
What did you see from your quarterback when he's getting all this pressure in his face and maybe didn't start off right, he was talking about a couple misreads. What did you see from him in this game?
"I thought he got much better as the game was going on. I'm not a quarterback's coach, so I don't always like to comment on quarterback play, but I know that as he started seeing things he was rolling and now we're lucky he's our quarterback, that's for sure. He makes a lot of big plays. He's not afraid to throw the ball deep. He saw the one to [WR] Deebo [Samuel] that was awesome and we just have to go out there and keep making plays for him."
You want to tie former San Francisco 49ers WR Jerry Rice with your score touchdown, 12 straight games a franchise. Tying a franchise record, Jerry Rice is quite good. Does that honor mean something to you?
"Yes, that's a huge honor. Obviously scoring touchdowns is a team thing. The O-line did a great job blocking, I just had to hit the hole. But yes, that's a huge honor to be mentioned with somebody like that."
49ers K Jake Moody
Quick turnaround for you guys this week. Now you get a few days off. That's got to feel good to have this break knowing that you guys are 3-0 rolling into Arizona.
"It feels really good. It's going to be much needed. We wanted to make sure we got out with a win. Obviously you don't want to lose and then have a whole weekend to think about it, so it's going to be a nice weekend after a win."
How about the wind here? What's it like kicking here so far? What's your experience been like?
"It gets pretty tough. I talked with their kicker in warmups. Initially he was telling me how nice it is and how nice the weather is, but after he was warming up as well he told me, 'you know, this wind's tough.' This is probably one of the hardest stadiums to kick in. It's just a matter of doing it more and getting more practice with the different wind patterns and stuff. It's nothing I haven't played with, you know, in college. So it's nothing crazy."
What is the difference kicking from the south side and the north side from a kicker's perspective?
"It seems like the wind's always coming from the bay. So it comes from that open end and then once it comes in through there, I have no idea what it does. It's swirling off to the sides of the bleachers. It's coming kind of through the other open end. You just got to hit a clean kick. If you get one like off the toe or something, for example, the wind's just going to beat it up. So you just got to make sure that you pound the kick and hit it right down the middle with some stuff behind it and it should go through."
49ers WR Deebo Samuel
When you go into a game, not just you, but the entire offense without San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, how much do you guys kind of feel a sense of responsibility to pick it up?
"We love Brandon and we want him to be out there as much as possible, but I didn't think we were going to risk putting him out there and putting him in danger. It's kind of like a next man up type of situation. For me it was kind of different because I was talking to Brandon last night, I was like, 'bro, like this is my first time being in a huddle without you'. It kind of felt weird during practice, but it was good to get the win as a team."
The New York Giants defense blitzed so much tonight, do you look forward to teams blitzing?
"I think they are going to blitz a good bit because we run the ball very well. Sometimes there are some things you can't prevent. As you can see they got a good bit of pressure on [San Francisco 49ers QB] Brock [Purdy] and caused a couple three and outs. It is about how long can you sustain doing that? The second half we came out and executed a lot on third down".
Where were you hurting when you had to leave the game briefly before your touchdown?
"I actually fell on the ball and I thought it was my ribs. I think the wind got knocked out of me, but after going in the tent, everything checked out fine and out I was good."
How was the touchdown designed?
"It depends on how the defender plays it. It was kind like a double move because they were playing a good bit inside on me today. Luckily we got that call at the end, but Brock made an awesome job of putting the ball only where I can get it."
49ers LB Fred Warner
How does it feel to be 3-0?
"To start, nobody's satisfied, though. I wouldn't say that. I think there's so much room for improvement. You can watch the tape and there's little things all over the place that every single guy can get better at, and we got a long way to go from the team that we want to be going forward."
What did you make of the play of CB Isaiah Oliver and how he's elevated the last few weeks after having a rough preseason?
"Are you talking about a specific play or just his play in general?"
In general, yeah.
"His play has been amazing. You see the growth every single week. Him getting better, I think that comes from confidence and just continuing to keep his head down and grind. We signed him for a reason. He's a heck of a player and he's continuing to get better, which is exactly what you want."
Big picture for you: 3-0. You're starting out a stretch of three straight games at home, which has to be so nice after two on the road. What is the Thursday night plan now that you have an extended weekend? Sit back and relax a little bit? What's the Fred Warner plan?
"Spend some time with my wife, watch film, see what I need to improve going forward heading into -- I think we have Arizona next. Just see where we can get better. I'll for sure be in the building, regardless. I'm not going anywhere. It's a long season. You got to stay all the way dialed and all the way focused all the way through.
Relaxing or doing something that's not involving a football?
"Yeah. That's hard to do for me."
Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll
You've been down at halftime in all three games. Why have you had difficult starts?
