San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Sunday's 37-24 Week 15 win over the Tennessee Titans. Here is what they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"The injuries from the game. [DL] Jordan Elliott hurt his knee before the game, never played. [CB] Chase Lucas had his stinger on the first play, returned. [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] had his ankle and knee, didn't come back there at the end. Came back after the ankle. [OL] Spencer Burford, ankle, returned."
You guys dominated the time of possession. You held the ball for over 37 minutes. Was that part of the gameplan coming in to try to possess the ball for that long?
"No, just I think we did well on third downs and had some long drives. I was glad we played well on third down and usually when you do that and stay out there for a while, that happens. So, it's a good job by the guys."
Ricky did some really good things tonight and then goes out at the end. Is there any indication whether those injuries are serious enough to keep him out?
"We'll know for sure tomorrow. But I mean, he hurt the ankle on the first play and returned and played with that the whole game. And then the knee thing I think was just him most likely irritating his PCL from the past. Those linger. So, I would expect it to be all right, but he was battling through a lot today."
What did you think of Ricky coming into the game? It was more about his targets, how many he was getting and what he was doing. He has a pretty decent game before he got hurt.
"Yeah, I mean, got hurt on the first play, but I don't think Ricky was much different than this last month. It just worked out and the ball came that way and he made the plays when it did. You know, having to play through the injuries and stuff in that game, and he probably physically was struggling more in that game. So, I think it says a lot about him to still be able to fight through it, get out there and still have a very productive game."
How did RB Christian McCaffrey injure his back? Was that a factor at all today?
"He just woke up Saturday and it was stiff. So that's why we put him on there. He was pretty adamant last night he was going to be all right and woke up this morning with it all right, so no issue."
We haven't talked to you since you guys put WR Brandon Aiyuk on the Reserve/Left Team List. Did you have to do that right now? Why right now was that move made?
"We haven't seen him in forever, so I mean that's just the decision they make. It's been pretty simple for me. I haven't seen him in a month, and same with our team, so it hasn't been an issue with our team at all. We've kind of been plugging away and no big deal or it's just something we've been used to for a while, but I know it's new to you guys, so I think they just officially had to do that yesterday."
You and president of football operations and general manager John Lynch, both said you hoped he was going to come back, that you still wanted that to happen. Do you have enough receivers? What do you think about your receiving group that you've got going on without him now?
"We've been playing with our receiving group all year. I really have been hoping he would come back all year. But, not one point was I really planning on it. So, that would've been a great bonus. That would've been awesome and would love to have B.A. out there, would love to have that type of player. But, that was something I realized early on wasn't going to come for a while and there was nothing that made me sit there and think it was happening soon. So, I think the rest of our team also."
Had he communicated to you or anyone else that he wasn't going to come back? Has there been anyone that's been in touch with him at all?
"Not that I've talked to."
Is he out the picture for the 49ers now and in the future?
"I wouldn't say that's for sure been decided. I literally haven't had to think about B.A. or had a reason to think about him in a long time. He is under contract next year. B.A.'s a guy, we've had a relationship for a while. We've always liked B.A., everyone knows how good of a player he is. It's extremely unfortunate that it's gotten to this point, but when this year's over, we'll see where we're at."
How would you describe QB Brock Purdy's performance today? Seemed like he was in control from the very start.
"Yeah, I thought Brock did a good job. Made a lot of plays, made a number of off-schedule plays too and protected the ball. I thought the one turnover was unfortunate, but I thought he did a good job with the ball all day."
He did a really good job scrambling around out there. On that 26-yard run down the left sideline, were you hoping he'd step out a little earlier or were you cool with him going?
"I mean, no, I was totally cool with him going. You're protected right there. You get as much as you can and looks like he did a basketball pump fake move or something like that. But I mean, I don't see it until the last second. I'm looking downfield and trying to see where the ball should go and then I look back and he is running down the sidelines and I think he ended up getting about 30-yards or close to 30-yards on it. So, I think that was the drive we went 95-yards on. They pinned us back there and that was a huge explosive to get us going."
Along those lines, we've seen Brock hit the Dougie, we've seen him do the pump fake and the ball in his face. What have you enjoyed as his coach, just seeing him show a little bit more of his personality on the field?
"I mean, Brock's pretty consistent. He did the Dougie because he promised the guys that if he scored, he would do the Dougie, and he's not a liar so he had to do it. Brock does get in, I mean the first time Brock scored in our stadium, his first preseason game we were playing I think the Packers, he did the discount double check, and we had no idea he had a personality like that. So, I think he does do stuff on the field a lot, just he does it subtly. So, we love Brock."
