San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and quarterback Mac Jones addressed reporters ahead of Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants. Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh
What did you like about DL Keion White and how do you envision him fitting into your rotation?
"Coming out, elite athlete. I mean, he's got great length, size and speed. His short-area quickness, his ability to rush the passer on the inside again as another interior pass rusher, adding more depth to that. He kind of fits into that role we have, similar to [DL] Mykel [Williams] outside being able to kick inside to be more of a speedy rusher active body. So, we're looking forward to getting him out there."
Is there a backstory why he fell out of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel's rotation?
"That's probably more of a question for them."
The difference between Atlanta and Houston was obviously pretty stark. Is that partially a function of just having youth?
"A rollercoaster ride? (Laughter). No, and there's stuff on my part where I look inward and I could have been a heck of a lot better for them. Like I've said, we're going to continue to push the envelope with regards to scheme to find the balance of what we're capable of so we can always play fast. Does that mean pull back or is it things that are fixable or was it things where they were overloaded? That's where I've got to look inward and try to figure out what those answers are and make sure that they have just enough so teams can't just continually take haymakers at us. But also, not too much where we can't play as fast as possible."
Coming out of that game Sunday, where do you start as you present your plan to the players of what went wrong and what needs to be corrected?
"It's a fundamental League from a technique standpoint. One is always going to be communication and making sure that we're constantly talking and communicating and being loud. I've always said that your confidence always projects in the volume of your voice. And if you're out there screaming and yelling your technique and the checks and your assignments, then you're pretty confident about what your job is. But if you're out there quiet, you might need to get in the book a little bit more. So, I'm constantly listening to our defense. The louder it is, the more comfortable you are as a football coach. The more you feel like you probably could nudge them and give them a little bit more. The quieter you are or the defense is, that's where you've got to ask yourself whether or not you're asking them to do too much. So again, it starts with communication. Then from there, it's your technique and fundamentals and making sure that we're on it with regard to our jobs."
Has New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart shown enough through these games where you maybe have to assign a linebacker or safety on him to spy him?
"He is uber talented. I understand why [New York Giants head coach Brian] Daboll went to the blue tent. I probably would've went too. I mean, kid's good man (laughter). He's a really, really, really good kid. I think New York hit on this one big time. But, he's dynamic, he's decisive, he's accurate. He's been a joy to watch just studying his tape over the last, what, five starts now? They're doing a really good job with him. There are certain things they're asking of him, but they're doing a good job hiding it within their weekly game plans. I've always thought Daboll's done a really good job, him and [New York Giants Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator] Kafka, they put a lot of strain on defenses. And this kid, he's going to be special."
What's it going to be like for you going back there?
"Get some pizza, go to the visiting locker room and hopefully have a good day."
CB Upton Stout plays with great effort and impacts the game in a variety of ways. In coverage, it seems like he's getting picked on a little bit. How would you assess his progress with the first half of the season?
"He's been good. He's done some really, really good things. Him getting beat is not because he is not capable. It's more him learning, him getting reps, him having an understanding of what teams will do to try to leverage them and how they try to create the stems to create negative leverage wins and routes. And then again, it's the confidence to get lined up where you just get repetition over repetition, cleaning up his techniques, understanding what he can and can't do. You know, like the holding penalty or the PI, whatever it was against the tight end, he is up there trying to play hard heavy press on a pretty big man. It's just understanding what you can and can't do versus different body types. So, it's all learning for him. He's got elite work ethic, elite mindset. He's very smart. He's got tremendous athleticism and he strains. He packs a punch. I don't know if you guys saw this one, he came across the middle of the field on a run fit and just hit heck out of the running back. I mean, he knocks people back. I've got clips where he takes on pulling tackles and guards and he knocks those guys back. So, he's a relentless player and long answer is short, kid's going to be really good. He just needs reps."
It seemed like in this game against Houston, it almost looked like the rush plan and the coverage plan didn't align. There was just a lot of room there. When you watched it again, what'd you think of the coverage there?
"Yeah, I could've been a lot better for our guys looking back at our third-down package. I'm not going to talk about what we wanted to get done as a staff, but not proud of that one. Could have been better for our guys."
You'll get some injured guys back, but how would you assess where the pass rush is right now? Do you envision maybe potentially adding more beyond Keion in that group?
