San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones addressed reporters following Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 4 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh
Losing DL Nick Bosa and having lost him in 2020 like you did and you obviously blitzed a lot more of that year, are there things you can draw from that experience or things that you liked or didn't like without him that may be helpful now?
"Every team's different. I think what's underrated about that '20 group is it was COVID, they were all with us for at least four years. That was year four for a lot of those backups. So, while meeting time was down, that group was together. So, we just out-executed people because we had been together and meeting times were limited in the way COVID was. It's a little bit different, but yeah, there's always things that you can draw to, but at the same time this is its own unique situation and this defense is significantly different."
You've got DL Mykel Williams as an edge rusher on pass downs. Is that an option to sort of make up what's lacking?
"Mykel's versatile enough to do whatever we ask him to do. We're always going to try to keep it limited so we don't overwhelm him with different techniques, but he's talented."
What did you know about DL Sam Okuayinonu before you got here and what do you like about him now that you've been working with him for a little while?
"I knew he was a gritty, grunt-type D-Lineman that that could do everything and anything that you asked. I love his play style. I love his mentality. I love the way he brings it every day to work. He's got more to him than just being a run defender on early downs. I think he does have pass-rush value. He actually can play some linebacker too, he's got some good coverage ability. So, he's a really cool player in that regard."
Jacksonville's running the ball pretty well with two different backs. What does it look like on film when you see it?
"It's good, man. [Jacksonville Jaguars head coach] Liam [Coen] and his staff, they're doing a really, really nice job. It's carrying over from Tampa. Their run game is fast, it's violent. It's going to be a tremendous challenge."
What do you think will be the biggest challenge, specifically against the Jaguars without Nick Bosa out there? What have you been doing this week for preparation to combat that possible challenge?
"Jacksonville, this is a very young but talented group. Liam and his staff, a couple of guys coming from Minnesota, they've got legally, a really advanced signal stealing type system where they always find a way to put themselves in an advantageous situation. They do a great job with it. They formation you to just try to find any nugget they can. So, we've got to be great with our signals and we've got to be great with our communication to combat some of the tells that we might give on the field. They're almost elite in that regard. That whole entire tree from [Los Angeles Rams head coach] Sean [McVay] to [Minnesota Vikings head coach] Kevin O'Connell to all those guys, they all do it. So, there's challenges. They're going to catch us in some situations where they have the advantage and we've just got to play good, sound, fundamental football and do our best to out-execute them."
When it comes to the communication, is there any drop off? Was Bosa the more vocal guy on that defensive line in the games?
"No, I think they do a good job communicating with one another. [Defensive line coach] Kris [Kocurek] does a great job managing those guys and making sure that everyone's on the same page at all times. So, from a communication-standpoint, we expect to still be very good."
Who are they stealing the signals from?
"That's the ultimate trick, whether it's people from the sideline or whether it's our individual hand signals. Whatever nugget they can find, they catch it. They always happen to find themselves in good situations based on the coverage you show. There's nothing illegal about it. I'm not suggesting that. It's just, you can tell that they've got a can system that's getting them into a very advantageous position. It gets them into a very advantageous position multiple times during the course of a game."
Have you ever experienced it? Has this ever happened to you during a game and you're like, wow, they're stealing my signals?
"No, were there findings, and I was like, 'how'd they know to get to that play?' Yeah. We dealt with it in Minnesota last year. They got us into a couple of situations. You can see it on tape when they're studying. It's like, 'how'd they know to be in that call at that time?' We've experienced it with the Rams a little bit. It's not an uncommon thing. This group of people, they're pretty good at it."
As a head coach and a coordinator in this League, how difficult is what Jacksonville is doing with WR/CB Travis Hunter when you talk about the meeting times for two different positions and having to arrange a lot of stuff around that and trying to get him up to speed in two different areas?