Have you taught him the jump-pass touchdown?
"No, not at all. We give him crap for it a lot, but when it works, we call him [former NBA Hall of Famer] Michael Jordan, so it was a hell of a deal today."
Have there been ones where you're like, settle down that didn't work?
"Yeah, always. We like cleats in the ground and being able to drive the ball like that, but sometimes somebody's got to use another club and it's cool that he's got that one."
The challenge on the kickoff, it looked like pretty clearly, he caught it in the end zone. What were you thinking?
"I didn't even see it, going off of other people. Not to throw anyone under the bus, but I kind of just did. But, the rule has changed. It's a little bit confusing. We think that you needed, you need both feet in the end zone or it's a minor touchback, which goes to the 20 instead of the 35 and we didn't think he had both feet in the end zone when he did it. We were extremely confident with it upstairs and we'll find out tomorrow why it didn't work."
Brock was saying that he hasn't been driving the ball the way he wanted to. Today, it looked like he did. Is that what you saw from Brock, the way he threw the ball?
"Yeah, I think Brock had a hell of a game. I think he's driven the ball in other games too. When someone says that because there were a couple picks versus Carolina where he left it hanging too much. So, there's the time and place where you want to throw over people and there's the time and place where you need to drive the ball because there's no one to throw over. He found that balance very well today."
As far as the injuries, any sense whether Elliott's knee is serious and whether Burford's is a high angle?
"We're not sure. I mean, Jordan's thing was totally random. It was him just getting loose in the locker room and just felt something in his knee. So, that was a big deal, it happened at like 11: 20, so I was really proud of [DL] Kevin [Givens]. He was told last night he is not playing and just hanging out in the locker room and then all of a sudden he's got to put his pads on and get ready for an NFL game. So, it was huge by him to step it up. And Spence, I knew his ankle was bad early and the sign that he came back and played the rest of the game, you hope it's not a high ankle sprain. But, we haven't ruled that out yet. So, we'll see tomorrow."
You guys are at 10 wins. When do you start thinking about the number you need to get to make sure that you're in the playoffs?
"When the number's right in front of us. When we play a game and we can do the math and it says if you win this game, you're in. If not, you don't really think about it"
WR Jauan Jennings has fought through a lot of stuff this year, but is he right now, for him anyway, in good shape? The way he plays, he gets beat up, but he has been looking pretty good these last couple weeks, he's fresher than he was earlier.
"Yeah, J.J. getting hurt, I want to say versus Seattle and then re-injuring the next week, it was about two weeks ago that we felt J.J. was getting back to over his injuries and had got enough weeks in a row where he got all the stamina and everything back. We felt like J.J. has really been J.J. these last couple weeks and it looked like that today too."
You've been generally okay with some tight-window throws, but are you especially okay with some tight-window throws to Jauan? You know, those goal line passes were pretty tight coverage. Is that something like, okay if it's Jauan it's a little bit better when you do that?
"Jauan has earned that. Jauan does a good job attacking the ball and everything like that. So, when receivers are that way, it gives the quarterback a lot more confidence to throw tight windows. But, I'm very okay with tight windows. If you don't throw in tight windows, you're not going to score a lot of points."
On the drive out of halftime, it was a pretty open window, Brock found Pearsall on the crossing route. That looked like that pass had velocity on it. Was that a similar route that Washington Commanders WR Deebo Samuel Sr. had last year against the Rams, the one he dropped?
"No, it was a different one. Ricky ran that same route earlier this year, I want to say versus Jacksonville. But, it was really good protection. It was a fake rollout and Ricky was able to come across the grain and awesome route by Ricky, good throw. Ricky was upset he didn't score. I told him he had the excuse of the hurt ankle and knee though, but he'll get his speed back when he is feeling healthy."
Any plans for your birthday?
"Probably go home and have a couple drinks. I usually hate my birthday, not in general, but on Sundays. I haven't had a lot of success on it, so it was nice to win a game on my birthday and actually now I can maybe enjoy it with my family tonight."
Any chance you'll take another Vespa ride?
"If they got me one, I will. They got me a Vespa in 2015 and the first time I rode it again after we moved from Cleveland was in Los Gatos in 2020 and I got pulled over because there was a 2015 license plate on it, so we got rid of it. So, hopefully they got me one today."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
You got WR Ricky Pearsall involved a lot in this game. Was that a point of emphasis or was just kind of the way it came down?
