San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed reporters ahead of Tuesday's practice as the team gears up for its Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Here's everything he said.
Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Opening comments:
"For practice today, [DL] Keion White, groin, will not practice. [T] Trent Williams, hamstring, won't practice. [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice, hip, won't practice. [RB Christian] McCaffrey, back, won't practice. [CB Upton] Stout's in the protocol, he is limited. [TE George] Kittle, ankle, limited. [WR Ricky] Pearsall, knee/ankle, limited. [DL] Yetur [Gross-Matos], knee, limited. That's it."
CB Renardo Green's neck is okay?
"Yeah. Renardo is on here, but it says full."
When did Christian hurt his back?
"It's just stiff."
Any further evaluation on Trent and his hamstring and how long that might be?
"No, we're not sure how long. We're giving it a shot for this week, so we'll see. Yep."
OL Austen Pleasants stepped into Trent's role when he wasn't able to go. What about what he did against the Bears last week gives you the confidence that he can handle the workload against the Seahawks?
"Played good enough for us to win. Thought he did some good things in the game, real good, in the run and pass game. So, he did a solid job."
What's the update on Upton Stout? Did he come out of the game okay?
"Yeah, he's in the protocol still, but he's limited today so progressing through that."
How much will you look at the first game in Seattle, if at all?
"You always look at it. I mean, you see what's changed personnel-wise, schematically, but our teams are pretty similar in what we did at the beginning of the year to now. We have schemes we believe in but just watch the personnel and everything and take it all into account."
Have you done this before? Start with a team at the very first game and then finish with them the last game?
"I don't know if I ever have. I feel like in '21 maybe it was, and I know we had the Rams in Week 17, and I think we had them like Week 3 or something earlier that year. But, I don't know if it's been first and last yet. So, it's a little unusual."
The fact that George can actually practice, we assume he's got a very good chance to play?
"I wouldn't assume that. We're barely moving today. It's a walk-through with the short week that we've got, so we won't be doing much all week."
Can you take us through the final defensive play? From the play call, what defensive coordinator Robert Saleh called. LB Tatum Bethune said on the post-game show that he and LB Dee Winters decided to drop and not blitz. Can you kind of take us through what transpired there?
"I'm not sure exactly what the word was on the call, but I know that the people dropping has to do with where the center goes and the protection. So, that depends on the protection, how many guys pop out and how many come. So, I don't know exactly how Tatum worded it, but that changes based off what protections they do."
How close did you come to calling time out there? It looked like you were really close to doing it.
"Real close. We were talking about seeing the look and stuff, and you just go off your gut. We saw the look, we had everyone lined up and sat there and thought about it then just said, 'screw it, we'll see what happens.'"
You would've called the time out if he didn't like what he saw?
"If he didn't like it or something, if Saleh was screaming something he didn't like, but no one said anything and felt good about it so you just let it ride."
So, in other words, they did what they were supposed to do. It wasn't them freelancing.
"Yes."
The TV copy had McCaffrey's back kind of tightening up with a few minutes left in the game. Has he been battling that for a couple weeks and just beyond that, it seems like every December he kind of kicks into another gear. Do you notice that?
"Yeah. I mean, I know he battled it bad two weeks ago, just up to that game. What game was that? Indy? No, before Indy. When was it? All right. It feels like a year ago. I know he battled it hard that week, hadn't heard anything about it since. So, it might have stiffened up in the game. I know it was sore just from Sunday night, so that's why we've got him on here today."
In terms of how he does in December, he just seems to come on every year about this time of year?
"Yeah, I mean it's hard for me to differentiate. Christian's pretty good every time I feel like he's in our uniform, but good ones only get better as the year goes."
With the short week after a short week, is there anything that you almost have to eliminate or does anything get cut out of the schedule because it's back-to-back?
"Oh yeah, almost everything as far as full speed and stuff. We change our schedules up just playing late, not having as much recovery. So, we let them sleep different so we take out some meeting time to gain that. We let them come in a little bit later, but we try to get them out at the same time so we knock off some meetings and things like that. And obviously the on-field stuff changes. We had the big adjustment last week with the Monday night game and Christmas. So, it's the same schedule this week."
You said afterwards you thought that Austen Pleasants must have played pretty well because you didn't hear his name much. After you got a chance to look at it, how do you think he did?
"The same, yeah. That's usually how it is for an O-Lineman. If you don't say their name much in a game, usually it's alright. And when you matched it up with the tape, I thought he did a real good job. I think he played the whole game for us Week 17 versus Arizona last year. But, this was a big game being on Sunday Night Football coming in on the second play of the game and he really held his own."
How big of a challenge is Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba?
"Huge. Everyone knows how good he has been this year in the whole league. I think he's their leading receiver in every game but one. He's obviously extremely talented as most first-round guys are, but it's hard to know unless they're rated on Madden and their awareness rating. But, I would guess his real-life awareness rating is off the chart. He's got very good feel in zones, how to move around. He almost plays in slow motion, but he's one of the fastest guys out there, so a lot of respect for him."