"We went down there and got points. Obviously, you want to start fast. That's a heck of a team. It usually comes down to making plays when you have an opportunity to make plays. They did a good job, give them credit. That's a heck of a football team there. We came back out in the second half, had a score, went for two to try to cut it to three. It was a 17-12 game. Just give them credit. They did a lot of good stuff. That's a good team."
Why couldn't guys get off the field defensively on third down?
"I think they were seven of nine in the first half. And a few of them were screens where they just caught and run. We've got to rally the ball out and make tackles. Third down was huge tonight in this game. It was a contributing factor to doubling the time of possession on both sides. When you're not converting third downs and you're giving up some third downs, there's time of possession. Your defense gets tired and we're not out on the field offensively enough. It's a collective thing."
You knew the running game was going to be up against it without Giants RB Saquon Barkley. But were you disappointed in how little you got?
"Again, that's a good football team. There's a lot of stuff that we can do better in every phase. We'll get back to work. The players will get some days off and we'll try to correct some things and come back ready to go."
Were they doing anything specific to limit Giants QB Daniel Jones?
"No, no. They played their defense. They're fast, talented, aggressive. Nothing in particular."
What did you see in Daniel?
"I'm going to watch the tape on the way back. I'm sure there's plays he'd like to have back. I'm sure there's plays everybody would like to have back."
Were you limited offensively because of some injuries?
"No excuses. We could do a better job."
With how shorthanded you were because of injuries, can you take any positives from the game?
"You have to take the good from it and you have to learn from the bad. Just like every game. The guys competed. We competed all the way to the end. They made more plays than we did. You go back and take a look at it and get going on the next week."
The missed tackles were glaring tonight. Is that because you weren't able to get out on the field and have full practices?
"No. No excuses. Nope."
What made you decide to go with Giants RG Mark Glowinski?
"That's something we talked about as a coaching staff. He was going to go in at left, right Mark or be a backup. We wanted to give him an opportunity to go out and play."
What did you see in the skirmish at the end of the first half?
"I saw a couple of punches thrown and then the referees backed everybody off. I couldn't see the whole thing. I just saw a couple of punches there."
There was a report about Saquon's high ankle sprain. Does that make it more difficult for somebody to come back?
"I'd say he was considerably better. I talked to him the day I talked to you guys and the next day he just said I don't think I'll be able to go. I said, 'Okay, we'll rule you out and we'll see where it goes next week.' But he's walking around."
There were two plays that looked like you had a chance to get the ball to Giants TE Darren Waller.
"One was the over and the other one was a double move. That one was close. We missed it. We missed the one on the over. The other one was fairly tight coverage. He tried to put it kind of behind him. The one that we missed on the over, it was an 11-point game at that particular time and it just sailed over his head a little bit."
Is that a catch you make?
"I think it was a little bit high. It was overthrown."
Other than the first play, you didn't really take many shots out there today. Were they taking that away?
"We called a fair amount of them, whether they're high-Vs, crossers, middle posts. A couple of times we had them and the protection leaked a couple of times. They covered them. It was a delicate balance with that defensive line that they've got. You have to decide how many guys you keep in to help out the protection to make sure you can get off more vertical routes versus getting it out a little bit quicker. Again, I just give that team a lot of credit. They're a really good football team."
Going back to Saquon, when you don't have him, does that make it harder to have play action actually be effective because the defense doesn't have to focus on him?
"No excuses with anybody that missed the game or who played. We have to go out there, compete and try to win our football games. There's no excuses."
That illegal contact on Giants LB Kayvon Thibodeaux, do you think it was within the five yards?
"Yeah, but it wasn't, I guess."
You guys had some costly penalties. Do you feel like some were questionable?
"They call what they see. They've got a tough job to do. Again, that's an excuse. We're not going to make excuses about any of it."
Did you get an explanation on why Giants DL Leonard Williams was called for roughing the passer?
"He landed on him with full body contact. I understand why they called it."
Does he have the break is full?
"Yeah, try to go to the side. It's hard to do, but they've shown plenty of tape to us. Leo was playing his tail off, playing hard and just landed right with full body contact. They'll call that mostly every time."
Most people will look at the 49ers as one of the best teams and the way you guys played today, it was close, but the final score wasn't close. Is there a good lesson for these guys to see what it's going to take to get to the top of the league?
"You have to be at your best every week. They are a very good football team. We play good football teams every week. A lot of work needs to be done. We'll clean up some of the mistakes, learn from some of the good things and get ready to play next week."
Considering you said that you were optimistic about Saquon this week, do you think with 11 days, he can get back?
"We'll see. He's been getting better. We'll see where he's at. I'm not going to give it a timetable. I just know that since it happened, each day he felt a little better."
After spending six days on the West Coast, do you feel like you're still a good football team?