"Yeah, I think it was just how the game sort of went. Obviously, we always want to try to get Ricky the ball. He's explosive and does a great job in man-to-man matchups and creating separations. So obviously every game we want to get him in those kinds of situations. But just how the game went, the play calls and per coverage and stuff, like he was the guy that I was supposed to throw the ball to and we made it happen. So, really happy for him."
You said the last couple weeks that you wanted to drive the ball better than you had. Did you feel like you did that today?
"Yeah, I thought so. I thought overall just being aggressive and just the way that I was seeing the defense and just letting it go. Leading guys and trying to hit them out of their breaks and things like that. So thought it was a pretty good day for that."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he's always okay with tight window throws, but WR Jauan Jennings has really earned it, but he's proven he can come down with it. Those two touchdown passes, were pretty tight windows. Does it matter, if you see it's 15 out there and you feel confident about throwing it in relatively tight coverage?
"Yeah, obviously being smart with it if the guy's clamped or not, but I think with JJ when it's a moving route and then there's a guy on him with his frame, he does a great job of just attacking and getting an edge and just a little space with his length. I feel like I've learned over the years that I can give him a shot. So, he's done a great job with that in one-on-one situations and he's always aggressive and comes down with it. So, something that over the years having experience with that has been good."
How enjoyable was your career long 26-yard run?
"It was good. Honestly, I thought it was dumb. The whole ball fake at the end. I was like, 'Bro, what did I just do?' But in terms of just running down the sideline and scrambling and making a play, obviously it felt good. So anyways, that's how I feel."
I saw you apologize in the exchange?
"Yeah, I played against [Tennessee Titans LB] Cody Barton multiple times and I respect him and he's a great player. So, for me to do that, I was like, 'Bro, I'm sorry that was stupid in the moment.' I don't know why I did that, but I did."
Did RB Christian act like he was going to get the ball?
"Yeah, that was the unsung hero of the play. Christian acted like he was going to get the ball so that he would continue in coverage. Basically, he was blocking the guy and allowed me to run down the sidelines. So, props to Christian."
TE George Kittle has been saying for a while that you have the guys on offense to be an elite offense and while the defense heals up or gets more experience, it's going to be up to the offense. Have you felt that? Do you feel this offense is reaching that point?
"I think, for us, every single game man, with the guys that we have on the field that our standard is to go out, to move the ball, put up points, regardless of who we're playing. We know that we're talented and we have guys across the board – receiver, tight end, running back. And so, for us, like that's always going to be our standard. So definitely, I'm just speaking offensively. Defense, we got guys that have stepped up and done a great job, but, for us and a mindset as a quarterback is we need to score and I expect us to score hopefully every drive."
Kyle had said a couple times during the past couple weeks when he was asked about Pearsall and his involvement that it was like he was fairly annoyed about it because the ball doesn't always come to you. He's doing the same things he's always done. Is that the way you feel or was there any kind of disconnect ever because today it seemed like you guys were a really good rhythm.
"No, I love Ricky because he and I are honest with each other. We talk about routes and concepts and after a play he comes back and he tells me what he saw and then I tell him what I saw. We're on the same page. And Ricky's got such a good heart in terms of like, he just wants to do what's best for the team. And so, he'll never be a guy that's going to go out of his way and complain that I didn't get targets or the ball or whatever. He's about the team. He understands that his moments and opportunities will come as we play. And so today it was just one of those days. But we've all been itching to get him involved since he's been back from his injury and we know how dynamic he is as a receiver. So, I'm the first to tell him that, after in the locker room and everything, I'm like, 'Bro, I want to get you the ball this week. I'm trying, bro, like, stick with me.' And then he is always like, 'hey bro, I totally get your position and how the game goes.' So, he's got my back, I got his back and to have a day like this was awesome. So, we just have to keep grinding together. And when these days and ops come, you take advantage of them."
What was the message coming out of the Bye week? Do you feel you guys accomplished that today?
"Yeah, obviously to be able to rest up and stuff, but not taking our foot off the gas pedal at any moment throughout a game. It's four quarters, we got to play every game like it's a playoff game and don't do anything to hurt ourselves, but more than anything be aggressive and go get it. And I feel like today we showed that and there's still a lot of areas that we have to get better at for sure. So, we're going to do that and just keep taking it one at a time."
As a quarterback, is it tough to balance taking what the defense gives you and distributing the ball your playmakers so that each person feels involved and important?
