San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke with reporters during a conference call on Monday, the day after the team's 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints. Here's everything he said.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Injuries from the game. [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice will be in the protocol this week. [OL] Ben Bartch had a high ankle sprain, he will be out for a while. [DB] Siran Neal will also be in the concussion protocol, reported some symptoms today. [OL] Spencer Burford hurt his knee. We'll have to evaluate him throughout this week. [WR] Jauan Jennings hurt his ankle. We'll have to evaluate him throughout this week. That's it from the game."
Is Spencer Burford day to day?
"Yeah, we've got to see how his knee reacts over these next couple days to decide if it'll heal or if we have to go a different direction with it. So yeah, he's day to day right now and hopefully we'll have some better answers as this week goes."
How did OL Connor Colby do in place of Bartch yesterday and what's your confidence level in him moving forward?
"I've loved how he's been here so far and I thought he came in that game early, I think it was late first quarter, I'm not sure, but I thought he did a hell of a job, made some plays. He'll get better the more he plays. But, he was ready for the moment and definitely helped us with that win."
How would you assess DL Mykel Williams' play yesterday and how he improved from Week 1 to yesterday?
"I think he looks more comfortable the more he goes. I thought just from an assignment standpoint, I thought he did a lot better this week. Also from a production standpoint, got in the backfield a number of times, had some TFLs. I thought he really affected the quarterback on [DL Nick] Bosa's sack there on the second to last drive of the series, just pushing the pocket and making him try to escape through the B-gap and Bosa coming back underneath to get that sack. So, I thought he was a lot of good things."
RB Christian McCaffrey was talking after the game about how rare it was to execute that two-minute offense before the half with all the moving parts and new faces on the field, guys that hadn't been there that long. What was your thought of that?
"Yeah, I was really proud of the guys there. I mean, just to be able to go to the length of the field in a minute with one time out, not use the one time out until the second to last play and to be able to finish there with a touchdown I thought it was huge. [QB] Mac [Jones] did a hell of a job. All the guys that made some plays, and they protected well, gave us a chance to run away with that, especially getting the ball there in the third quarter. That was tough when we started the third quarter with the turnover."
I know Kyle Juszczyk went out of the game with a concussion yesterday. Just wanted to know if you were able to talk to him, if you got any information on how he's feeling and how long it'll take for him to come back out of protocol?
"Yeah, I saw him. He was great talking to yesterday after the game. It was good today when I saw him just at our team meeting. But, it's all different with that protocol stuff, so it's kind of out of our hands, it's out of his hands. It's how he reacts with that stuff throughout the week and going through all that stuff to know if he can come back."
When TE Jake Tonges made the team, how much of it had to do with the fact that he can do that fullback thing if you need it? He did some pretty good things in preseason games with blocking there.
"Yeah, it has a lot to do with it. That's a role that we don't train all of our tight ends at, but you only have one fullback. So, if Juice ever does go out of the game, you need one of those guys to know it, and [former TE Ross] Dwelley did it for us a lot way back. [TE] Brayden [Willis] and Jake have done it here these last two years. So, losing Juice that early put a lot of pressure on those guys, especially with what was on their plate with the Y position with having [TE George] Kittle out, so them to double up what the responsibility was missing Kittle, and then to have to change everything early, I want to say that was the first quarter also, maybe second when Juice went out. Just a huge credit to those guys Jake and [TE] Luke [Farrell] for just being prepared for that moment. Took us a little bit to kind of get settled with it, but those guys played really well after that."
I think Mac attempted 39 passes. Was that a result of Juszczyk going out too, just more three wide receivers, more pass plays in that game?
"No, I don't think so. I just think it works out that way sometimes. I think we got into some second and longs, which you throw a lot more on second and long. I think we had a two-minute drive which you throw pretty much every down on a two-minute drive. We didn't bust any really long ones, that allows you to stay with it. So, we had a bunch of shorter ones, which ends up, I think we averaged under four yards a carry, which leads to more third downs and more throwing. So, that wasn't planned out, it's just kind of how the game went."
Was S Ji'Ayir Brown essentially playing strongside backer when he was in yesterday?
"Yeah, I mean, it all depends on what you want to call it. We call it big nickel, so sometimes safeties will go in and play the nickel position. But, that's the same as an outside linebacker position too. So, we look at it as big nickel, but yes, it's the same thing."
How do you think he played overall?
"Tig did a real good job at big nickel. He also played really well in special teams."
You described Mac having swagger last week and Christian used the same word yesterday. I was wondering how did you see that manifest itself off the field and on the field?
"I just think Mac's confident in himself. I mean, not everything went perfect, especially the way we started out. We had a big three and out to start. The next time we got up, we're looking at three and out again because it was third and 14. For him to step in and throw that dagger throw to [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] when the corner was in front of it, there was a guy in his face, but he wasn't sitting there worried about looking bad or anything like that. He had the confidence to make a rip and the confidence in Ricky to step in front of it. So, I think you can see people's personality in how they play, and I think that's what makes guys believe in him."