San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters following Friday's practice, providing final updates ahead of the team's Week 13 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Here's everything he said.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"Injuries: [LB] Tatum [Bethune], out, [DL] Sam O [Okuayinonu], out, and [K] Eddy's [Piñeiro] out. Go ahead."
RB Christian McCaffrey got back-to-back days off yesterday. What was the purpose of that?
"Just the Monday night game. Just, he needed it."
As far as LB Eric Kendricks, are you surprised that here we are, almost December, and he was still available to be picked up?
"We've been talking with him throughout the year. I know he had other options throughout the year. But, the timing was right for him and we've been wanting him on board so we were pumped that he wanted to come."
Did you bring up the fact that he backed out of a deal with you guys and went to Dallas?
"Yeah, it was brought up (laughter). We're all good. No, we understand it now and you're always frustrated at the time, but I understand why he did it."
Looking ahead to Sunday in Cleveland, the weather is supposed to be not nice. I remember the last time you played in Cleveland with weather like that it wasn't a good outcome. Are you adjusting the game plan for inclement weather, not to mention the Browns defense?
"Yeah, both of it. I mean, last time we went they had a really good defense and this time they have a really good defense, if not better. The rain wasn't great then. It'll probably be worse now. So, we've got to be prepared for it. It's like that this time of the year and hopefully we'll get lucky with weather, but we're assuming the worst."
Do you want to try to run more? Pass more?
"Can't give you our secrets, but we're going to air it out, throwing it every play. The harder it rains, the more we're going to throw."
QB Brock Purdy finished that game with some big passes to WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Jauan Jennings to set up the field goal. So, I'm guessing that gives him some confidence going in there even though the stat line wasn't really pretty?
"Yeah, definitely. You don't want to compare other games. Each game's different. But, Brock's played other games in rain and if it doesn't rain I still hear it's going to be like 30 miles per hour wind. So, they're both, probably have a little rain than heavy wind. We'll see which one we get. Probably both."
I'm sure you're aware that your teams against defenses led by Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz have not fared well. Do you have any sort of relationship with him and if so have you ever said, "you are a pain in the ass?"
"Oh yeah, definitely. He knows it. He lets me know too. But, I've got a lot of respect for Jim. I think he's one of the best who does it. He's done it for a while. I've been going against him, I don't think they add our records when I was in Houston. Maybe they do, I don't know. I don't count them, but you probably do. But, when I first started as a coordinator in Houston back when I was 28, 29, going against him in Tennessee is where it started when they had [former NFL DE Kyle] Vanden Bosch, [former NFL DL] Albert Haynesworth [III], [former NFL DE] Jevon Kearse, they were doing the wide-nines then. And that's why I always wanted wide-nines and we got that with [defensive line coach Kris] Kocurek."
Your win against Schwartz was December 2008, 13-12.
"Oh, that is Tennessee."
Yeah. So, were you the play caller or were you sharing with former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak?
"In 2008, shared with Kubiak. Yeah."
Do you remember that game?
"Yeah, I do. It was a good game. I don't look at it that way (laughter), but I'd love to get a win. Lots of different situations, lots of different teams, lots of different quarterbacks. But, whoever he has been with, his defense has always been similar and very tough to go against."
You probably would've preferred to have your BYE-week in the middle of the season. But, now that it's finally coming up, do you consider that an advantage for those last four games of the season after it?
"Yeah, possibly. I mean, now we're so used to it you kind of don't want to get out of any rhythm either. Probably would've preferred it earlier when we were more banged up just to buy a couple extra days or extra week for guys to return. I think we are getting healthier now, but I do think our guys need some rest just mentally, probably even more than physically. Especially on a short week coming off that Monday night deal. I think the reason guys are riding high is because they know after this game regardless of what happens they're going to get about five days off and some of the guys deserve. Hopefully that helps us mentally and physically and we can come back and make a run at this."
Do you sense that you and your staff emphasizes sleep more now than maybe when you got into the League in Tampa?
"Definitely more than when we got into the League. No one talked about it back then for anybody. I started hearing about it more, I want to say when I was in Cleveland was the first time I was on a team that someone came in and presented all that stuff to us and the doctors told us how much smarter we'd be with 10 hours of sleep at night. I was like, 'yes, but we have too much to do for that.' But, then it kind of just stressed you out because you realize how you're not getting that sleep and what it does. But, being more aware of that, changing schedules up, you try to tinker with it each year, but it's definitely something that science is accurate on. It's important."
You don't judge WR Ricky Pearsall off of his stats in the last couple weeks he's been back. How has he looked from your vantage point and trying to get him back up to when he had great start to the year and then kind of had a setback with that injury?
"Yeah, I watch how guys move, how they block, how they execute their routes, how they beat man-coverage, how long it takes to get them to their spots in zones. I see zero difference with Ricky now to those three games. I think the things you didn't have to worry about as much with receivers, but now in the day of age of everyone talking about stats and fantasy stuff, seven days a week, 24-hours a day, it does put pressure on those guys a lot. I used to hear it from people's uncles when I walked out of a stadium hearing how I messed up their fantasy game not getting their nephew the ball and stuff like that. But, now I know just that stuff is so talked about and everything, but like K.B. [WR Kendrick Bourne] went for 150 two weeks in a row and I think K.B.'s played the same each week. Sometimes that stuff's out of the receiver's hands, sometimes it's just unbelievable some of the opportunities they get and what they do in them. But, usually it's where the zones are going and the opportunities they get just based off of coverage."
Is he getting more attention from defenses?
"No, no, not at all."
I know you touched on this before about guys needing rest. Coming out of this break you have three or four games with teams that are playoff level. Is it kind of maybe serendipitous that you're getting this break right before you have to go through this gauntlet to make a run and secure a playoff spot?
"I mean, it could be. It all depends on when you play them. A team can look one way one week and they can lose a couple guys on a Sunday and they're a totally different team that next week. So, we had a last-place schedule this year, which could be a really good schedule and then all of a sudden by a certain time of the year it looks like a tough schedule because teams are just different than they were the year before. And that does change week-to-week. You look at like a team like the Cowboys now and I feel like they've got like five different players on defense watching them last night than they did a month ago. Stuff like that. So, teams change week-to-week based off injuries, things that happen. So, that's why I rarely look very far ahead. That's why I'm not even sure who we've got yet until we come back from the BYE week."