"Yeah, I think I don't get wrapped up in 'oh this guy hasn't gotten the ball, so I need to force it to him.' I got to go throughout my read and how Kyle calls the play. The cool thing about our guys with all the receivers and tight ends, we got great players across the board. Like I've said, the cool thing about them is they're about the team and they're not going to get fussy and come back to the sideline and say, 'Bro, I need the ball this game. Why aren't you feeding?' It has nothing to do with that. They understand that it's going to come, and we all play together. And so that's my job is to take what the defense gives me, just like you said, and do what Kyle asks of me. But within that everybody will end up getting the ball and getting their op."
49ers WR Jauan Jennings
Can you describe how difficult it is to get 10 wins in this league? How impressed have you been with your team's resilience this year?
"It's just about having a relentless mindset and going out to practice, not having attitudes or putting yourself down. Every day just has to be great."
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan noted that you were getting to full health and working on getting back to form, how motivating was that?
"I just go out there and play football because I love the game. I love being out there with my brothers, and every time you get an opportunity, you're trying to make it. That's what I'm doing. That's what I'm going to keep doing."
What's it like playing with QB Brock Purdy with his swagger and confidence right now?
"It's the same Brock. He's just being himself. Brock is carrying the team each and every week. We love having Brock out there. That's QB one, and we'll go lay it on the line for him."
What did you think about Brock Purdy's 26 yard run today?
"It was cool. Honestly, I love seeing Brock run. He gets kind of low and weaves through. I'm just glad he got the first down. Brock is extending plays, that's what he does."
Did you do guys do anything special for Head Coach Kyle Shanahan's birthday today?
"I got him a win. What else is there? [Laughs]"
49ers TE George Kittle
What makes it about this organization and John Lynch - you guys have found a lot of diamonds in the rough, guys that weren't on the team to start the season or just joined before. What makes it, they can just come in and help out right away.
"Um, I think when new guys first step in the door of this building, they kind of see the standard that we have set. Whether it's [49ers LB] Fred [Warner], whether it's [49ers DL Nick] Bosa, me, [49ers RB] Christian [McCaffrey], [49ers QB Brock] Purdy, [49ers T] Trent Williams, and [49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] does a really good job of showing the highlights of the players that have set the standard and then if you don't match that standard, or at least like try to match it, you kind of stick out like a sore thumb and it's not really fun to stick out like a sore thumb in a football building because then you're not in the building very long. So it just kind of forces guys to have to play like this otherwise you're just not going to be here very long. And I think that's really on Kyle and John for bringing in guys who are high character guys, who want to work really hard and they want to be good football players."
The confidence that you spoke about earlier, does it mask what you guys have lost this season as far as two leaders on the defense and having you being out for a good bit of the season? Does it of help you now that you're on a four game win streak?
"That's kind of your mindset at all times. That was our mindset last year. We just couldn't finish those games and when you're missing a lot of guys, whether it's me, whether it's Purdy, Fred, Bosa, whatever it is, you expect guys to step up and go out there and play regardless of circumstance. The reason we have a lot of confidence right now is because [49ers QB] Mac Jones won four or five games early in the season that allows us to be at 10 wins. And when he's out there balling [49ers WR] Kendrick Bourne had two games back to back 150 yards. Kendrick went from two games of 150 to like zero targets for the last three weeks and hey, it is what it is. He's just out there having a great time and encouraging the wide receivers to go make big plays. And that's what this team is like. Try not to be selfish. Go out there, play your best ball and we'll see what happens."
How hard was it to treat this game like a track game and have that mentality, despite their record?
"We're fighting for a playoff spot. So if anybody goes out there and is sleepy or not thinking that we're going to get a challenge, I don't need them around me. Every game from this moment on is a huge game for us. Whether it's trying to make it into the playoffs, whatever it is, I want to play games in January and the only way to do that is to beat every single team. So I think we were pretty hyper focused, everyone was feeling good after a bye."
49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir
Can you take me through the Tennessee Titans DT Jeffrey Simmons touchdown and have you ever seen a DT score a touchdown?
"No, I've never seen that. We were in man coverage so I wasn't looking at [Tennessee Titans DT] Jeffrey Simmons. But I was thinking run because they put him in the backfield, only to run the ball. So, when they came out with the pass, it shocked me, honestly."
When you guys are on the bench, are you looking up at the scoreboard trying to check the Seahawks and Rams score?
"No, it's only really about us. We'll have to play them regardless. But we're not really worried as far as watching them during our game."
Can you describe how hard it is to get 10 wins this quickly in the season, considering you have three more games left and could max out to 13?
"It's very hard. Last year, we got about six wins, so this year, it's a big step. We're building that camaraderie with all the players, playing together and able to stretch out and get 10 wins."
