San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen and offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster spoke to reporters after Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen
How does this offense look different under Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown than it did under Chicago Bears former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron?
"They've just been in so many good, tough, combative games. They have the talent, I feel like their record doesn't show that and really good teams that they've played close. They have so much ability. I think the quarterback is getting better, all the skill players that they have are weapons and they're just a resilient team that's been executing better and just continually improving throughout each week."
How has LB Dre Greenlaw looked out there?
"He's looked good. I think he feels good. I think with him it's day-to-day in hoping that he feels good today and then he feels better tomorrow and we'll see. But he looks good. I think he's enjoying it, being back out there."
Does he look like the old Dre and like his reflexes and seeing everything?
"Oh, yeah. He looks great. He looks like Dre."
What about S Talanoa Hufanga?
"Same. He's been, those guys have so much energy and they bring so much just having him out there, it's cool. It's good to see those guys back. I think they're excited and we're all feeding off of that."
Have you seen him catch anything with his club yet?
"Yeah, not so much. But he's, we'll work on it. He'll be able to catch it. If it's close, he'll catch it. He's a playmaker."
I'm sure when the season began you didn't envision DL Evan Anderson starting a lot of games. He did on Sunday. It seemed like he came out pretty well. What was your assessment of him?
"Yeah, he's been really stout for us. Like you said, we felt like we had some good depth there and he was someone that we could develop and hope that we could have on our team. But just like a lot of guys, they've had to step up and Evan's done that. I think he, there was a moment there in mid-season or so, he continually got better kind of right after training camp and that's when he started to have to play and get up there and play more and then continually play more. And just from him, he's stayed really stout, knowing what he's doing, doing his job. He's got good strength, so he can get off of blocks too when he's at the point of attack and make tackles. So he's just, pleased with how he's doing."
In your wins, you've defended the run really well. In your losses, it seems like the run defense has been a bigger issue. What do you see as the main way you need to fix the run game?
"There's a lot of ways. Whether it's just execution, whether it's tackling, I think it's different each time. But it's just definitely not good enough. We need to do it better earlier in the game, because then they start to control the game and then it gets out of hand or it gets just uneven. That's not how we want to play. Giving up over 100 yards in a half, let alone a game, it's in a half, it's just unacceptable. We can't do it, our guys know it. We need to be disciplined. It doesn't matter who is playing, it's their opp. We expect a lot from whoever is in the game. We just have to be better. Got to coach it better, we've got to play better in every aspect, in every way."
The redzone is just, nine-for-nine the last two weeks, 100-percent, it can't get worse, it's a crisis situation. Is there a solution? Is there an answer?
"We're looking at everything. Whatever needs to be done, we're trying. We've got to ask the same thing. Same as the run. We've got to, same as not taking the ball away, same as third down. These situational parts of our defense have to get better. And it doesn't matter who is in there. We've got to coach it better, we've got execute better. So, we look at every aspect of it, evaluate everything. Looking at how, looking at ourselves even more throughout what we've done. Are there things we need to change? Do we just need to tighten up what we're doing? We just evaluate. Then it's also your opponent. Does that apply to who you're playing? It's not good. It's not good enough. We have to get it better."
Is it guys trying to make plays instead of sticking to their assignments? Is that what the issue is? Because I know you build it so that it will work, but what's the disconnect?
"It's just a combination. It's just a combination. We've just got to, we just have to finish. Sometimes we get it to a third down in the redzone too, or it gets down to the one. Well, we can't let it. First of all, it shouldn't get to the redzone. That's the best way to play good redzone defense is not let it get down there. And when, like you said, nine-for-nine, five times, five-for-five, next game, four-for-four. That's a lot of opps in the redzone. I don't care if they started there and it's some type of sudden change, it doesn't matter. If we're hitting the redzone, we've got to stand up, we've got to stop them. And it just hasn't been good enough."
You mentioned discipline. Is it people, is it guys not staying on their assignment?
"It's all of us. It's all of us. We've got to do better."
