San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Monday night's 20-9 Week 12 win over the Carolina Panthers. Here is what they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"Injuries from the game, just [DL] Sam O [Okuayinonu] with an ankle, never returned. Go ahead."
What were your thoughts on QB Brock Purdy and what happened in the first half?
"Just had three throws he'd love to take back. They're all three good decisions. Just a hair late on them and when you're a hair late on stuff, you can't throw behind him and he threw it behind him and all three guys made him pay."
At halftime, you gave a lot of credit to the defense for keeping the Carolina Panthers from scoring. What did you think of S Ji'Ayir Brown, because he had a pretty strong performance throughout?
"He was awesome. We'll see more on the tape, but it felt like it was his best game as a Niner. Think he's been playing at a high level here for a while, but those two picks were huge and looked like he made a number of good tackles too."
You say a hair late for Brock. Is that a byproduct of missing all the time that he did or is it somehow related to the injury itself?
"No, there's no narrative to a late throw. You're just a little late and when you do, which people are late a lot, you just can't throw it behind him when you are. You've got to put it in front of them. He had it a little behind them on all three and all three of those corners made him pay."
Did you feel the need to say anything to him at halftime or did you just assume he's going to figure it out?
"No, he's all right. I communicated with him throughout the game and at halftime, but nothing big. [Quarterbacks coach] Mick's [Lombardi] dealing with him throughout the game too. Brock was fine. Just three throws you'd like to take back."
Does that make you hesitant? I mean, after three throws in rapid succession to kind of throw the ball downfield?
"Yeah, you've got to think about all of them and why it's happening. It makes me a lot more hesitant if they're all bad decisions and stuff. But, he was seeing it right. They were all really good decisions. He just missed the throw on them. So, I think it is a lot worse when you feel like he's not making the right decisions."
Did you get any sense that RB Christian McCaffrey was more fired up about this game because it was the Panthers?
"Not me personally just becuase I've never felt anything from Christian any week about being the most fired up you can possibly be week-in and week-out. So I don't feel much of a change. But, anytime you play the team that drafted you, a team you were with a while, I'm sure it was a little extra special for him."
What'd you think of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's game plan tonight?
"I thought he did an awesome job. The whole D did. Just especially overcoming those three turnovers. I mean, when you do that, especially I believe one was right there in the red zone, we got the pick, the other one we held him to a field goal, I think. But, it was huge. He did an awesome game plan and the guys played at a high level too."
Did you feel this week that there was some carryover in confidence from the defense after their performance last week that they were able to bring into this?
"I mean, I feel like these guys have been playing a while together. Ever since losing [LB] Fred [Warner] and stuff, it's been a bunch of young guys, guys who haven't had their ops yet. I think each week you can feel them in practice get better and better. Now, it's not always that result on Sunday or on Monday. But today it was, I thought last week it was. We all know it was a rough fourth quarter, but these last two games I thought we've really improved."
What'd you see on the blocking on the touchdown run?
"It was an awesome block by [WR Jauan Jennings] J.J., cracked the D-End. We were able to get, [T] Trent [Williams] got up on the free safety and Christian followed right behind [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice on the cover-three corner and it was extremely clean, well-blocked play that allowed him to hit it, I think from the 12."
Brock seemed to struggle to stretch the field tonight. Was there anything the Panthers did to make it a little bit more difficult?
"No. I thought he did stretch the field, just missed all three of those throws. So, when you have those ops, and you miss them, it's tough to get them again. Both those guys did a good job of making him pay when the ball was behind. Number eight's got some good hands, and I don't know who got the other one, but three good catches by those guys."
How do you guys go from having a defense that's young and learning to raising the expectations for them now to what would be required down the stretch?
"We don't really talk about raising the expectations. We just talk about trying to play as good as we can every week. I think those guys haven't got caught up in too much. I mean, they come to work every week. I really like how they've been in practice week-in and week-out, had our toughest game versus the Rams about three weeks ago and you would've never felt that by watching how they practiced on Wednesday. It's been very consistent with these guys. They're really just locked into their jobs and trying to do the best they can."
McCaffrey leads the League in both rushes and receptions. How has he been able to withstand the workload and also be successful with those touches?