LB Fred Warner was standing in the end zone hugging every single guy that came off the field. What does that mean to you guys?
"It's blessing just to have him in the building still in good spirits pushing all the younger guys and us to be great."
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
What did you see in QB Brock Purdy today? He looked like he was in command early on.
"Brock was awesome today. He did a great job commanding the huddle. He made some plays with his feet, which were great. He threw the ball downfield well and guys made plays. Brock was Brock."
Brock said you were the unsung hero on his long run because you were the decoy. When does it pop into your mind that you can fake out the defense a little bit?
"I had a high school coach that said a great fake is worth two blocks, and I try to take a lot of pride in my faking. It's always funny when you know you're not getting the ball, but you're looking up in the air, and the defense has their backs to the quarterback and they're trying so hard to wipe. It's just funny to see that reaction. I don't know what sparked that. The defender was already between me and the ball carrier. If I tried to block him, he would have known [Purdy] was scrambling."
What were your thoughts about the jump-pass touchdown?
"That was awesome. That's a playmaker being a playmaker."
49ers OL Colton McKivitz
How important was it that you guys kept pace with the win today?
"You can come out of a Bye Week pretty slow. We didn't do that this week."
With the exception of the one turnover, you guys scored on every possession. When you start like that, that's pretty efficient.
"It is efficient. When you are coming off a Bye Week you don't know if it's going to be slow or where guys are. But you could tell on bonus Monday that guys were energized."
What was your offensive line's reaction to QB Brock Purdy's longest run of his career and then the pump fake on Tennessee ILB Cody Barton? It looked like he had to apologize.
"It was pretty awesome. I didn't know it was his longest run, but he can run. It was awesome for us to watch. You want him to stay back there and just throw the ball, but when he's running he can create plays."
49ers WR Ricky Pearsall
How are you feeling? I know you had to go out at the end, but what does it feel like to be able to get back in there, get some targets, and get some yardage out there?
"Yes, it feels really good. Being involved in the passing game and being able to make plays for the offense, to continue the drives and get some points on the board."
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said this week, "It's not about stats with him [WR Ricky Pearsall], it's how you play without the ball in your hands." Does it make you feel better, more confident that your coach feels that way about you?
"I definitely think so. Hearing it from him, a guy like that, and someone that I respect a lot. And that's something that I had to learn over the last two weeks, honestly, that it's not about stats, and it's about the flow of the game and the impact I can make without the ball in my hands, like you said. We go hand in hand with the run game anyway, so the harder I go run blocking and running my routes, the more [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] and the other guys are going to eat as well. Just being able to trust in that and know what's going to come my way, and just be ready when the opportunity comes up."
When you looked at the game plan, did you have a feeling you were going to get a lot of opportunities today?
"If I'm being honest, yes. I definitely thought I was going to have some opportunities today. Honestly, I have that mindset pretty much each and every week, and I've had that mindset for the last two weeks. Sometimes football just happens where you don't get the ball, and there are a lot of things that need to go right in order to get the ball to the receivers. So, the good thing about this game is that it's the ultimate team sport. Whether it is going my way and I have all the cool stats or not, I'm still creating an impact. We're still winning games, and that's all that matters at the end of the day."
49ers T Trent Williams
What did you think of QB Brock Purdy's scramble, his little pump fake and another dance?
"I didn't see the dance, but like I said, when you see him break for the sideline like that, we have so many weapons in this offense. You're just reminded that it's another aspect that we have."
When you got the news that these big guys go down, do you remember how it felt? Did you feel like you had to generate positivity?
"No, I won't say that. We have lost guys that are the heart and soul of the team. I'd be lying if I said that I was just ready to roll with the next guy. It took some time. For lack of a better word, we had to mourn a little bit, especially seeing the way [LB] Fred [Warner] went down. It's hard to deal with at the time. Like you said, we are a group of professionals and we have to keep moving forward, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a tough thing to deal with."
You guys are one of the best teams in the league. You don't have many years left, but you're playing for something. That has to mean something to you, right?
"For sure. Our goals that we set out at the beginning of the year are still there, no matter who is in or out of the lineup. Everything that we set out for and that we said that this team can accomplish is still right in front of us. I'm super encouraged, but it's just one down and we have three more to go, then we'll see how the big dance plays out."