No DL Nick Bosa, of course, in Buffalo and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a pretty good game. What's the plan of attack if Bosa is not able to go this week, knowing that he hasn't practiced and he has that injury? Who are you guys really focused on picking up the slack against another skilled quarterback?
"With Nick it's, yeah, everybody, it's everybody. With this quarterback it's, we knew Josh could move, you kind of know he would move more one certain direction, but [Chicago Bears QB] Caleb [Williams] is just, he kind of can go everywhere. He's explosive and there's not one way he goes, there's not one certain time, because he'll get rid of the ball quick and be on time and be really efficient that way. He can get to his progression sometimes, but he gets out of the pocket in every aspect and he can extend it. And then he's got the arm talent too, and you see that when he's outside the pocket. So really it's, it's really everybody. It's not just if Nick played or didn't play, is it just Nick. Even if he is playing, it's still everybody. It's the second wave of guys because he can run and he will run and he can throw it too. So it's not just the guys rushing, it's the guys covering too. So we all have, we're all a part of it. If he extends a play seven seconds, you've got to chase him for seven seconds, but you also have to cover for seven seconds. So it's really everybody."
How do you think CB Charvarius 'Mooney' Ward faired in his first game back and under pretty difficult circumstances with the snow and everything?
"Yeah, outside of a couple plays, I thought he did good. And the situation, he battled back and I thought the last couple weeks he's had really good practice. I was excited to have him out there. I think he was too. It was, because of the whole situation and everything, I thought he did well. I was just happy to have him back."
Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Chris Foerster
Opening comments:
"Hey, real quick before we get started, My Cause My Cleats this week, great cause. I'm wearing shoes for ovarian cancer. I lost my wife on February 4, 2024 this year, just a week before the Super Bowl. She died from ovarian cancer. The thing I want to say about it is, when you wear these things and they're a nice cause and everything. The one thing she wanted to have said, and this is a good opportunity for me to have an opportunity to say it, is she didn't lose a battle. She was diagnosed and given six months to live in 2018 and ended up living six years. And all these people that fight this battle every single day, we stand up for that cause. Any extra day, week, month that a person can have with their family when they're suffering. Sure, we all hope for a cure one day, but to be able to stand up and say that I fought the fight. Don't say I lost the battle. That's what I'm saying right now. She didn't lose the battle. She fought a good fight, gave us all six years. I proudly wear these for the cause. Thanks for letting me share that."
You and T Trent Williams are very close and he's going through something right now. Have you had a chance to talk with him? How are his spirits and how hard has this been?
"I spoke with him right after it happened, and Trent's spirits were as to be expected. He was doing well. He understood what happened and how it happened and the details of it are for Trent to share. But obviously it's a tough situation. Everybody has tough situations. I think that's the thing that gets missed. Every single person in this building, Trent obviously is in the spotlight at this moment, goes through tough times. A couple weeks ago it was Mooney [CB Charvarius Ward] and his family and everybody has something. It's like all of us. We all have things going on and there are challenges that we have to face and meet and then we have to continue on with life as well. So, I feel terrible for Trent and his family. It's a horrible loss."
Has this year felt more challenging in a lot of ways in terms of whether it's injuries or the personal tragedies?
"It's a year. When you're not winning, things get accentuated, when you're winning things don't. I don't know. It's hard for me to judge it one year to the other. Obviously, there's challenges every year and this obviously has had its share."
How did you like how OL Jaylon Moore and OL Ben Bartch did on the left side?
"Really nice. I want to take about three inches of snow on the road, everywhere we go we could play in three inches of snow because it's really hard for the defensive line to get going and it helped. It was helpful for the guys. I was really happy with Ben's first start. After sitting in the back in a background role, not even dressing most weeks until Trent hasn't been dressing. It gave him a great opportunity to get up and have an opportunity to show what he could do. And he did some good things, really good things. Obviously, there's plays we all want back. But, I thought Ben and Jaylon have both done a good job. This week, the challenge, it doesn't get any easier. These guys are really good up front and they'll be a real challenge for these guys."