"I mean, I think he's always successful when he gets his touches. I don't think that's been any different probably since he was playing Pop Warner football, you know? And he's always been very durable. He has been able to avoid a bad injury. And being able to avoid that has allowed him to keep going. He really makes our pass game go, when things aren't there, just how automatic he is on the check downs and stuff underneath allows us to stay on the field a lot. I think he's one of the main reasons we have so many 10-play plus drives."
When Brock threw the third pick, did you at all consider going to QB Mac Jones considering how well he'd been playing?
"No."
Are there some glue guys on defense that maybe helped this group stay together as they're trying to find a new identity without Fred and DL Nick Bosa?
"Yeah, I mean it's tough to sit and say names, but I think all our guys have had a little bit part. I think [LB] Curtis Robinson getting his first opportunity today to start at MIKE linebacker I thought was huge. But, he's been around us for a while and one of the guys people respect the most on the team. I thought [LB] Tatum [Bethune] has done an awesome job. He wasn't there today, but when you talk about glue guys, just the guys who show up each week and just workno matter what the circumstances are, Tig has been that way, huge. Ji'Ayir. Always [DB Deommodore Lenior] DMo. I think Sam O has stepped it up big. I'm really proud of our defensive guys, so I hate to even leave any names out. There's not a guy out there that I feel hasn't been grinding and giving us his all every week."
How big was the OL Colton McKivitz fumble recovery and what did you think overall of the offensive line?
"I thought they did a good job. I thought they protected well. I thought we run-blocked well. I thought that was a hell of a play by that linebacker. I mean, you could see him sneaking behind and getting that ball from Christian and it's just awesome when you're always running after the play, playing all the way through the whistle good things happen. Colton does that every play and fortunately it was so we didn't have a turnover there."
Did you see what happened to WR Jauan Jennings on the last series?
"Yeah, the guy took a cheap shot and hit him in the balls and was real proud of Jauan for not losing his mind out there and get him to the sideline."
Nine touches for Christian on that opening drive, I'm sure that was scripted. But, then you kind of backed off of him a little bit. Did Carolina do anything to take him away from you or was that just part of your plan going in anyway?
"No, I mean it wasn't scripted. Those plays are, I mean when we hand it off it is. I'd be surprised how many passes where he is number one. If people are covered, you go to a checkdown and Christian's as good of a checkdown as there is in the League so it makes things pretty decisive for our quarterback. Every time we go to him underneath, usually we go to him in the right decisions because people are covered deep and he's really easy to get to the ball to after that."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
A great win for you guys, but obviously the three picks is something you'd like to get back. What'd you think of those three?
"Yeah, honestly, the decisions of going to those spots I was fine with. It's just the execution of throwing a better ball. I feel like on really all of them, I needed to just drive the ball a little bit more and I kept it up in the air too long on multiple of them. But again, that's on me. I thought our receivers did a great job of getting separation and winning and so it's just execution wise, I've got to throw the ball more on a line and put it there."
How'd you feel the ball was coming out of your hand? Is the toe inhibiting your ability to drive as you normally would?
"No, toe is fine. Feels good out there. It's really just seeing the play develop, anticipating and letting it rip at the end of the day. So, it had nothing to do with my toe."
On the first drive, it was obviously a good drive. After that drive, did you feel like you were trying to force it a little bit, just trying to get the ball down the field a little bit in those instances?
"No, I think my read just took me to where I threw the ball. At the end of the day, like I said, just from what I saw up on the big screen, I thought the guys were there, I just missed the throws to be honest. And so got to go back and watch the film and actually see what happened and whatnot and see why I threw it the way I did. But, at the end of the day I thought our guys were there and the ball should have gone there. I've got to make the play and throw it better."
You had a similar game versus the Ravens, so you've been here before, but does that affect your confidence when you have picks, kind of in rapid succession and how do you combat that?
"Yeah, it's tough. Mentally as a quarterback you want to play aggressive, you want to take what the defense gives you, but when you turn the ball over, really three drives in a row, it's like, alright, you feel it, you feel a little bit of pressure and stuff, but this is why we're put in this position. I can handle this. As a quarterback, you can't lose confidence in yourself. You can't shrivel back and then all of a sudden take a bunch of check downs and stuff. You still have to read the play out and stay aggressive and be better. You've got to learn from your mistakes too. But the good thing is I've got a great team around me. I've got guys that believe in me, since I've stepped in this building, guys that have had my back. And so our defense played their butts off, they did absolutely amazing and they got the ball back for us. They made stops. And so that's football man. It's four quarters for a reason. Obviously, I don't want to have that kind of performance. But I'm an NFL quarterback and you have games like this and it's all about how you prepare and get better and move on to the next. I feel like the greats and the good quarterbacks, they don't dwell on the past. They're able to go through some bumpy trials and stuff and then learn from it and keep going. So that's the challenge ahead of me and I'm excited for it."