Titans Head Coach Mike McCoy
Opening comments:
"Let's start with the injuries. Obviously, [Tennessee Titans S] Mike Brown had the ankle injury, and then [Tennessee Titans S] Kevin [Winston Jr.] and [Tennessee Titans S] Xavier Woods had the hamstring injuries. So after the first couple series in the game, we've lost our three safeties. We had to shuffle the deck on the back end there, and then at the end of the third, [Tennessee Titans G] Kevin [Zeitler] came out. What a tough guy. We just love everything about him and the way he fought through. [Tennessee Titans LB] Cedric Gray had the concussion there in the fourth, and then [Tennessee Titans WR] Van [Jefferson] came out with the back injury after he made the great catch there, so that's that. When you really look at the game, we had slow starts in both halves. [Tennessee Titans QB] Cam [Ward] did a great job in the two-minute drill there to get us in field goal range, but we unfortunately missed it. San Francisco is a really good football team. They're well coached and execute at a very high level. We didn't make enough plays for four quarters, and we didn't slow them down."
Coming out of halftime, is there something you could have done to stop the drives the 49ers were putting together?
"I think it's different every week. We'll go back, look at the tape, evaluate it, and see how things worked or didn't work. There were certain things we'll look at, like third-down conversions, but we have to watch the tape early and kind of dive deep in there and see exactly why things didn't go the way we wanted them to."
What's a reasonable 3rd-down percentage you're aiming for compared to the 49ers 9-15?
"Well, that's the big thing. We have to be able to get up the field and convert at that high rate. That percentage is tough, and that's when you can't give up all the points. You have to be able to get up the field on 3rd down."
It seemed like even when you got down 21, you had the run game out there and the jumbo formation set for a while. Did you just not want to get into a drop-back game at that point?
"You have to mix it up. You have to make some of those plays there. When you look at it, we had some big runs in that situation, gaining X number of yards. You have to mix it up, and that's something we have to be able to do, both run and pass. You can't just drop back every single down when you're down a certain score. They're going to know that. So you have to mix it in. I think we did a good job of mixing those in, getting some big runs, and staying in manageable situations on 3rd down."
What are you seeing that's allowing them to hit some of those deep shots?
"Well number one, you love Van going up and getting that ball. That was huge, to go out there and do that. There's so many things that go into plays. You asked this a couple weeks ago, that we haven't hit this and that, well, we had one to Van, but there was a protection breakdown a couple of weeks ago. We had a double move to Van today for what probably would've been a touchdown. We missed it. So there's the up, there's different reasons for everything, but the more you attempt, the more you're going to hit. I think it's everyone doing their job. It starts with the protection up front. So Cam could set his feet and make certain throws and then make sure you have the right coverage in the back end like today where Cam Ward put it up there and it's that button jump ball that Van went up and made a big play on. So excited for him."
What would you say happened on the one where they didn't catch it?
"We just missed it. I'll look at the tape. To be honest with you, I kind of looked up as the ball was being thrown and I didn't see where Cam was. I looked to where Van was and we just missed the throw. I'll look at the tape and see exactly what happened."
Did DT Jeffery Simmons do a good job of keeping himself alive on that touchdown?
"Well before we got the ball, we looked really good. To get the fumble. You absolutely love the way Jeff plays, the way he leads. You love everything about him and you see him catch that ball. Those are natural hands. That was pretty sweet. And he's caught a couple balls like that in practice that him and Cam might be joking around at times and Cam will missile one to him. He just snatches it. But what a great effort. That's one thing Cam did, moving around the pocket at times, some plays that he made today. What a great effort by everyone to get that touchdown there."
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy's elusiveness in the pocket. Did that seem to be more of a problem than you thought it would be?
"Yeah, we let him get out of the pocket too much. That's what he does. And they make some explosive plays that way. You go back and watch it week in and week out, whether it was him or [San Francisco 49ers QB] Mac [Jones] in there. We do a good job of stepping up and moving the pocket, but yeah, we have to keep him in the pocket. Too many plays that he made outside the pocket and running and filling it."
Can you talk about the safeties? How much does that alter things before you had to manage with three guys out?
"You're limited to a certain package. We had [CB] Marcus [Harris] back inside and then played some other guys outside. Everything you thought in your game plan you're doing, you can't do different packages with different safeties in the game. You're limited. That's part of when you're adjusting on the fly. We always talked about the experience Marcus got playing nickel for so long and then got bumped back outside, but they went right back in today. His experience there for a number of weeks helped him."
Is that a team this franchise should aspire to be like?
"They've done an outstanding job, [San Francisco 49ers Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] does an outstanding job here in all phases. He's won a lot of football games."
Titans QB Cam Ward
How much did it change the complexion of the game when you didn't connect on the field goal at the end of the half? Then they score, you go three and out, and they score again.