"We just got done getting beat, so, you're not happy when you get beat. I've got all of the confidence in the people in our room and we've got a lot of work to do. Again, make no excuses, roll up our sleeves, go to work and have a good week of practice."
Do you know anything about the severity of Giants CB Deonte Banks' injury? Or Giants DL D.J. Davidson?
"I don't. I haven't talked to [Giants VP of Medical Services] Ronnie [Barnes] yet. Banks I see as an arm. Davidson's an elbow. That's what I've got on this."
What was the thinking about calling the timeouts at the end of the game and putting Giants QB Tyrod Taylor in?
"I wanted to give Tyrod an opportunity to try to get a drive, try to finish, play 60 minutes."
What about Giants WR Wan'dale Robinson?
"We had some good routes in there. It was good to get him back. We had a pitch count on him for this game and hopefully next week, we'll be able to add a little more to it."
Giants QB Daniel Jones
Opening Statement
"We just didn't make enough plays. Obviously it's a good defense, going up against them and credit to them. They play well, but we have to convert a couple of those opportunities. When you play a good team like that, you have to be crisp. We have to be clean and we didn't do that."
For yourself it looked on those two passes one down late second quarter and fourth quarter, a little bit high. Those two are the ones you talk about that you'd love to have back?
"Yes. Certainly those and just, I think there were plays across the board that I would like to have back and those are definitely two of them."
What happened on those couple of points there?
"Just missed a throw. I have to give them a better ball."
You've fallen behind double digits at halftime. In each of the three games this season, what's going on with these slow starts and how difficult is it to get out of those holes?
"Yes, it's not what we're trying to do, so we have to find a way to figure that out. Execute better early in the game, finish in the end zone, take advantage of opportunities, but it comes down to making plays and executing better in those situations."
You had it going so well in the second half in Arizona. Obviously it's difficult, it's different teams, different personnel and stuff like that, but you are just unable to get any kind of rhythm, were 49ers that much better?
"We didn't create a rhythm. We didn't execute didn't take advantage of our opportunities. Certainly is a good defense. It's a good team. When you're playing good teams, you can't afford to do that. We didn't play well enough."
Was it frustrating tonight out there? Did you feel yourself or maybe any of your teammates getting frustrated by the San Francisco 49ers and what they were trying to do?
"I think it was frustrating at times, but I felt like we were in the game really until the end and had chances to make plays really until the end. I think we stayed confident and believed and we just didn't do it there down the stretch. So I think we did a good job kind of keeping a level head and competing."
New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt made a couple of those big plays the other night in Arizona. It didn't seem like he was out there that much. Maybe New York Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson taking some of those snaps or whatnot. Was that a plan to get him deep again?
"I think we are always trying to make plays and get the ball to those guys, so have to look at where there could have been opportunities to do that and do a better job with that. So he's a dynamic player and we didn't have enough plays, period. We didn't possess the ball well enough, didn't convert third down. I think had we done that better, it would've been more opportunities for everybody."
How would you assess, you were not looking at any tape, how you probably played today?
"Not good enough. Not good enough."
Giants RB Matt Breida
There were some places where you were triple teaming San Francisco 49ers DL Nick Bosa, how much of the focus was on trying to neutralize him?
"He's a great player, I think he's a once-in-a-generation player. Have to give him props. He caused problems so we did the best we can to neutralize him. I think the next time we play him we'll have a better game plan."
Does that limit what you can do, when you have so many guys focused on not just him but other guys too, which takes some of the receivers out?
"It does, but like I've said before too, we missed out on opportunities we should have made as an offense. So, we have to get better with that and just start faster."
How do you feel about this team right now after you've gone through two games in five days, now going home for a long break before you play Seattle? What is your sense about where you guys are at?
"I feel good, we have a lot of young players on this team that have to go through those pains and aches sometimes, just being able to ensure that they have the resilience. I think that last week was a good sign that these guys don't give up. If you're in the NFL you can come back and win from almost any score. So, I think this team has a lot to learn but I think we'll be alright. Like I said, it's only the third game, so we have a lot of football to play and we'll be alright."
Giants OLB Adoree' Jackson
With two games in five days and now getting out of here, what do you feel about this team?
"I love this team. I love the way we fight. I love the way we've battled early in the season. Obviously, I don't want things to go the way they went. Obviously everybody wanted to be 3-0 but not everybody can be 3-0 in this league. So for us, just look at the film, look at the tape and correct it. Like I said, it's a long season. We're only three games in. We still got 14 more to go so you can't hang your head too low. Even if you win you can't hold your head too high. You have to stay humble and take everything with a grain of salt and keep working."
Why was it so difficult getting them off the field on third down?
"We didn't execute. We didn't tackle well. That was just it. We had them in certain long situations. We just didn't tackle. We didn't execute our assignments."