Did anybody give you a pep talk at all after any of those interceptions or at halftime?
"No, just everybody, man, Juice [FB Kyle Juszczyk], [TE] George [Kittle], all the guys coming up to me and they just keep telling me, keep slinging it, don't lose your confidence. And they all got my back. So, it was just everybody, there wasn't like one guy that said something in particular. So, the vibe around the locker room is everybody showing love and they got our backs and you go through tough things, but like I said, we're all in this together. So, love our locker room, love our team, and we're good."
When you're not driving the ball the way you would like, do you know why? Is it a footwork issue? Is it mechanics? Do you have to go back and look at the film?
"Right now, I've got to go back and look at the film, not really sure off the top of my head. It's just being aggressive and letting it rip and leading the receiver. But I've got to watch the film and I'll let you guys know later."
RB Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in both rushing attempts and receptions this year. How has he been able to be such a sturdy force every game and just productive all season long?
"Yeah, just the way that he trains and his preparation and understanding what he's about to go through every single game, that dude is on a routine and on a schedule better than anybody that I know. And so, he's able to carry that kind of workload and make the plays out of the backfield as a receiver and then run the ball hard and fight and scratch and claw for every yard. And so, we have nothing but the utmost respect for that guy and what he does for our team and does it over and over and over again. And so I mean, obviously the numbers are great, but more than anything, he's a great example for all of us in the locker room."
Did you get any sense that this game was more important to him?
"No, the way that he prepares every single week, he's always on one, he's always on top of his stuff and the details and stuff and his mindset, he wants to go out and he's ready to pummel somebody – like that's Christian. And so obviously if you guys ask him, I'm sure he'd give you an answer, but they did trade him overnight kind of thing and he wasn't able to say bye to his teammates. So, I'm sure that's something, you don't forget that as a player, but more than anything we see this every week from him."
In 2022, when he got here, it was you that worked with him for more to get him up to speed. Do you remember him when he first got traded, if he had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder at that point?
"Definitely. Right when he got traded and he came here and [Los Angeles Rams QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] was going through the stuff as a starter and stuff. And so, as a backup, like I was the one sort of just helping Christian as much as I could, walking through plays and stuff after practice and meeting a little extra and going over stuff. And so, you could tell like, he was on top of it and I was like, 'man, this is Christian McCaffrey, like an All-Pro running back and everything'. I wasn't really sure, how he was going to be, but he acted like he was a rookie in terms of wanting to learn, wanting to know all the ins and outs of the offense and the details. So, he's been like that. He still is like that. And you guys see it every Sunday and he puts on performances like this."
From your lens, from your job's perspective, what's it like knowing you have that kind of a reliable target that could be anywhere on the field?
"I mean, it's nice obviously. He's Mr. Reliable, he's always there. But more than anything, I just try to go through my reads and progressions and then when 23 is there, I'm like, 'alright, cool.' I know that if I get the ball in his hands, he can make a guy miss and turn a four-yard gain into a 7-, 8-, 9- or 10-yard gain. And he's done that over and over again. So, explosive player, I'm grateful to be playing with him. Obviously, we need to keep finding ways of getting him the ball."
After, I think it was your second pick, you went over to some position groups and had a few words. What was your message?
"Just owning up, that's on me. Everyone is doing their job and fighting. We have grown men playing for their careers and every game, every play matters. So, when I'm out there and I'm not driving and completing the ball, when [WR] Ricky's [Pearsall] working hard on his route, the offensive line's working their tail off to block for me, I want to play well for them. So, I just went over there and owned up to it and said, 'that's on me guys. Keep doing your thing, and I'll be better for you guys.'"
49ers S Ji'Ayir Brown
Did you say anything to QB Brock Purdy when he was on that interception spree to help settle him down?
"I never say anything after the first one. After the second one I just said, 'dude, just take a deep breath, man. You've been here, you're good. Just breathe. Let it out. Move on to the next play.' That's it. He's a professional. He knows what he's doing."
