San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Saturday's 30-23 preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Here is what they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"All right guys. Injuries from the game: [DL] Isaiah Prince had a knee, didn't return, [TE] Brayden Willis, neck, didn't return, [QB] Tanner Mordecai had an ankle, he did return, [CB] Jakob Robinson had a forearm. Go ahead."
Why didn't LB Tatum Bethune play?
"Sore back."
Do you have an idea of how long WR Jacob Cowing is going to be out with his hamstring?
"A while. Yeah, he pulled it fully. It was the same one, so I think they told me like six weeks to start."
What were your impressions of WR Skyy Moore before the trade and from the last couple days as well?
"I was happy to get him. He was a guy that we liked in college coming out. Thought he did a good job tonight, especially just coming in a day ago. Was able to learn enough to line up, do some third-down stuff, play the F role for us and thought he did a decent job with the returns also."
How do you see RB Brian Robinson Jr. fitting in?
"We brought him here to be our two back. Always been a big fan of Brian. Loved him coming out of college. He's done really well going against him and we were pumped that he was available and we were pumped that we were able to get him."
What is your take on the direction special teams is moving given what it was last season?
"We'll see in the year. I mean, it is just preseason, so nothing really counts now, but I was happy how we won it on a 59-yard field goal last week. Never been on a team that's made one of those. So, I thought that was a big deal, and I thought they did some good things today too. So hopefully it'll continue into the year."
How close is RB Jordan James to coming back?
"He is pretty close. Yeah, pretty close. Week-to-week."
It looked like RB Jeff Wilson Jr. had a couple really nice blocks. Did you see that today? And what are his chances of making this final 53?
"Jeff's got a shot. I mean, love Jeff, one of my favorite players over the years and it was great to get him back in here. Thought he's done a good job and gotten better each week just getting back into camp. Thought he made some good cuts tonight and definitely is going to make it hard on us."
Do you guys have to consider what you do at the kicker position considering the up and down nature of how K Jake Moody has been?
"I don't know. I thought he had one of the best games I've ever seen a guy have last week. You know, I know he missed an extra point today, which definitely doesn't make us happy. But, we'll see how it goes in the year. I know he is a talented kicker. I know he has done some really good things for us. He had a rough left last seven games last year, but I think he's had a really good offseason and a really good preseason also."
It's been almost a month since WR Jauan Jennings' last practice. Is he in jeopardy of missing Week 1?
"I mean, if it doesn't heal, yes. But I expect him to be back. I think he should be back from it, but you never know with calves."
When it comes to LB Nick Martin, obviously a young rookie trying to understand the playbook. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has been big on the fact that he plays with so much violence and you're kind of seeing him settle in and being able to make those plays. Just what do you think his upside is with this team?
"We love guys who run and hit, but there's a lot more to football than just that. But that was the thing that we liked about him the most. We've seen him practice a lot, but I think you guys can also see you've seen in these three games that each game he's gotten better. There's been more of those clips and less mistakes. I think he's got a real high ceiling, and I love how he finished out camp. I love how he finished out today and expect him to get better and better as the year goes."
You have one more practice before the cut to 53. Big picture, when you look at where you guys have started, all the stuff you've been through up to this point, how do you feel right now about where this team is heading into the regular season?
"I feel that we've done as good as we can with the time we've been allotted. We're just getting to Week 1 and you spend all this time to figure out your 53, but it's like I tell our players, the final 53 is never the final 53. That's just the first week of the season. It changes throughout the year. We've got to pick out 53 here in a couple days, and we've got to figure out our 16 practice squad guys. We've got to find out who's healthy, who's going to go on IR, who's going to be on PUP, things like that. So, there's still a lot to work on. We'll make those decisions on Tuesday, but we're not going to stop making them as the year goes."
Were you able to talk to Los Angeles Chargers QB Trey Lance at all?
"I didn't get to see Trey. I looked for him after the game but didn't get a chance."
Do you expect to get anybody back in practice this next week? DL Mykel Williams or CB Upton Stout?
"Really hoping to get those guys back. I mean, they haven't guaranteed it to me, but I think we will. But I won't know that officially until tomorrow. I know a lot of them had workouts today, and that's something we'll discuss tomorrow when we come in."
Can you speak to Jeff Wilson and his production, being able to run the ball today and how he's settled in with the team?
"Yeah, Jeff, just like what I was saying earlier, Jeff got better each week he was here and thought he ran like his old self today. We love Jeff, and he's going to make that real hard on us, so we'll have a tough decision with him on Tuesday."
Did you expect Jauan's calf to be this severe when he reaggravated it earlier in camp?
"I'm not a doctor, so like I said, calves take time. You never know with calves."
Did Jakob Robinson return to the game with the forearm injury or was he out?
"It was at the end of the game, but I think he broke it, so he didn't return."