"Everyone's got their own philosophy. He is uber talented and from everything we gathered during the Draft process, he's an elite human in terms of work ethic and energy that he brings to the building. But I mean, you guys see how I speak about Mykel. I'm nervous about him playing outside and inside on the D-Line, let alone two sides of the ball. It is challenging, but I think if anyone's up to that task, it'd be a guy like him."
How does he look to you as an offensive player?
"He looks really good. Like I said, he's got all the talent in the world. Like all rookies, there's a learning curve. But, there's no question that when you watch the tape he's someone that once he gets into his groove, he's going to take off."
Losing Bosa, personally and professionally, it's all bad. But, is any part of you or your personality enjoy the challenge of figuring it out? Like, how do we do this without him?
"So, you remind me of a funny story. I'm going to share it with you (laughter). So a long time ago, we're in Jacksonville, we're playing the New England Patriots, and [former NFL QB] Tom Brady shows up on the injury report and we're like, 'oh my God, he might be out.' [Assistant head coach defense] Gus Bradley, head coach comes in, and he goes, 'what? We want them at their best, we want Tom Brady to play.' And I was like, 'no, we don't, we don't want them at their best.' No, there's nothing enjoyable. From a personal standpoint, we're always going to go to work. We're always going to try to find a way to put our guys in the best situation possible. But, the most painful thing is to see a guy like Nick Bosa, who I thought had a perfect offseason, he had a perfect training camp, and he was playing at a defensive player of the year level. He was playing at an extremely high level, probably the best he's played in the last couple of years. For it to end short for him like that after two games and a quarter, it sucks for him. Don't feel sorry for anyone in this building. We get to show up, we get to watch film, we get to go to work, we get to go on the grass and try to figure it out. That's always going to be the fun part. What's sad is that he's going to be in rehab. And that's where my heart goes."
Philosophically as a guy who's been a head coach, is it just bigger, faster, stronger? Is it sometimes turf? Could you put a finger on just how it seems like injuries are more prevalent right now than they ever have been in the game?
"I have a lot of thoughts, way too long for this press conference, but we can visit on that one day. But I argue that I don't know if the body was meant to have as much torque and power in the tendons, but I'm not a doctor."
What does a play like what CB Upton Stout did at the end of the game on Sunday do for him just in terms of kind of proof of concept of the work that he's putting in.
"I think he's got a tremendous amount of confidence. I think anytime a young man makes a play like that, of course it's going to add confidence. But, I don't think he's short of confidence, I don't think that play would've made or break his confidence. He shows up every day. He shows up with intent to work. He's learning. He asked the other day, what do I need to do to get better? I was like, you just need to continue getting reps. He's so smart. He's such a student of the game. He's going to start to learn the tendencies of offenses and what they're trying to do and what they're trying to attack. You trust that with 10,000 reps he's going to be elite in the things that we ask him to be great at."
Have you had a chance to talk to Nick and how is his mindset? I know it's got to be challenging when he's gone through this three times, but what can you glean from what your conversation was like?
"Nick's great. He's in good spirits. I visited with him a couple of times, and I think he's off getting his work done. But you know, what do you say? You just listen, right? I mean, he's devastated, like anyone else would be. You put in so much work to be a part of a team and locker room and to help your team win football games and then you're done. So, I can't empathetically speak for him, but sympathetically, just feeling how heavy he is in terms of like, he wants to be here. This is not a relief for him. So, like I said, with all the things that we have to do within the building, I mean, that's always going to be a blessing. For him not to be here, to be a part of that, I feel for him."
DB Deommodore Lenoir was pretty vocal in the offseason about stepping into that CB-one role and taking on opposing teams' wide receiver one. Looking at the matchup, Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. on the other side, how does he match up and do you just think about it more as like a collective going up against a receiver like that?
"I think DMo matches up with anybody in football. He's aggressive at the line of scrimmage, he is physical, he's very smart at route recognition and all that stuff. So, whoever lines up to DMo's side is, I feel like we're in a really good position. I feel like we're at an advantage with DMo on the field. So, DMo's always going to give whoever lines up on his side problems."
Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
How has QB Brock Purdy looked this week?
"He's getting better. He is definitely progressing. I think he's improved for sure from last week and still kind of taking it day-by-day, but he's definitely made improvements."
I think WR Ricky Pearsall played all but two snaps on Sunday. How impressive is that aspect of his game, his stamina, and is that something that young players don't always have coming into the League?
"Yeah, it's extremely impressive. It's one of those things you don't even realize until the game's over and it's pretty rare for a receiver to play that many snaps. But, it's just a testament to him, how he works, how he's been stacking practices and building up his conditioning. I think it's also a testament to his mental proponent to the game and how he prepares and he doesn't miss anything. He doesn't need to come out of the game for any reason. He's ready for all situations, so it makes Ricky a really good player. So, really proud of him for doing that in the game and he wants to be out there. So, he's got kind of that [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] mindset where he doesn't want to come out of the game."
Between QB Mac Jones and QB Brock Purdy this could be a physical game with the way that the Jaguars defense is set up. Who do you feel like you're more confident in taking a hard hit between the two of them?
"I'm confident in both those guys. They're both extremely tough. Whoever has to play, we really don't worry about it because that's why they're here. It's why they're our guys. It's because they are tough and they don't let that stuff bother them. They don't worry about it. So, whoever we need to be playing in the game, we're going to have full confidence in them for sure."
I'm not sure if you noticed this, but during the two-minute drive at the end of the game, I think you might have huddled once or twice. During one of those huddles, Ricky Pearsall and WR Kendrick Bourne are dancing with one another. A, did you notice that, and B, what does that kind of tell you about that group of guys?
"I didn't notice it in the game. I noticed it in pre-game because they're just dancing the whole pre-game. It tells you that they have a way in their minds of being loose and having fun playing the game. I think that allows them to play freely and allows them to play their best. Clearly, they're not guys who are affected by the moment. It's not too big for them. They're themselves. They're out there having fun. They're competing and it's just pretty cool to see the authenticity from those guys in those big moments."
Christian has 13 carries for seven yards in the red zone. It just hasn't happened. What does the film show? Why you guys struggling there?
"It's never one thing. It's always tougher running the ball in the red zone. There's more bodies down there, so that's the starting point. But, we were close on a few things last week, we really were. I mean, we missed a block here, we maybe don't make the best cut on one run. So, it's never one thing and it's a collective effort down there. We want to run the ball better in the red zone. We are continuing to work at it, so it's not a matter of intent or anything like that. To answer with one thing, it's not. We did have a couple, we were close. We were just a guy off and we've got to get better. That's going to help our red zone."
How does Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter look as a cornerback on tape?
"He's a really good athlete. He's confident. He's got length. He looks the part to me and it's impressive that he's playing both ways and out there competing on both sides of the ball. So, he's a really good player. That's why they drafted him where they did. And so, he's a guy you've got to be aware of."
Ricky was talking a little bit about the stamina and he was like, flabbergasted that Travis Hunter could do 40-some snaps on offense and then do 40-some snaps on defense and do all that running. And then there's the whole mental part of it. I mean, as a coordinator, how amazing is this that he's doing that?
"It's very unique. It's what we loved about him coming out of college. He's a competitor. It's pretty rare to see guys like that. I mean, I've never seen a player like that who wants to play every snap, doesn't want to come out of the game. Offense and defense. It's just a guy who's clearly wired the right way. He's wired to be a football player and that's what's going to make him a good player."
The best defenses take the ball away and this defense has nine takeaways in three games. When you're watching it, what does it look like? Is there any common denominators to what they're doing?
"Yeah, I mean, you said it. It's a mindset, first of all. It's something clearly that they preach. There's guys who are very active. To me, it starts with the front. It's guys who get to the quarterback, it's guys who are disruptive, which creates disruption for the quarterback on the other end. It can create bad decisions, can create bad throws, can create tips at the line of scrimmage. It's all those things. The other thing they've done really well is they've gotten offenses into some bad situations. You know, second-and-longs, third-and-longs where those guys can really tee off and really be the aggressor. And so, when you get offenses in bad situations, you attack, and that's when you create turnovers. So, they've done a great job of doing that. That's why they're one of the best defenses right now."