No words to him after the third interception?
"No, but I think Kyle had some. He's fine. I'm not too worried about Brock. I'll say one of those interceptions he threw, I think it was the third one, they did an alert coverage with the backside corner, which was pretty impressive. That was a cool coverage. I don't expect Brock to see that at all. Your read's coming this way and the guy's coming from the left side of the field sprinting across. I think that was just a good play by him and a good call by that defensive coordinator."
What'd you see out of S Ji'Ayir Brown?
"Well the first interception, we're all sitting there saying the tight end is wide open, please somebody cover him. Then he kind of just popped out of nowhere and made a huge play for an interception. Anytime you turn the ball over and your defense can hold them to zero points is a huge thing so shout out to him on that. Then his second interception that was on our side of the 50 too, huge play and you know right place, right time. The thing I love about Tig is he works really hard every single day and I respect the hell out of him for that. We all have had down days. He's had days where fans aren't really happy with him and then he just shows up every single day and works really, really hard. If he doesn't have those two interceptions then hey, that's a touchdown or it's a completion somewhere else and it's a completely different game."
49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir
How big was it for S Ji'Ayir Brown to get that interception right after QB Brock Purdy threw one?
"Oh yeah, that was a big statement. Tig has been playing great. Today the ball was coming his way and he was making plays. He's a blessing to have for this team and for the defensive backs room. He's a true leader too."
After last week what kind of emphasis did you guys put on continuing the turnovers?
"Really just catching the ball, we're right there. It's just finishing, you know. I would say we have to finish better with catching the ball. We're already trying to run right after the catch. With the defensive backs group after practice we focus on catching the ball and finishing off with the jugs machine. We force each other to be great."
What was it like playing against Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young someone you grew up playing with and against?
"It was fun. He's always been a great competitor since we were little. He was an eighth grader playing with high schoolers and spinning the ball to us. He's a talented player. I can't wait to see it come together for him."
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
I think you lead the league in touches and you are maybe tied for third when it comes to touchdowns as a receiver. What's it like for you to come into a game and have another big game like tonight?
"I really don't see it that way. I think there's probably a lot left out there that we want, but anytime you get a win in this league, it's awesome. Anytime I'm able to step on the field and play, I feel extremely blessed. I'm my biggest critic, and I always want more, but I love the fact that our guys went out there today and found a way to win."
You said that any extra emotion you'd have when playing the Panthers would come organically as the game approached. Did you have any? What did you feel as the game approached?
"When it comes to playing in the league, you have to approach each week as similarly as possible. Stay in your routine. You can't get too far outside of what's normal for you. So I tried to do that, and obviously when you see familiar faces, it's always good to see them before the game and after the game. That's a completely new team than when I was there, so it's really just business once the ball is snapped."
Leading the league in touches the way that you are, how are you feeling physically? And within your training regimen, how are you able to handle the workload that you do?
"I feel great. Physically, I feel good. Again, I work hard. We have a great staff out here, but I say this all the time. God is good, and I feel really blessed to be able to be playing football right now. To have as much of a load as I've had and continue to play, I give all the glory to God."
49ers LB Curtis Robinson
It's been a particularly long journey to get to this first start for you. What did it mean to get that start, but also for it to go that well for the defense as a whole?
"It meant the world to me. It's been really difficult. I mentioned this to the defense last night. It's been really difficult this whole week for me not to really reflect on the whole journey and just keep it about the team, keep it about the defense. It was a huge moment for me. And so to be able to come out the other side with a huge win on Monday night and finally be able to reflect on, you know, how long it's been and what I had to go through to get here. I'm grateful more than I could ever explain."
I asked you earlier this week how you felt about your last performance. You said there were a lot of things you wanted to fix and clean up. What did you think about this performance?
"I'll probably say the same thing to you. I really have to tackle better. That's my biggest thing. That was the same thing last week. I'm going to continue to try to do that as long as I'm out there. I just have to be a better tackler for this defense. Honestly, if I'm going to be in the middle, I have to be a sure tackler. But my biggest thing this week going in was making sure that communication was on point and making sure that everybody had trust in me getting them lined up. And I feel like that's where we were at. I felt like we were on it the whole time."
San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan gave you guys credit as early as halftime for keeping you guys in it. How does that make you feel?