"It really didn't change anything besides the scoreboard. We kept the same plan, and everything worked just how we wanted. We just got behind. When you put yourself in bad situations, you have to always play hurry-up instead of playing how you really want to play."
What happened on that missed pass to WR Van Jefferson down on the sideline?
"Just overthrew it. Tried to put it too much outside of his shoulder instead of just throwing it upfield."
Do you feel like you were rushed on that throw at all?
"I need to look at the film and see, but at the end of the day I need to put it in the vicinity for him to make a play."
Playing from behind most of the game, how do you evaluate how the day went?
"It was good besides the three and outs. Those were the biggest thing. That's what hurt us the whole game, not starting fast in the first half and second half. Then, I think just the little mishaps on my end, from a run play only getting one yard. It's just the little things that we have to continue to clean up. But I think we're playing very good, especially up front. Those guys, they've been leading the way the whole year. I think they did an unbelievable job in pass protection today and the run game. They're the reason why we've been able to run the ball efficiently."
Do you think those two factors are key to finding point production again, and how big is that in terms of where you guys are growing as an offense?
"I think it's big. And the offensive line, they're going to always be the standpoint of it. They come in each and every day with the right mindset whether they know they did bad one week and have to do better than the next, or they continue to stay having good days. Playing behind those guys, they never lose confidence, they continuously pick themselves up, and they continuously try to be better for all of us. It's good for me to be around guys like that, us young guys. We have veteran players on the offensive line as well and they just stay level-headed so we can execute one play at a time."
We noticed a complimentary deal. Did the defense say anything today? Obviously, they had a hard time defending on third down. Did you guys have any back and forth?
"I think the offense as a whole, we don't need to put them in that situation. Having a three-and-out, we're not giving them any momentum to get a stop. Come out, have another three-and-out, we're not giving them momentum to get another stop. And then to get in second-and-long a couple times, it's kind of like dang. So we just have to continue to try and not put them in bad situations to where they don't have to stay on the field for ten or fifteen play drives. So if we just do our end, everything else works out."
You talk a lot about your offensive line, and you came in today as the most sacked quarterback in the league. Today you had no QB hits and a no sack day. What did that feel like to stay upright and how did that keep the momentum for you?
"It felt good for me. And for those guys, I know it felt good because they truly come out every week and try not to give up sacks and try not to have negative plays. So for those guys to have as good of a day that they did, they deserve it. We have to continue to ride behind those guys, continue to motivate them, and let them keep us going."
The last two weeks there have been better offensive outputs running the football. How much do you feel like the identity of this offense kind of shifts towards being a physical run team?
"I think we are shifting towards that. Each and every week, we get better at something in the run game. It's the little thing that's probably the reason why we haven't had big plays in the last couple games, but the last two weeks have been good because everyone's emphasizing straining and finishing blocks. And the running backs are seeing it real well. I think [Tennessee Titans RB] Tony [Pollard] and [Tennessee Titans RB] Tyjae [Spears] had a good day on the ground. I think they did a good job in pass protection today, and now we just have to continue to not let one bad play happen and really just try to have good plays."
Can you take us to the two deep shots?
"The first one was a good game plan from Tennessee Titans quarterback coach Bo Hardegree and offensive coordinator Nick Holz. We saw what the San Francisco 49ers give up on film in empty situations. The other one was Van made an incredible catch. I didn't get a chance to follow through as much as I did, but he went up there and got the ball. He made the play for his teammates."
Can you talk about the touchdown to Tennessee Titans DL Jeffery Simmons and how you were able to avoid trouble on that.
"Jeff is a smart football player and he's going to find a way to get over. He got by one player to get a touchdown. It was fun to throw a touchdown like that to the defensive tackle, that's not supposed to look like that. At the end of the day, that's Jeff and the O-Line giving me enough time for those guys to make a play."
I assume he's not the first read on that.
"He's the first read on that, but the San Francisco 49ers cover it pretty good. He had to turn to make a play."
Did he campaign to have a play like that?
"He had been waiting out for us call him out though. He got a chance to catch the ball. He's not going drop it. I just got to make sure it's in his body frame. And then you saw what he did when he got the ball."
It looked like he knew exactly where to go to and you were running around back there. You guys work on that at all?
"Not one time. He's a football player. He can sense space. He sees me all the time. We've got guys like that who just can play football when plays break down. It's going to end up helping our team in the long run."
Is it disappointing for you not go up against Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who you look up to next week?
"I heard about it when I got back after the game. It's sad because since he's got in the league, he's always been productive every year, whether it's a down year for him or an up year. Not getting an opportunity to go against him, everything happens for a reason. God has a plan for him and we'll try to get a win next week."