You think he broke his forearm?
"Yeah, I do. I just got that before I came in, so we're going to x-ray it for sure and everything, but that's what it sounded like."
49ers WR Skyy Moore
Everyone's excited to have you here and excited to see what you can do for this team. How does it feel to be here? How does that excitement feel for you to kind of maybe get a fresh start?
"Yeah, that's exactly what it is. It's a fresh start, new city, new team. I feel like I get to learn again, put the fun back in the game, not that I lost it, but just another adventure I would say. The guys, what I've seen so far, they accepted me and all the veteran guys and all the coaches, helped me make that transition as smooth as possible. "
How smooth did it feel out there on the field?
"It wasn't the smoothest, but it wasn't that bad though. Everything around the league is kind of like the same thing, it's different terminology. So, I was able to pick up a little bit. I was also confused out there a little bit sometimes, but it was pretty good."
Is head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense similar to Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid's offense?
"In a lot of ways, it is. In a lot of ways, it's not. I'm going to just continue to pound the details of Kyle's offense and keep building on today."
You talk about putting the fun back in the game, do you feel like you needed a fresh start?
"Yeah, I feel like I definitely needed a fresh start. I found myself in my head a lot over in Kansas City and that's never good. I feel like today, let it loose and just go out and play because I don't know anything anyway. So, I got to just play ball."
49ers WR Terique Owens
How rewarding is a play like you made out there, given the time that you've spent here learning and growing inside this system?
"That's big. It's big. Obviously last year, got hurt, didn't get an opportunity to play during preseason, came back, was on practice squad. So, I wasn't really getting all of the details for plays and stuff like that. I kind of got mental reps. During OTAs, I was able to pick up the offense a little bit better, able to process things a lot better. Obviously, preseason that was my time to kind of go out there just let it all out and just play and see results."
Since your father played here too, does he make it out to the games? How much do you speak to him about the system and the way the culture is here and how to have some more success here with this team?
"Yeah, he's been trying to make it out to more games. Obviously, he's a busy guy, so he's got a lot of stuff going on, but we always talk. He's going to try to make it out to some games. He just talked about just always put my head down and just keep working. That's all I do."
49ers LB Curtis Robinson
Did everything that you went through with the injury flash before your eyes at that point?
"Yes. It happens like that. It is a blur, but I think when I got to the sideline, my parents were right behind the bench and even just talking to [LB Coach] Johnny [Holland]. That's kind of when everything settled and I felt myself get emotional, but it was just like an accumulation of all the work from the beginning to the even camp, just working through stuff, it was really cool."
I know you said post game that you may get emotional in the locker room. Did you?
"Yes, but I think when I see my mom outside, that's going to be pretty hard , so pretty hard not to get emotional."
How long did it feel like that pass was in the air before it arrived in your hands?
"It didn't feel long, but once I caught it, it almost felt like I paused for a second. It kind of caught me off guard."
49ers WR Demarcus Robinson
What was the biggest part that stood out to you tonight?
"Going out and trying to make plays for the guys. Whether it's a preseason game or regular season game I'm just trying to go out there and make plays."
On that touchdown pass, what did you see?
"I had cover two on my side and ran a corner route. The quarterback went through his progression, went through the flat then he hit me on a corner route – great throw."
Have you heard about the suspension yet or is it still up in the air?
"I have no idea. I'm just waiting on it and for everything to unfold for week one."
Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
What was it like to come back here and coach in this stadium again?
"It was great. Beautiful stadium. So many great memories and it was a great night for football. I got to talk to [former 49ers LB] Patrick [Willis] and [former 49ers RB] Frank [Gore] before the game. Just having those different conversations was really cool."
I know you're not one to look back too much, but did you start to flashback to your time here?
"Yeah, for sure. Just tremendous memories. Great times, great people. It's been a lot of years but it's been a lot of days. So many days where every day has an 'on to the next' mentality. For one that's not real nostalgic, there's some nostalgia there because it was such good times."
What did you think of Los Angeles Chargers QB Trey Lance today?
"He was good again. He's had a really good preseason. His game action has been poised and good. He had no turnovers the entire preseason which we had going until tonight. There was way too many turnovers and way too many penalties today. That kind of stuff is not a good combination for winning football games."
When you picked up Lance, what did you see in him? Because his stock was probably not super high and he had been kind of knocked around a little bit. What do you like about him?
"Trey is 25-years old. In life, that's the fat part of the bat. For a quarterback, that's the fat part of the bat. I like his skill set. I like who he is as a player. Just having the chance to get to know him and talk to him in those days, you see more that makes you think, 'I really like that part too.' He just wants to get good at football. That's all I want him to do and he's doing it. Day by day, week by week. He's been here for several months now. We'll just keep rolling. He's doing a good job."
Will Lance definitely be the backup?