"It would be good to see what Keion has got. [DL Bryce] Huff will be back next week, [DL] Yetur [Gross-Matos] is back, [DL] Sam O [Okuayinonu] has been providing some production for us also. [DL] Alfred's [Collins] been surging. [DL] Mykel's [Williams] continuing to get better. So again, it's a young group that's continuing to evolve and get better. The adding part, that's more for [president of football operations and general manager] John [Lynch] and [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] to answer, but I'll never say no if you're listening, John (laughter).
You expect to get Yetur back this week?
"Hopefully. He's trending in the right direction. So we'll continue, and from a coaching standpoint, we've got to do a great job just trying to find one-on-ones for those guys, where we can work half a man and we half leverage. Like I've said before, the ultimate goal of a coach, obviously is always a free runner, but the next best thing is a one-on-one with proper leverage. So, we're going to do our best to put them in those leverages and see where it goes from there."
You're about halfway through the season. Are Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins about where they would be at this point?
"Yeah, for sure. You know, they're rookies. In this building, we've been spoiled with some rookies like [DL Nick] Bosa where he's probably more the exception, not the rule. The learning curve, especially for a guy like Mykel who we're asking to go outside, inside, or Alfred who missed all of OTAs and training camp, they're trending exactly the way we've hoped. I haven't wavered with my thought that these guys are going to be really good football players and they're going to be here for a while. Same with [DL] C.J. West."
Are you dissatisfied at all with LB Nick Martin? I mean, he was your third-round pick, he's a rookie, but he's not getting on the field over guys like LB Luke Gifford and LB Curtis Robinson. Is there some dissatisfaction with him or is there something he's not doing?
"No, there's no dissatisfaction. There is a bit of a learning curve in terms of where he's come from in college to what we're asking him to do. I think he's done a really nice job. He's got to earn it on special teams with [LB] Dee Winters being the starter. Gif is a big-time special teams guy. Curtis Robinson's a big-time special teams guy. Now you've got [LB] Tatum [Bethune] and Dee who are both starters. So, for him, he has had to make his way. Then obviously, [LB] Fred [Warner] was there before Fred's injury. It's hard to justify if you're not the starter and you're not owning special teams. Those guys are always going to get first dibs. And Gif, not to speak for [special teams coordinator] Brant [Boyer], but he's been one of our top special teams guys. You've got to find a role and you've got to make it work with who the active guys are. Now that he's got a chance to be active, he had his first run on special teams, thought he did a really nice job and he's going to get another run at it. Unless Dee gets hurt, God forbid that that happens because Dee's having a hell of a season, he's going to have to make his way on special teams this year. And if something happens to Dee, then he'll step in and we'll see where see how it goes."
You've been so patient with the other rookies, letting them take their lumps and play. And it's been the opposite of that with Nick Martin. Is that just a function of you being a former linebacker coach and having high standards with that position? Is it a different nature of that position?
"No, that's fair. I think it's more a testament to Dee Winters. He's having a hell of a year. There are a couple things that I'm sure he'd want back, but he does so many things that don't show on the stat sheet. With regards to his play, demeanor and communication, he's been vital for Tatum over these first couple of weeks. Just the communication with him. Dee is an NFL starting linebacker. Nick is more of a victim of that than he is of what he's capable of."
For the batch of rookies that were forced into some early playing time, how did you help them along, maybe encourage them throughout this process as they're all figuring out, making mistakes and trying to learn from it?
"You've just got to do your best to teach. You can get frustrated with some mistakes because you want them to be great or perfect all the time. But, it never goes that way. But, they have gotten better. The cool thing about this group is that it is very important to them. They are studying their butts off. They are seeking guidance from the other guys in the locker room. Like I said, they're getting a heck of a lot better, you look at a guy like Alfred from where he was to where he is now. Upton's gotten better. They're all taking strides. I don't think they need so much encouragement. I've always felt like a coach needs to make these young men feel like they can walk on water and it's our job to make sure we always put them in position and show ultimate faith, especially in a world of negativity. When these young men walk in this building, they've got to believe that we have faith in them, and we do. I mean, shoot, we picked them and we believe in all of them. So, you've just got to be patient. You've got to work with them and if they're made of the right stuff and they're going about it the right way every single day, then you trust that they'll figure it out."
Does it make it easier for them that they have each other? There's a lot of them.
"It does. I guess so, but I think it helps more that you've got veterans in this building on the D-Line like [DL] Kalia Davis and [DL] Jordan [Elliott]. Shoot even Sam O, so you've got great veterans there. You've got veterans in the linebacker room, you've got veterans in the DB room to help guide along all these kids."
Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
Who's playing quarterback in New Jersey on Sunday?
"Brock's getting better I know that which is good. He is doing more this week. He's taking a few more reps. We're going to let the week play out and see how it goes."
I'm sure he is frustrated to some extent, but how is he kind of managing that? What's that been like?
"Yeah, it's very frustrating for him. Him and I were talking yesterday, it's an injury that's frustrating because it has an unpredictable nature to it about when things are going to flare up and kind of how it's going to react to things. He has been doing everything he can do. He has been patient, but it is frustrating for him. I know he wants to be out there. I know he's our quarterback and he's our leader and he wants to be out on the field with the guys, but he is doing what he needs to do. He's being patient and he's getting better and we're getting him back into practice."
How is he at putting that frustration kind of aside and being helpful for QB Mac Jones?
"Oh, he is great. It doesn't affect that at all. Like you would imagine, personally it's a frustrating situation, but Brock's, he's a pro and he's a leader. He's helping our guys however he can."
Obviously, he can't do all of the physical stuff, but how do you go about just making sure that when he does step on the field, he's improved since the last time, just from the non-physical standpoint?
"Yeah, I think that's the goal is just to have complete confidence that you're going out there and feeling your best. And if you do feel something that it's something you just you know that you have to kind of deal with. I think that's the goal with Brock is just getting him comfortable with that. And then if he's out there, we don't feel like he's going to have any restrictions physically. We feel like if he's playing, he can do what we need him to do."
How do you keep him sharp mentally with knowing the offense and everything?
"I think he's naturally going to stay in it. He's been staying in it the whole time. He hasn't missed anything from a mental perspective. I think you just need reps again. You need that repetition of getting in the huddle, hearing a call, kind of going through everything you do before the snap going through progressions, you got to go back out there and practice, which he's been doing. He did that a little more yesterday. As far as the mental stuff, I think it just comes with getting the reps again and just getting in that comfort level that you miss when you're just not in there."
WR Jordan Watkins was on the field for the first time and he drops the first one that comes to him, then he makes a little catch later. When you miss as much time as he has, do you have to remind him, 'Hey, you still almost have a whole college season left, plenty of time left.' Do you still feel pretty good about his development?
"Yeah, I feel good about it. He got some action on Sunday. I think he would probably tell you he has got to make that play. That was a big third down. But it's a long way to go. It's a struggle for all rookies of just kind of being in it for the long haul. He's up for it. He's been practicing really well. We've been happy with his work, and so I'm not worried about his mindset from that perspective."
What have you seen from WR Jauan Jennings? Yesterday, head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned he's been compromised a little bit so far.
"He's been battling injuries all year, from training camp. Jauan's been pushing through it, and he's been doing it for the team. And he's been going out there and working through stuff. He is getting better every week. And you can see him starting to heal up and with the ankle, the ribs. I think he's hopefully getting past that. So, it's taking time for him to get to be feeling good, which is kind of weird. You're playing football and trying to get healthy at the same time, which doesn't always go hand in hand, but he is getting better. He's healing. And I think every week we kind of see him get back to the form we want him to be in."
In the scouting evaluation process, what did you think of New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart?
"Oh, I loved him. He was a heck of a player and just a gamer. And you saw a guy who competed and who won a lot of games and he's just a playmaker at the position. And aside from the natural talent, you just loved how he competed and made plays. So not surprised at all that he is doing well. He is a heck of a player."
This game against Houston is not what you want, and you seem pretty calm with us here, but what is your personality like on gameday? Have you had a half in your career that went like that? You seem pretty calm, but are you and Kyle swearing at each other on the headsets? What is that vibe like in the first half?
"It's tough, man. It's frustrating for everybody. Not just me, not just Kyle, but the players. You're battling through a tough game where you can't stay on the field with third downs and their offense goes on a long drive and you're on the sideline for a long time and you're just not doing the things you want to do. You try to stay calm and, you know, I think that's, for me personally, that's how I work through things is to stay calm and try to figure out solutions, 'what are we going to do? How are we going to get through this?' That's my mindset with everything. But yeah, I'd be lying if I said you're not dying on the inside a little bit when you're going through that, but you got to work through it and you got to battle and you got to find ways to help your players. It was cool to see our guys do that at the end of the first half. They made those plays to kind of get us back in the game and to get a spark, but we just didn't sustain it."