"It makes me feel great. That's the standard though. That's how the team works. If the offense isn't firing the way they need to, they can lean on us and vice versa. We know that we have their trust. If we're not firing the way we need to, we can lean on them. And so today it felt good to be able to be that for the team."
Curtis, how has this group shaped the new identity without LB Fred Warner and DL Nick Bosa?
"I think really the next man up mentality has been huge this year. I commend everyone who's had to step into a starting role or even a backup rotating role because it's not an easy thing to do. When you lose your two biggest leaders on this team or on this defense, excuse me, it's not an easy thing to do, to go out week in and week out and really perform. Like I said, we have players at every level who have stepped up not only on the field, but in leadership roles and really helped us get to the point where we're at."
Your last home game was a tough one against the Los Angeles Rams. How big is it for you guys to bounce back and have a home win?
"It's huge. I mean, you guys see the momentum in that stadium. Our fans are some of the best in the league, if not the best. To be able to do that on prime time after the way that we came out last time was huge for us."
Do you guys feel like your playoffs are already here, given the way that the standings are in the NFC West?
"I won't speak too much on that. We have a big game coming up next week, and I think that's where our focus is. But obviously we're looking forward to potentially getting to that point for sure. Yeah."
Panthers Head Coach Dave Canales
Opening Comments:
"Defense was putting us in some great situations with the interceptions and not coming away with points. Having an interception on one of those things really hurt us. Some basic things, you know, a couple of penalties put us in long drives. A drop on third down really just comes down to fundamental execution and things that I felt like were moving in the right direction, but we didn't take that step today that I was looking for collectively as a group. The defense battled and they kept us in it, gave us some opportunities there, and then we turned it over again at the end with an opportunity to make the game close there at the end."
On first-and-goal from the one, can you talk us through that play call and decision to throw it on that play?
"Yeah, it was a play action. He had [Carolina Panthers TE Mitchell Evans] Mitch open in the back half and there's an option he could take off and run it into the front pylon. He saw Mitch and right when he turned back in, they had a defender on the edge who popped out and intercepted it at that time. He made a great play on the ball. But we've been running the ball there in that situation and felt like we could get another chance to run at it if we didn't get the completion on that roll. I like the call. It was an aggressive call, a play action that we had opportunities on, and unfortunately came out with an interception."
Carolina Panthers TE Tommy Tremble went for that pass too. Were they supposed to be in the same area?
"I haven't gotten a clear answer. I'll be able to tell you more about that once I look at the film."
Is the play call designed for them to be in the same area?
"No, not to be in the same area. Yeah."
You guys had nine carries on the day. Was that by design or was there any reason why the offense abandoned the run this game?
"You know, I just felt like building off of what happened last week and just taking a step forward with the pass game. I saw some opportunities. We were protecting pretty well as far as pass protection goes and it just felt like we just didn't come away with our opportunities consistently enough early on. And then in the second half at a certain point when the score becomes what it is, it's like, okay, we're in a two score game. We have to move it a little bit here and throw the ball around and we had some measure of success that way. The run game seemed to be hitting pretty good, but I was trying to take advantage of it. They were playing some loaded boxes that did a good job with their disguise in some of those areas too."
How much did those loaded boxes take away the tight ends or the middle of the field, at least from your perspective?
"Yeah, it might have a little bit. Again, at a glance, I thought we had some opportunities and some one-on-one matchups outside and we made some but not consistent enough."
Consistency seems to be an issue with this team after a record-setting game last week and then this week struggling on all things. What do you think is a problem there? Why is it not clicking for you guys yet?
"Yeah, it's just fundamentals. Fundamentals, execution, you know, it's the little things. It's making the completions, it's the right throw, it's catching the ball, doing all the little things right that I can count on these guys to do and making sure that shows up weekly."
There was a 15-minute edge for your opponent in time of possession. How much of that played a factor in the three or four injuries on defense?
"I don't know how much of a factor it was that way, but I know they did a great job of making first downs and finding early success on third down. They kind of took the ball down the field on third downs and were pretty much perfect in that area. We did a really solid job against the run game, but as the game goes on, and because we weren't able to sustain drives offensively, we were leaving our defense out there for a long time and they started making extra yards after that with two good, solid backs."
Can you give us any insight into what happened with Carolina Panthers CB Jaycee Horn? I know he finished the half, but then he was in concussion protocol.