Tennessee has the most rookie skilled position players. How do you thing you guys are doing?
"I think that's one of the bright sides of it. We are so young and we get better every day. Film room, connecting more outside the building. For me to go through my first year with the guys who are going to be with me for a long period of time, it's good because we get a lot of bad plays or just little mistakes out of our system. At the end of the day, we got to continue to stress and hold each other accountable like we do just to play football."
Titans TE Gunnar Helm
Talk me through the early touchdown, that way the play developed, and the throw that [Tennessee Titans QB] Cam [Ward] made on that one.
"Yes, it was just a big sail route with a little bit of a double move. The coaching point all week was to slip inside of the linebacker so that he loses you because he's a flat player. It's a little thing, but that's worth the touchdown."
You had a good boost early, but you guys were playing from behind for most of the game. How difficult does that make it?
"It's a tough environment to play in. Obviously, it's pretty loud here and that's a good football team. They're a playoff team. When you get down on the road early, it's going to be an uphill battle. That will give you trouble in any environment."
You've got a really young team. You have a rookie quarterback, rookie receivers and you. How are you guys gelling, adjusting to the NFL, and helping each other out?
"Everything that we do in practice and that we do on Sundays comes with a learning curve, both good and bad. Whether you block the wrong guy, or things are targeted wrong, you have to adjust on the fly. They trust us to play us early. They trust enough to go out there on Sunday and do our job. That's exactly what we're trying to do."
Titans RB Tony Pollard
Getting you over a hundred yards rushing didn't factor in keeping you guys competitive. What was the difference?
"We had a good day on the ground, but there were a few plays here and there that we didn't execute on. That would've been big. We had a few big home run shots that we missed out on. When you're playing a team like the San Francisco 49ers, you've got to make all of those count."
How good are the San Francisco 49ers? Is this a team that maybe you can aspire to be like and how efficient they are at everything?
"It's definitely a team we know we could beat, but you've got to bring your 'A' game when you're playing a team like this. It's a veteran team that's been through the ups and downs. They know how to play together and know how to fight back through adversity. It's something we can learn from and take it with us moving forward."
You guys got down by 21 points. How much did that throw the game plan out the window for you?
"It makes it a little harder being down by three touchdowns. We did a good job, kept fighting, staying in there and unfortunately we didn't make enough plays to come out with the win."
Titans DT Jeffery Simmons
I know you guys will go back and watch tape after this, but why do you think stopping them on third down was such an issue today?
"We let them extend plays, but I guarantee when we go back and watch the tape, it's going to be a lot of self-inflicted things. Especially when you hear things on the sideline and you come off the field and you hear the coaching, that's when you think, 'man, it's just self-inflicted.' That's a good football team. They play together and they play hard. A lot of the things that we were doing on defense, we were down a couple bodies, but that's no excuse. I'm not going to sit up here and say, 'oh, we had guys go down and make that excuse.' They had a good game plan. We had a couple third down and longs, but their run game was also gaining a lot of yards. We just have to be better. That's what it is. When we get a chance to keep the quarterback in the pocket and get him on the ground, we've got to get him on the ground. It takes all 11 of us."
Talk to us about your touchdown catch and what was your last thought when the ball was coming your way?
"We practice that play for a couple weeks now to where I go out there and I'm in the flat. What's crazy is every time we practice up that play [Titans QB] Cam [Ward] never threw me the ball. When I was in the flat, I expected him to come out there with me. The corner that was sitting out there, I knew it was probably going to come. Then I saw Cam scrambling and everybody has seen Cam throw the ball, he probably throws the ball, which is dangerous, across his body more than any quarterback in the league so I decided I have to go the opposite way. I know Cam can make that throw and when I saw him release it, I said, 'oh, don't drop this ball whatever you do' is what was going through my mind. I thought, 'do not drop this ball.' He made a hell of a throw across his body and that's Cam. Cam can do that and make it look like effortless. I was just happy to be able to catch that and all the excitement. Like I said, we've been practicing that play a couple weeks and hopefully they can keep me over there now."
What's allowing you this year to finish plays and play so well?
"When you're talking about the way the season goes and how the season should go, I made a commitment. I would say my commitment this past offseason, the way I wanted to attack this season, the way I wanted to change my body this time, I focused on the small details. My body, the mental part and then the play. I did a lot of reflecting in the offseason. I'm like, 'this is not where I want to be at.' When I did that, which I talked to you guys this offseason about, that's the reason why I made the weight changes and the diet changes and things of that nature."