You saw a good defensive front last week. What do you make of the one that you're seeing this weekend?
"Another really good front. They have first round picks at every position on the defensive line. Elite rushers, an elite player on the inside in [New York Giants DL] Dexter Lawrence, and just super talented and just another huge challenge."
When you come out of that game against the Texans, what do you stress and emphasize to the players when you get them back together and start getting ready for the Giants?
"It wasn't just one thing. You could point in any direction, but when you look at it, to me it came down to we didn't stay on the field. We weren't able to help our defense by converting a third down in that first half which would've allowed us to run the ball more. We didn't run the ball enough, but we weren't on the field enough, so it started with the first half and then the third quarter we come out and we go three-and-out. I think we had a second and three and we had a zero-yard run, and then we get sacked. And so, it was like we didn't do enough to stay on the field in different areas. Should we have run the ball better? Yeah. But we needed to be better on third down and that's what it came down to. So, at the end of the day, you got to convert third downs. You got to give yourself chances to make more plays and we just didn't do it."
Was the protection plan sound? You had OL Matt Hennessy pulling to block a star defensive end. Did you chip much on Houston Texans DL Will Anderson Jr. against OL Colton McKivitz? When you watched that film again, did you feel like you could have done more to help Colton maybe a little bit?
"I think in hindsight you always wish you could have done more. We did chip some. You mentioned Hennessy pulling, that's a protection we use a lot. We didn't execute it very well, to be honest with you with some of our technique. But you mix it up, you mix in the chips, you can't do it all the time because when [TE] George Kittle's chipping, he is not on a route. So, you try to mix those things up and it wasn't good enough in all areas. So yeah, the plan wasn't good enough, the execution wasn't good enough, and we got to be better moving forward."
Kyle has mentioned WR Ricky Pearsall's recovery is taking longer than you would've hoped. How is Ricky dealing with the day-to-day?
"Yeah, I talked to Ricky yesterday, he's doing good. His mind's in the right place, but he's frustrated. I think kind of like Brock, he expected things to go quicker, but you don't really know. But Ricky's locked into his rehab. He's doing everything he can do to push himself to get ready to go. But like you'd imagine, it's hard for those guys, but he's handling it the right way and he'll be ready when he's fully healed."
QB Mac Jones
When you look at the Giants defense, what stands out to you about what they do?
"Yeah, they're really good. I think the front's obviously a really good front. They've got a lot of guys up there and play a lot of different coverages, so definitely going to be a challenge. And yeah, we've got to be ready to go."
Do you feel a sense of urgency in practice this week? Head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about how he wanted everybody to come in with a chip on their shoulder.
"Yeah, I heard about that. I think that's important. I think everybody has their own chip on their shoulder for different reasons, but as a team for sure. And we've got to be ready to practice today. Obviously, we're doing media before practice, so we still have one practice today and one practice tomorrow and then Saturday. So, take it one day at a time. But, yesterday was good and just got to do that again today."
Does it feel like you guys have a 5-3 record or does it feel like a losing record? You guys are winning this season, but it feels kind of back and forth.
"Yeah, for sure. I know what you're saying. I learned that maybe the hard way. Just early on in my career, I would be frustrated if we didn't win by like a lot of points or whatever. And I realized that winning in the NFL is so hard and it's not like college when you're going to win by like 40, 50 points or whatever. And every game typically comes down to the last quarter or a couple drives. So, we've been in that position like I talked about earlier and that's my goal as a quarterback is be ready in those moments because quarters one through three are obviously important, but really the fourth quarter is where it's all won. That's the NFL. I've learned that. I've watched it, studied it, so I'm really just glad where we're at. But also, you can't be complacent at all. This is a big week for us. It's one of those, you look at your record, you win and you're in a good spot and you lose and you're not in as good of a spot. So, we know that you're trying to win every week. Definitely feel like we can do it and just have to go out there and execute."
You overlapped with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll at Alabama your first year. What was he like as a coach and what did you learn from him in your first year there?