Giants DL Dexter Lawrence
Tonight, was it a tackling thing or what? Was there a common denominator?
"They were just making plays. Their playmakers were just making plays and when we attacked, we would get to them late type-of-thing. There were a lot of screens that we didn't get to. We just have to be better. We all have to run to the ball and go get it"
How do you leave these six days out here? How do you feel about this team?
"Honestly, I like the way we ended our last game. We attacked as a defense. It was very promising. I think we just have to correct the little things that have been hurting us. We have to watch the film and figure out what that is."
Most people think the San Francisco 49ers are one of the best teams, if not the best team, in the conference. What does that say about this team and the way this game went tonight?
"I think it shows the heart that we have and the competitive stamina that we have as a unit. I think we just have to keep going out there and keep fighting and showing who we are."
Giants ILB Bobby Okereke
What did you see from WR Deebo Samuel and RB Christian McCaffery tonight?
"They're good playmakers, really good playmakers. They made plays after the catch and that was the deciding factor."
Even through all the ups and downs of the first three quarters it was really only a one score game going into the fourth and that's when they were able to pad the lead. How discouraging was that?
"I mean it's tough, they're a good football team, really good football team. But you know, we believe we're a really good football team too. So we just got to keep chopping wood, get back to work this week and get ready for our next opponent."
You talk about the execution. What does it take for you guys to not make those mistakes?
"I mean obviously we need to put more of an emphasis on tackling. We have a lot of missed tackles across the board at different positions. Execution wise, guys just have to do their job starting with me, I have to be better."
Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson
I know it's not the way you wanted the night to go, but for you to be able to go back on the field and contribute and actually be in a game and make some catches how'd it feel?
"It felt great. Obviously, I think it would obviously feel a little better with a win. So I just want to do whatever I can to help us get the W."
After having to wait so long to get back on the field, what was it like during pregame warm up? And did you kind of have the butterflies and the jitters early?
"Yeah, definitely. Just getting back out there, obviously it's been almost a year now from being out on the football field. So I was just excited and grateful to be back and just trying to soak it all in."
This was step one to get you back in a game, what is step two? What's the next litmus test for you as you continue to progress?
"I would say it's just the volume of everything, just continuing to get more and more. I was having more and more reps out there on the field and getting more and more reps in practice with [New York Giants QB] Daniel [Jones] and just continuing to grow with him."
Were you able to see by looking at this offense from the sideline and now in the game, where you guys might be able to push forward?
"Oh yeah, definitely. I mean obviously we have the little iPads over there and we see the little mistakes that we might be making and we know exactly how close we are. We just got to hone in on all the details and just get this thing right for Monday night."
Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux
You came out with the highest blitz rate in the recent era I think. How does that affect your aggressiveness as a defense?
"That's the way [New York Giants DL Coach] Wink Martindale calls it. You know, he calls the game and we go play. So I think the team is confident in the play call and I feel like that's a part of our DNA."
It got pretty testy out there. Like there were a couple times, it seems like there were some extracurricular activities. Was something going on between you guys and the other team?
"It's just the heat of the game, you know? When you have big games and a lot of great players on the field, it gets chippy."
How do you guys leave this? Obviously you know on this trip you played two games in five days. Now you get on a plane. What do you feel about this team right now?
"We're trying to build this brick by brick. We started playing a little bit of complimentary football. I feel like there were some spurts of the team that we could be. We just have to be more consistent."
Some of the screen passes and maybe some of the tackling on defense. What was your sense there?
"Fundamentals. We have to run. The screen belongs to everybody so we all have to be a part of it. We all have to do our jobs, you know? It is a team game at the end of the day so I can't really blame not one person. You just have to keep getting better at the fundamentals."
Giants TE Darren Waller
Tell us about the third down later in the game, was that just too high to get to?
"Yeah, it's another one where anytime your hands get on it, you have to make it. Running across the field like that, the turn is difficult, but it's not something I'm going to sit here and make excuses for."
Darren, why do you think those really strong plays we were seeing from you in training camp haven't yet transitioned to the regular season?
"I feel like things are in processing time. Results don't always come the way that you like in the quantity that you like, or as soon as you'd like them to happen sometimes. It's just a matter of staying with the process. I know that I've had times in my career where you feel like you can't miss out there, and then sometimes I've had games where I've had like 10 yards. So it's just a matter of staying in the middle. I know what I'm capable of, I know what the offense is capable of, it's just a matter of keep going."
Why was it so tough to really get anything going offensively?
"I mean you have to give them credit. This is one of our top defenses over the last few years. The way that they apply pressure, the way they can get you to play behind the sticks sometimes, that puts you at a disadvantage and makes you have to make hero plays if you stay ahead of the sticks. If you make those consistent plays, and get ahead on early downs, you can make it easy to sustain a drive."