You have a couple of ex-Jaguars in the locker room. Is there anything that a Mac Jones or a DL Jordan Jefferson can give you that you can't get from watching film?
"Maybe sometimes. Maybe just knowing about a guy or knowing little things about a person and the type of player they are. But at the end of the day, it's a new coaching staff, it's a new scheme, it's a new culture. So, you're not really banking on anything that you don't see on film being something that's going to help you prepare. But it's always, every now and then you gather something from those conversations."
What have you seen from WR Demarcus Robinson this week?
"D-Rob's been awesome to have him back out there. He had a great camp and made a lot of progress. And obviously you miss him when he is not there, but he stepped back in, he looks good. He's in really good shape. All the things we loved about him, his hands, his physicality and I hope he is ready to step up and help us this week."
QB Brock Purdy
How's the week been going back for you with your toe and everything?
"It's been good. Really like where I'm at with the progress with it healing up and feeling better and dropping back, throwing and like where I'm at. So it's been good."
You're playing Sunday for sure?
"We'll see. Yeah. I'm taking it day by day still, but feel a lot better."
You were in the, correct me if I'm wrong, but, in the celebration after Eddie hit the field goal, you were kind of joking around, you know, with your group and everything. I mean, it looked like how pretty healthy toe, you know, based on that celebration. Yeah. I mean you must feeling fairly confident in that toe.
"Yeah, no, I, I liked my progress, last week with where I was at and in terms of feeling better, getting better and so it was just a day-by-day decision. It's the same thing this week, but I mean, it's no secret like it's been two and a half weeks or so. And just overall, man, my, my toes healed up. It's gotten better and so when Eddie hit the game winning field goal, yeah, I could do a little bit, so I was good enough to do that."
How's WR Demarcus Robinson been back in practice?
"Awesome. Just having him back out and obviously seeing, you know, what he had done at camp and it's the same thing, you know, he, he comes back out and, and is feeling fresh and looks great and great hands. So, excited to have him back and in the game plan."
What have you been able to do the last two days? I, you've been limited on the, on the injury report, but do you feel like you've been able to do enough stuff out there during practice to get you best prepared for Sunday's game?
"Definitely, just dropping back and throwing and feeling good about playing the position of quarterback and for me it's still a day-by-day thing, you know going up to game time and, and see how I feel. But, I really do think that it's been good progress, good work, and, and I just feel better overall just with my body and, and mentally of attacking this game plan and, and, and being ready if I'm able to go."
To kind of follow up on what you just said, the mental aspect of it, hypothetically, you play on Sunday. Given that, how much of a mental challenge do you feel like, or mental adversity do you feel like you'll need to overcome to go out there and fully play like yourself and not handicap your foot at all to make sure that you are, you know, showing up is Brock Purdy?
"Yeah, I mean, if I'm playing, I'm going to be feeling good. That's, that's all I know, you know? And if I'm not ready, , come game time, then I'm not ready, you know, so when I step out in the field, I want to play quarterback, just like rock purdy has always played quarterback, and, , and so, you know, that's how I'm looking at it and I don't want to go out there thinking about anything else on my body if it's not feeling right. , so if I'm playing, I'm going to be feeling good and I'll leave it at that."
Too detailed. But, what's a bigger test? Like doing a sprint rollout or simply throwing and doing a toe drag under follow through?
"In terms of?"
How you feel with your toe?
"To be honest, I'm not going to really get into, you know, all the little details of it and whatnot, but I will say like I feel better."
Yeah, situations where you need to be a hundred percent healthier, you can make it worse?