Everyone is playing in three inches of snow, but it looked like the offensive line had an edge on the defensive line. Why is that?
"I can't explain it. I've always felt from, in high school, I remember, we used to be three yards of cloud of dust, four yards if we were lucky. We never threw the ball in high school, but when it rained my high school coach became [former head coach] Don Coryell, 'Air Coryell' throwing the ball all over the field because he said where you're going and they don't know. So they're more reactionary on defense and reacting when the when the weather's like that. If I know where I'm going, I know how to deal with the snow. I know what's happening. Yes, there is some reaction involved, but it's less so than it is on defense. I've always thought that. So when the footing's not good, it does benefit. A wet turf makes it really hard for a speed rusher to turn a corner, to run a game and plant your foot and redirect. All the things where the defense can have an advantage kind of makes the playing feel a little more equal."
How do the Bears look on defense with DL Montez Sweat on the edge and DL Gervon Dexter Sr. inside?
"Fast, quick, physical. They play hard, they're well-coached. They do an excellent job. This is a good crew up front. Very, very good tough physical group up front that plays fast. They got good team speed; good scheme. They play very well in the scheme. You can look, they've lost some close games and they played very well. The numbers don't always support it, but numbers don't always support it. Numbers are numbers. They stand alone each week and when you're not winning there's times where the numbers are going to get skewed a little bit. But for the most part, this is an outstanding defense. Really, really big challenge for us."
I bet you're excited about RB Isaac Guerendo's potential, obviously a bigger opportunity coming from here. What would you say is his state of readiness?
"Oh, he is more than ready. That's been the good thing. Not having to jump in right away. You guys heard that, I liked him from the beginning. The kid had that burst, that quickness and he's been able to be eased into it, not easing right now. So you still have to be careful, he hasn't played a full load in an NFL game up to this point. Now is he going to be able carry the load for all four quarters like [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] has done in the past or not? I don't know that we'll have to see as we go. And the other guys, 32's [RB Patrick Taylor Jr.] been here for a good while. 31's done a good job. Obviously, we're excited for Isaac and we'll see how it plays out. But it's definitely going to be a challenge for us and challenge for him because he's going to have to tote the mail for us and he's going to have to do a lot of things over a longer period of time than he's done it up to this point."
You guys value speed in this offense at running back. Is that safe to say that Head Coach Kyle Shanahan likes fast running backs?
"Well, you kind of are what you are. Speed is nice. If you can get it, it's important. Being a good back and having a good feel for the running game, hitting the right lanes, doing things like that. He set all sorts of records in Washington with [Former RB] Alfred Morris and Alfred we all know is not a speed demon. So there's that balance between a good runner that understands it. It took [Miami Dolphins RB] Raheem [Mostert] a while to get going in this offense before the speed really showed up. It is nice to have that home run threat. It is nice, as you saw, when Isaac has broken some runs – the end of the Dallas game, the end of the Seattle game, where all of a sudden we talked about it, we called it the 'angle assassin.' You think that you're on the right angle, but with that speed you're able to get that burst and get further and more yards than most people would. So, it is nice to have speed."
With the way Christian was running, is it fair to say he wasn't quite himself those first three games and then that was Christian. Was there also an element of like, 'I'm going to show everyone I'm still Christian' or a combination of both?
"I think what we said last week, I mentioned that everybody needs practice. So, when you don't practice it, Trent, all of them, anybody coming back, [LB] Dre [Greenlaw] right now practicing out there everybody needs practice and Christian was getting back up to speed as he went and it wasn't much that was off. There were some really good things. But you felt that, he finally felt, I felt it during the week. That was such a shame with the injury because I really felt it. And then you saw those first couple carries. It wasn't just the good run, it was the good run plus that you saw – guys falling off the tackles, not being able to pull him down. That's the things that we saw over the last few years that he just wasn't getting tackled. I'm not saying he was not doing that earlier, it's just getting back into that mentality, that mode, getting into that game ready week after week grind, which he was ready for and had prepared very well for. It took him a while to get back. When he got back, he was hitting speed and then obviously the injury occurred."
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