"I don't want to make any proclamations here tonight. He's put himself in a really good position."
Lance looks so settled back there. Has not rushing things and not being frantic been an emphasis for him?
"He's really been that way since he's been here. When it's good, you just roll with it. You don't want to make him a victim of over-coaching. There's been a couple little things, but he's been in a good place since he's been here and we're just building on that. He's very driven. I like being around him and I like what I see on the field."
Is there any information on Los Angeles Chargers LS Josh Harris' injury? What did you think about Los Angeles Chargers TE Tucker Fisk filling in for him?
"I thought Tucker did a great job. He's been doing really good in practice too. But yes, Josh took a blow to the midsection and he's being evaluated."
What are your overall thoughts on closing out the preseason?
"There was more bad than good for us, especially with the turnovers and penalties in all phases. Special teams had a lot of penalty yardage, then the offense had a lot of penalties and turnovers. There was a lot of good but there was a lot of bad. We had too much of that."
Los Angeles Chargers LB Marlowe Wax had a big game on the stat sheet. What can you say about his performance?
"Marlowe had a really good play on fourth down that was huge. He's had a tremendous preseason. We're all really excited about him and proud of him. We'll just keep rolling. It was nice to see [Los Angeles Chargers TE] Oronde Gadsden get a touchdown. He's been playing good and gritty football all preseason. There's a bunch of guys to highlight individually. I feel good about our roster. We have a good roster. Now, we 100% turn our attention toward the opener and regular season."
Was it your idea to flip the benches here at Levi's Stadium and put the away team on the sunny sideline?
"Humility prevents me from saying that. Like all the decisions, it was a team decision."
What was it like to be on the sunny side?
"It was good. It was just a great night for football. It was wonderful. It was a great night to have a great night and I wish we had a great night. But there was good things to learn from, especially for the young players. They wanted to play and get extensive time. I thought [Los Angeles Chargers QB] DJ [Uiagalelei] did really well, especially with his first six passes. The interception was something great to learn from. DJ had [Los Angeles Chargers WR] Brenden Rice coming into the second window. That would have been cool to get Brenden a big catch and run where his dad was such a legend, but DJ didn't quite see the second-window opportunity, went to the check down and didn't see the defender. Even in that, there's a lot of learnable things and teachable moments. I'm happy for that."
How's [Los Angeles Chargers RB] Najee Harris coming around physically? Do you expect him to be ready for this season?
"I think Najee will be ready, or he'll be ready when he is ready."
[Former 49ers QB] With Alex Smith, his appreciation, his confidence, are there similarities like with [Los Angeles Chargers QB] Trey Lance as a guy who's been knocked around a little bit and bounced around a little bit?
"Yes, you're right. I don't like comparing things, guilty as charged there. Yes, he's been knocked around. He's had some ups and downs, but we could probably say that about everybody who's played quarterback in the history of the National Football League. So, it's the same thing I tell all guys at all positions, just give it your best, get better, treat others as you'd want to be treated and never give up, never surrender, never quit, never give up. That hard work will pay off. It always, always pays off.Then do it. Do it no matter what or how you feel, fill in the blank. You feel like you've been, happy, sad, angry. You've been maligned, you've been agitated, whatever it is. I mean, just do those four things no matter how you feel and you have a good chance. You're going to have a pretty good chance. I think you can make that comparison about everybody who has played quarterback and gotten to this level."
Do you remember your last game here?
"2014, yes. It was against the Cardinals."
That time in the locker room. I remember you and [former 49ers RB] Frank Gore and having a moment there. Do you remember all those things?
"I sure do. I got the game ball. I still have it. I remember that. I remember the 2013 game at Candlestick, the last one there. [Former 49ers LB] Navarro Bowman ran it down the sideline. I was like a pig in slop. I was the happiest I've been. A lot of top 10 type of things happened in my life here."
You came back a couple years ago for that ceremony. What did that mean for you and have you and 49ers owner Jed York made up? Is that the right word? Did you have conversations?
"We've had a lot of conversations and Jed and the York family have been great. I sat next to John [York] at the owner's meetings. It's great seeing [49ers HC] Kyle [Shanahan] here. You know, we've had a lot of good conversations. Jed gave me a really good recommendation to Chargers owners when I got this job. So, it's all good. I love being here and it's been a blessing. The entire organization, the Spanos family and everybody that I work with in the organization. So if you're wondering how I'm doing, I'm A plus plus. There are big and great days and challenges ahead. So as you might suspect, I'm attacking them with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. "
And if you haven't noticed, the Super Bowl is here this year. Would that be something special?
"Finding that game is special, but to do it here, to come, to this place? Yes. It's what we and everybody in the locker room and everybody in the organization is working for to the level of do it or die trying. That's where we're at."
Chargers QB Trey Lance
What's it like being back in this building and getting to play?