"Honestly, it's, you know, it's just like any other injury, you know, if you hurt something then you know, you can go back out and there's a chance or a possibility of it happening again. That's the nature of the sport that we play. But, for me, I, like I said, if I'm stepping out in the field, I want to feel really good and not thinking about anything else in terms of am I going to hurt it? Am I not? If I'm on the field, I'm, I'm not going to be thinking about that."
The, here's the tough one. What do you, what do you think about QB Mac Jones' suit collection? Do you have a favorite?
"I think the first week, the red suit going into Seattle, I saw him come off the bus and I was like, no way. Like, this dude is funny, so I love all of the suits and he's got good taste."
Your feedback when you prepare to face the, the Jags? What, what do you see when you pop that, that film on? I mean, they're looks like a really good defensive, active defensive team. What kind of stands out?
"Yeah, they're first three games, man, they've played together, tough defense. You could see that they're all playing with the chip on their shoulder and it's, it's a team that is hungry, you know? And I feel like they've found ways to win together. And I mean, that's the NFL man. You got to end up finding a way to win. It doesn't matter how, but at the end of the day, they've both offensively and defensively have, have come together and, and they've won games. And so I really respect them for that. And obviously good front, really good front, really good linebackers. They're secondary, they got talent, so it's going to be a really good challenge for us and I'm excited for it."
You're challenging us. How's it been just to, to build chemistry with WR Kendrick Bourne?
"It's been great. I threw him a ball this week and we were all excited that, you know, like for me to throw to him and, and continue to build this, this new chemistry we were both really excited about that. But I really do, obviously, like what I've seen on film, what he is done in the games with Mac, like, he's a dependable guy. He knows the system with Kyle. He's been in it for years. And so for him to come back and, and bring the spark and energy for our offense, like I'm all about, so hopefully we can find ways to give him the ball and keep him going."
QB Mac Jones
What'd you tell them about Jacksonville?
"Definitely talked to some people, but got a lot of respect for those guys over there. They really have the same roster. They added a few guys, but they're doing a good job on defense. So really going to be a challenge."
What's their defensive front like?
"Really good. Got to go against them last year during scout team and had some competitive days, so really have a lot of respect for 41 and 44, and then obviously [Jacksonville Jaguars DL] Arik [Armstead] on the inside and D Ham [Jacksonville Jaguars DL DaVon Hamilton] on the inside. So, they have a good front there. They do a good job. They work hard and I've seen that firsthand, so I got a lot of respect for them."
Have you seen progression of feeling better based on the reaggravation? Could you give a detailed account of like how much better you feel?
"That's a great point. I think every week people deal with stuff and then each day you just assess where you're at. And having played five years in the NFL, I kind of know where I need to be at. I'm definitely happy with my progress and the medical staff and everybody. So really just taking it day-by-day and attacking each day and doing what I can do."
How much are you doing at practice?
"A lot. I feel good in the warmup and everything, and then going through practice, hitting all the throws, routes on air and everything. So, I feel good. Just like any other week, you're going through the week, getting ready for the game plans as a backup or a starter. So, I feel comfortable doing both. I'll be ready to play."
Is your expectation that you will be available in some way?
"Yeah."
You guys got WR Demarcus Robinson back this week. What does Demarcus bring to the mix?
"Yeah, he's awesome. D-Rob made a lot of plays in the spring and throughout fall camp. And then obviously was here in and out of the building and stuff, but he's ready to go and really excited for him. He's played a lot of football. He always makes plays no matter what team he's on, so I'm excited for him to make plays on this team."
From a quarterback perspective, what does a quarterback like about a wide receiver like Demarcus Robinson?
"Really just a friendly receiver. He does a great job coming back to the ball, getting open on routes, versus man getting open and then versus zone, just trying to get to his depth and get open. So, he's done a good job. Like I said, he's seen a lot of different defenses and played against a lot of different corners, so he knows what to do. And when he goes out there and plays fast, he's a really good receiver. So, I'm excited to see him out there and he's doing great."
Is there enough film on him to be able to form any kind of opinion on what Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter is as a defensive back?