"Yeah, it didn't present as a head injury initially. And then once he came in for the half, that's when it started to really materialize. So when he came out and he was feeling nauseous and all that, those are signs that our training staff took and said, okay, we have to make sure we do further evaluation on that."
You needed two scores down 11 points. Going for the 57 yarder, what was the conversation like with Special Teams Coordinator Tracy Smith beforehand and why that choice?
"Yeah, if we could get it past the 40, give [Carolina Panthers K] Ryan [Fitzgerald] a shot to get a field goal there and kick them back deep. We had timeouts, see if we can get a stop, which our defense ended up getting a stop after that. So the goal was to do that, get the ball back and see if we can go down to tie it up."
I understand that you have to focus on multiple things. There's a video, clear as day, of Carolina Panthers S Tre'von Moehrig hitting San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings not near the ball at all. What happened there?
"I'll get to the bottom of that. I want to see what exactly happened. I haven't had a chance to talk to Tre about that yet. As you know, we've just been talking to the team and wrapping up the day. But that will be a conversation that I'll dig into."
Will you try to talk to him tonight?
"Yeah, I'll talk to him tonight. I want to make sure I have a chance to look at the film to see what happened."
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young had a breakout last week. What defined your struggle tonight?
"It's just the full group execution and making sure we're on the same page with the calls that are coming in and out. The timing and rhythm, making sure he is getting his throws off the right way, making sure guys are running the right routes at the right depth. Those are all the things that we're hammering on as a group and we have to continue to regroup quickly this week and get to the execution part of it."
Back to that first and goal play. How big of a momentum killer was that? You have a chance to answer right off the interception and first and goal at the one.
"Yeah, a missed opportunity there. There were a lot of moments like that."
How disappointing to come in on this stage and not play up to snuff?
"Yeah, we just have to be able to carry out our execution regardless of where it is, what time it's played, who the opponent is. We have to focus on those things and make sure that we come out of the game with good football and I didn't feel like we did collectively. There were spots, there was some really good football played in areas, but certainly from an offensive standpoint with the penalties putting us into some bad situations on some first and twenties and things like that, it gets harder. Those are some of the things that we're talking about. And then the basics of it, the block and throw and catching, the things that we have to really come back to and improve."
Twelve games into year two. How confident do you feel in your ability to handle situational football as well as play calling, and also finding a chemistry with what Bryce is doing on the field?
"I have a lot of good help, but again, this is a collective thing and it starts with me. I have to make sure that we're all taking that information and making it come alive, and having a good attack. Love the game plan that we had coming into it, but making sure that our guys are ready. I have to do whatever it takes to make sure that they're ready to go. We have a modified week this week, so we have to be able to take the lessons from this and move on quickly. We have everything still right in front of us. We have to understand that. But the only way we're going to make it happen is by playing good fundamental football."
Bryce had an amazing game against Atlanta, but to put him in that position today where he's having to carry because you got away from the running game, what do you make of that and how do you have to move forward? That doesn't happen continuously.
"The run game was solid when we look at it on average. There were some good runs, but the mix of it and the way we were going to try to attack this team, it didn't play out. We didn't come up, we didn't come away with a lot of the passes that we wanted to make that happen. It's just going back to the basics of it and looking at the execution part and making sure we're all collectively looking at it together, agreeing upon what needs to be improved and moving forward."
Panthers QB Bryce Young
How would you define your struggle tonight?
"It's just a lack of execution. A couple plays you want to have back. A couple of things they could do better. I haven't watched the film yet, but you go out there and live it, and it doesn't feel great. It sucks. It's going to be a sucky plane ride back, but we have a short week, so we have to turn the page. We have to flush it quick. It's not the outcome we wanted, but we're moving forward."
Consistency has been an issue with this team, what do you guys need to do to be consistent moving forward?
"We just need to execute. There's no dream plays or hoorah speeches. I need to do a better job of executing myself. I need to take care of the ball. I needed to do a better job of making plays go today. I didn't do good enough. I take all ownership in that. We have a locker room full of guys that do that, so we just have to be better. There's not some magical fix. It's us buckling down and playing good football. We didn't get that done on offense today. Again, it sucks, but it's a quick week. We have to be able to flush it quick and get on to the next one."
What did you see on that goal line play?