"He was awesome. He was the best. I think we spent a lot of time together. I was third-string and freshman and he was installing a new offense, so I didn't really know much. So he was trying to see if I could learn the offense that he wanted to install and he did just such a good job of innovating for the player that was in. So, when [Philadelphia Eagles QB] Jalen [Hurts] played, he had quarterback runs and things like that. And then when [Miami Dolphins QB] Tua [Tagovailoa] played, he had a lot of RPOs and over the middle passing, so I learned as a young player how good he was at building his plan for the offense at the time and learned a lot about coverages and footwork and all that stuff. So, we obviously still talk and stuff and he's a great coach and got a lot of respect for him."
You overlapped with DL Keion White in New England. What can you tell us about him and what kind of player he is, what kind of guy he is?
"He's quiet. But, he's the man when you talk to him and get to know him, just a really down-to-earth guy. I remember when he was coming out from Georgia Tech, I'm friends with Coach [Georgia Tech head coach Brent] Key, the head coach there, and he was like, 'you guys got a great player and he's really quiet, so just try and get him used to the guys and stuff.' And he did that and I think he's just a great player that maybe the scheme didn't fit him or whatever that may be. And I know he is excited for a fresh start and I think he's going to be really good in this system. He's a strong guy and I'm just looking forward to watching him grow. I'm sure right now he's just trying to learn everybody's names and learn where to walk and stuff. So, definitely figuring it out, but he's a great dude."
You had WR Jordan Watkins on the field for the first time and he drops the first one. Do you go to him right away and talk him up?
"Yeah, I think people always look at that. It's like first game, whatever, like it doesn't really matter to me. He's done a good job in practice. As a rookie, I remember my first game too, like, you're going to have your jitters and you might not be exactly where you want to be, and he's trying to play catchup a little bit, but he has all the skills and he's lining up right now in practice and doing the right stuff. So, that's all I care about. And I told him, 'it's your first one, right, so don't worry about your first game in general, whether it was really good or really bad, like just keep working and you'll get more comfortable.' And I really like his speed and what he did in college and some of those things are showing up in practice, so I'm definitely really excited about him."
The team had a slow start in Houston, not to make excuses, but it was a 10:00 AM body start game. You've got another one coming up this week. What do those feel like from the perspective of a West Coast team and how do you start faster?
"It's obviously my first experience this year doing that. And just talking to people and we have different things that we use and I feel like really you've just got to get the right amount of sleep for your time slot and get up and get ready to play. It's not like, you can't overthink it or underthink it, but at the end of the day you get your nine, 10, 11 hours of sleep and then obviously you travel early and I try not to get adjusted at the time. I just stay on my own clock here. But yeah, it's a challenge and I think every team has to deal with it, whether you're going east to west or west to east, so definitely want to be ready to play."
You really get 11 hours of sleep before a start?
"(Laughter) Sometimes, yeah. Usually I sleep a lot. It's just hard when you're traveling, but if I can I definitely put my head on that pillow and try and get nine or 10 or 11."
One of the storylines this week was the turf that's at MetLife because this team, when they were back there about five years ago, there were a lot of injuries. You played on it. Do you have concerns about it and just memories of playing at MetLife?
"Yeah, I've played against both teams there. But I don't know, I don't really think about it. I think it's turf and the field's 100-yards long and 53-and-a-third wide, so I don't really think about it like that. But, definitely every playing surface is different and I learned early in my career you want to get out there early and test your cleats and figure out do you want to wear this pair or that pair based on the surface. That's all you can do. And I mean, I played on it multiple times and didn't have any issues, so I think it's a cool stadium and they've got a good fan base."
You were listed on the injury report yesterday with knee/knee, double knee. WR Jauan Jennings might have you beat. He's been listed most of the year with three different injuries. Obviously as you've gotten to know Jauan, what do you make of his ability to play through some significant stuff? What does he show you?
"Oh, he's really tough. I really like Jauan. I think obviously we're working through some things right now in terms of just trying to get him started in the games, but he comes out and works every day and he doesn't complain. Like, we were talking about some of the plays in the game that maybe I missed him or he didn't catch it or whatever, but it doesn't matter, we're on the same page. He's running fast, I'm trying to get him the ball and we're working together during practice. So, he's done a great job rehabbing his injuries and I think he's definitely getting better, like all of us are, each week. And I just really love the way he works and I think a lot of people look up to him in a way, like he's played a lot of football and for him to be out there even when he doesn't have to be out there, maybe, shows a lot about his character. So, I'm looking forward to just getting that chemistry going. We haven't had a lot of reps together to be honest either. So, just working on that and I'm really excited for him. I know what he can do and I've seen him make really good plays in this offense."