"It was fun. I wish we could've got more draw on offense. I wish we came out with a win. But it's fun. It's always fun. I approach it like any other game. I would've liked to come out with a win. There were some good things, some bad. I learned a lot from it. It's fun to compete with these guys, especially in this last preseason game. We'll see how it goes after this. Who knows what it'll look like. It was fun. It's always fun to get to see these guys over here too."
Did you take some time to reflect on your time here?
"No, I was thinking about the game."
It seems like it's all been good since you've been with the Chargers. You've been comfortable since your coach [Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh] has been praising you. You may or may not land the backup job. What's it been like the whole time here?
"It's been good. It's a fun place to be, a joyful place to be with a lot of great players around. Learning from [Chargers QB] Justin [Herbert] has been great. Nothing but great things to say. I feel like I've been fortunate to be with three great organizations. I'm really enjoying my time here with the Chargers."
Are you a better quarterback now?
"Without a doubt."
In what ways?
"I've said this since day one. Every time I step on the field, I feel like I get better. I continue to find my ways to get opportunities and make the most of those. I just continue to grow."
Do you like playing for Harbaugh? What makes him unique as a head coach?
"A lot. He's one of a kind, personality, coaching style, everything. He played the position for a long time. I think just the way he communicates with us is different than what I've been around, in Dallas especially. Every place is different. Every head coach is different. Every organization is run differently. I've learned a lot about how different it is in other places and there are pros and cons to everything. Nothing but great things to say. I'm very unbelievably thankful for my time starting my career here in San Francisco and then being in Dallas. I feel like I've learned a lot, you know, at each spot I've been at."
Harbaugh basically called Chargers QB Justin Herbert the greatest quarterback in the history of the world. He just loves pumping up his guys, but it's real. And he really championed former San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith when he was at a career crossroads a while back. Has he, if you needed it, infused you with a certain level of confidence or restored any sort of belief that you may have lost?
"I don't think I have lost any belief at all. I had my injury when I was here, went to Dallas and just tried to make the most of every opportunity I got there. I just continued to learn and grow as much as I could along the way. I've told him from day one, I want to be coached hard. The same as I have in the other two places I've been. He's done that. I'm very thankful for him."
It was a little weird at the end here. Were you going to be the backup? Were you not going be the backup? And then the trade. Did you understand that whole thing? Looking back on it, do you feel like it happened the way it had to happen?
"I'm a firm believer in everything works out exactly how it's supposed to. That's just how the plan was. That's how it was written for me. I'm unbelievably thankful for my time here at San Francisco, for [San Francisco 49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan], for [San Francisco 49ers General Manager] John [Lynch]. It was open and honest throughout my time here. That's all you can ask for."
Chargers TE Oronde Gadsden
Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh talked about how you've been getting valuable reps in the pre-season, even though you're not getting the catches. How have you felt about your preseason and the experience of getting out there?
"Oh, it's great. I want to play every week that I can. I want to play as many plays as I can and as many snaps as I can. I think a lot of people would want to as well, so it is great to be able to be a rookie and get into these moments whether it's offense, defense, or special teams. They're all valuable moments. They're all things you can learn from because once you get to the regular season, it's on. There isn't any time to mess up and there's no time to make the same mistakes you've made in the preseason."
What did you learn about yourself throughout training camp? From the beginning to now, how have you changed?
"I learned not to be too hard on yourself and learn from the coaches. Take the little things that they say, look around the league, look at the film, and look at the things that guys on other teams do. The same thing that they're coaching you to do, there are other guys doing it at a successful rate, so you should also want to do those things."
You kind of touched on it, but just flipping the page to the regular season, what are you looking forward to the most?
"Just doing it again if I get the chance to. Getting a touchdown in a game like this, it's a lot on the line. There's no next game, so if the opportunity is presented to me and I'm able to do it, I'm going to do it again, obviously."
Chargers LB Marlowe Wax
How does it feel to kind of close off the preseason with a strong performance?
"Definitely feel good. I just want to give all glory to God, just putting me in a position that I am today and definitely my teammates, just fighting hard, and my coaches also putting me in a position to make plays."
You've been able to get valuable reps from the preseason, how have you seen yourself develop from the first preseason game to now? What have been the biggest areas of growth?
"For sure, definitely. Just getting adjusted to the speed of the game. But I would say practice was the big help for me, going against the guys, like [Los Angeles Chargers QB] Justin Herbert and things like that. So they definitely were a big help. But game to game, just taking it day by day definitely was a big help."
Do you feel like maybe you proved something to yourself just throughout this whole experience, your first NFL training camp and preseason?
"Definitely, for sure. I definitely would say with any rookie, being able to come to a level that you dreamed of, just being able to prove to yourself that you do belong. So me, just through this preseason, I definitely feel like I proved that to myself."