"Again, that's a good play by a DB. I can't put the ball in peril like that, especially in a situation like that. I take full ownership. That's on me. I have to do a better job making decisions. Again, it's on me. I have to do a better job of making decisions. It's on me. We'll wear it for this 24, and then we'll turn the page."
What was the biggest difference between last week's performance and tonight's?
"Execution. Again, first and foremost, it starts with me. I have to do a better job of making things go. There are opportunities out there. I could do a better job of getting that. Again, we all wear it. It wasn't some crazy difference in game plan. Coaches did a great job of having us prepared. I have to do a better job of making it go. It sucks right now. We have an opportunity next week after the 24. We'll turn the page and look forward to that."
What do you think of this loss today, big picture?
"It's a loss. That's all it is. Again, the plane ride back is going to suck. I don't even know if we have the 24 hour luxury now. We're all competitors. It sucks to have this outcome and then after that, it doesn't matter. Next week we're going to be 0 - 0. We have to earn the right to try to be 1 - 0 next week. Going into practice, going into the week, again, we don't have luxuries to think about big picture. That's not a good recipe for this league. Everyone demands our most attention. So, we'll flip the page and go to next week."
Does it make it tougher when defense is getting interceptions and getting the ball back to you guys and you can't make something happen?
"Again, it's not going to make the plane ride feel any better. They played a great game. Again, it's a really good unit. They turned the ball over, they did an amazing job of creating those turnovers, of doing stuff, and as an offense, we feel bad. We let them down today. I let them down today. It sucks, but again, we've got next week. It's going to suck right now. That's just the nature of this league. You have to flush it and get ready for next week."
You know that a win would've put you guys in sole possession of first. How does it feel not to capitalize?
"Again, it sucks right now. We don't have luxuries for big picture, not in this league. It was all about being 1 - 0 this week, it didn't happen. So that's what we're disappointed about. We'll be disappointed for the plane ride. We get back to Charlotte, we have to get back to work and just worry about the next week."
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard
How would you say the offense can improve after this game?
"Yeah, we have to be able to move the ball. That's the biggest thing. And capitalize on opportunities. If we're running the ball early, you have to be able to be successful with that so then more runs can be called and vice versa with the passes obviously. Like I said, I felt like everything was in front of us the whole game. We had to make plays and we just fell short today."
Is there a frustration given the situation, knowing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost last night and the division was right there in front of you?
"No, we still have a lot of ball left. Obviously, it sucks to lose. It's never fun, never feels good. But I'm not going to hang our heads on this. We have a short week this week and it's going to be another big one. So take the lessons from this week and just keep moving forward like we always do."
Panthers CB Mike Jackson
QB Bryce Young said that the offense feels bad for not capitalizing more on the turnovers. How do you guys feel about that?
"My thing is that if they don't score, they don't win. So if we do our job and they don't score, we win the game with 9 – 0. So it's cool for [QB] Bryce [Young] to feel like that, but at the same time, if they don't score, they don't win."
That puts a lot of pressure on you guys, if you can't give the ball back and they can't respond in a big game.
"No, it's not pressure, it's the NFL, that comes with the job. If you feel like it's pressure, man, maybe you shouldn't be playing."
It seems like consistency has been an issue for this team, what is preventing you guys from playing consistently?
"I just feel like we just have to execute. Like we come out here, we're doing all the right things. It's just about doing it on Sunday and taking advantage of our opportunities and today we didn't, but we always get another chance on Sunday, so it's not really time to mope. Just move on. Don't forget it, embrace it, but move on."
Panthers S Nick Scott
If someone told you before the game that you would pick off 49ers QB Brock Purdy three times but only get three points out of it what would you say?
"It's football, man. All we can do is continue to do our job. Obviously, you want points on the board, but it's our job as the defense to keep them from scoring as little as possible. If the offense is having a tough time, then we've got to make sure we're keeping those guys out of the end zone and making it a long field for those guys. There's going to be times where we can't get a stop and they're going to have to come out there and put points up on the board for us. That's just football. We'll never give up on those guys and we're going to keep playing our brand."
What would be your response to people tuning in tonight to watch the Panthers play?
"Those people are entitled to their opinions. What you see is what we put out there. I'm not going to sit there and argue with anybody. We've got to be better for sure. It's unfortunate that that's the kind of product we put out there tonight. I know who these guys are and if there's anything I know about us, it's that we know how to bounce back. So I'm really excited moving forward."
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