"Yeah, he's a very talented player. Obviously doing a little bit of both. I've watched both sides of the film. So, he does a good job on offense and does a good job on defense. So, really talented player, like I said. And [Jacksonville Jaguars CB] Tyson [Campbell] on the other side does a great job as well. I've obviously gone against him a lot, so I have a lot of respect for him dating him back to college. So, they got a good group out there and number two's a really good player that they added this year. He seems to be like the top guy in their defense communication wise and he has had a great career so far and it looks like it's continuing in Jacksonville."
Being with Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, from your perspective, how does he deal with the scrutiny that comes with being a first-round pick, number one pick in his case? I think people might be a little disappointed and thought he was supposed to be former QB John Elway at this point. How does he deal with not beating those crazy expectations?
"Let me call him and ask real quick [laughs]. No, I mean, he's great. I love Trevor. I think I know what you're saying though. Trevor's always been the guy that everybody's chasing from my age group. He's younger than me by a year or whatever, but he was always the top guy and he's a great athlete, great quarterback, great thrower, and everywhere he has gone he rose to the challenge. So, I have a lot of respect for Trevor. Being in the room with him last year, we became really close friends, to be honest. He works really hard every day. I have a lot of respect for Trevor and I know he's playing a lot better and that's what I expect because he works really hard and puts a lot of time into it."
People always talk about how sophisticated head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense is, but last week offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak kind of talked about how much of an educator he is. When you're in the film room, it's like if everyone's doing their job, it makes it really easy on you. What can you say about that and is it really that complicated or when you're with Shanahan, it's like if everyone's doing their job, then you know what the play is?
"I hope I know what the play is [laughs]. Yeah, I know what you're saying. It is a very group-oriented thing. A lot of offenses you have like multiple people communicating to you or whatever, which is great. We have Klay and [quarterbacks coach] Mick [Lombardi] and everybody, but Kyle does a great job early in the week, 'This is the play. This is the purpose of the play. This is how I see it playing out. If it's not this certain look, then play it out and follow your rule.' So, he definitely does a good job. It comes down to communication and being honest and open about it. He's a great communicator and a great coach and that's why you see success. Obviously, we got a lot of work to do on our offense. We're still young in the season and we know that and we're all striving to get to it a little bit better. So just been really blessed to learn from him, honestly, just sitting back in my chair, listening to what he says. He has a PhD in football or probably more than a PhD in football [laughs]. So, it's been good to learn from him."
On the TV broadcast, I think they said that you own an upwards of 75 suits. Is that accurate? Where did that come from?
"Yeah, they added a few to that number, but I probably have like between like 60 and 50 probably. But yeah, I like suits and I've always worn them. We had to wear them in college, so that's where it started. So, I had a couple each year there. And then I've always worn a suit in the NFL. I just feel like that's what you're supposed to do because you're going to work and that's kind of how I go about it. But yeah, I like suits."
Do you do the thing like you make sure you're not wearing the same one twice the same season, that kind of thing?
"Kind of. I'll re-wear. I'm not too picky. If I like it and it fits what my mindset is that week, then I'll usually wear it. But yeah, I got a lot of different suits and the person who creates them is very talented. So, I'm happy to have them on my side."
Clarify what you mean when you say you match your mindset, are there certain colors? Can you give me an example of that?
"I don't know, just like how I'm feeling that morning. I just pick my suit the night before and go out there and roll it out there."
Are you anti-sock?
"It depends. I have like the little socks like when you're wearing the no show, so I still got socks on even though it doesn't look like it. I found out that's kind of old school, when you have your sock all the way pulled up. My dad used to come home from work, and he's got the lines from the socks. I'm like, I can't be doing that. So, usually just low socks."
The fire-engine red suit in Week One. Where does that rank?
"That's one of my cool ones, but I think they're all cool. So hopefully I can keep wearing cool ones. But like I said, it's all about showing up to work and that's how I feel you should come to the game. So, it's something that I learned in college, like I said, and it's important to me."