After the game on Sunday night in the locker room DB Deommodore Lenoir said he wants to shadow him and cover him man-to-man. Is that something that you would consider if he came to your office and lobbied for it hard enough?
"I know DMo well enough to know that's what he wants every week. So, him lobbying for it really hard just makes me like him more. But, it would have to do with what was the best for our team schematically and what we were going to do."
I know it's a long time ago, but what's the first thing you think about considering the 2019 game at the end of the season against these guys?
"Just the last play, how cool that was by [Denver Broncos LB Dre] Greenlaw. I thought it was one of the best plays ever. Just watching everyone run on the field after it, it was just a fun, intense game. I felt like we were in control of it the entire game and then we got a clipping block on a reverse on the last drive, lost 15-yards on it, and then all of a sudden before you knew it they were going down there to put us away and to win it. So, it's a good reminder of how quick things can change. It all comes down to the wire and started to look bad there for a second and then Greenlaw made one of the best plays I've ever seen."
Did you bring that up at all this week or show the team?
"Not really. I mean, it's a different team, both sides of the ball. So far removed. I felt Sunday night's game was just like that and that big. I felt Indy's game was really like that. And I feel the same this week."
Since Trent usually takes a Vet Day on Wednesdays, how much does that help Austen to get those reps and be prepared in case he has to go?
"I think that's huge. It was the same with [Kansas City Chiefs OL] Jaylon Moore last year. Trent's been able to stay healthy throughout this whole year, so it's been awesome. But, Austen gets all those reps on Wednesdays every week, especially once we put [OL] Spence [Burford] in at guard. So, I think that's huge for him getting all those reps, and I think that's why he was ready for that moment in the game and I think he'll be even more ready this week."
Given what DL Alfred Collins had to deal with coming into the season, the injuries and a slow start, does it surprise you that he's the cause or in the mix of these games changing defensive plays throughout this season?
"Not really. I know he missed OTAs, but he was going through most of training camp. So, when you get a full training camp, I thought that's what prepared him for the season. There were times in training camp where I thought he was dying out, as they all do, and I was worried he was going to get hurt. But, he battled through that and got his stamina back up and was able to avoid an injury doing it. And to me that's what prepared him for the season and that's why he is been able to get through 17 weeks. I've been really happy with Alf so far."
What stands out about Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald's defense when you've watched them this week?
"They've been running the same scheme now for two years together. They're extremely sound. They've got really good players. He knows really how to stop the run and not give up any big plays with the two-shell defense, but also not give you easy completions. Everyone's tight in their coverage. It's hard to do both. They put a lot of stress on you with the blitzes that they pick. They're very timely blitzes, some are for the run, some are for the pass. But, he does a great job of it and it's a huge challenge."
That mini orbit motion you run with Kyle Juszczyk, what do you call that? What advantage does it present?
"We call it Dash. Just allows you to get a running start. When you have a little depth, it allows you to come back the same way you came from. So, it could be trips or it could be two-by-two, which is sometimes an advantage for us."
RB Isaac Guerendo has been inactive the last few weeks. Is that just kind of a depth chart flip? I know not have made the official depth chart, but have other people moved ahead of him?
"Yeah, it was more about how [RB] Jordan James has been running the ball in practice and stuff. He's been doing it for a while. It would have to take an injury and stuff for Jordan to get in there, but if that did happen, we thought he had earned that. He has been getting better at special teams and stuff. It takes a while for rookies on teams just to get that trust factor and I feel [special teams coordinator] Brant [Boyer] has gotten that from him from a special team standpoint. Love to get him in there for some carries and stuff, but got to see how the game plays out in that way."
You weren't obviously amused about having to play on Saturday and lot of your players weren't. At what point mentally do you kind of just flip the page and say 'whatever?' What kind of challenges does it present this week, just schedule-wise?
"Once you find out, you spend 10 seconds bitter about it and then you say, 'it is what it is,' which is how it always is. I mean, whatever your schedule is, whenever it is. Last year we played seven teams, I think, coming off of a Bye week for an NFL record. This year I don't think we played any or maybe one, so that that was a hell of a deal this year. So, everyone's got to deal with it sometimes, it's just how it is. So, you get frustrated, but nothing you can do after that. Then you've got to make the adjustments to make sure you're right for that day. Sometimes it can be advantage, sometimes it could be a disadvantage. So, you just try to take care of your guys and get them as ready for that short week as much as you can."
In the two years that you were the one seed you guys reached the Super Bowl and the other two was the NFC Championship on the road. Can you just describe the magnitude of the game and the difference between having to fight your way up through the road and the Wild Card and being at home, getting a Bye week and all that?
"Yeah, I mean it's one, it's nice to rest guys, help guys recover and stuff, which is always good. But, I think the simplest way to say it is, I mean everyone's goal is to win a Super Bowl and in order to do that I would say it's easier to win three games than four games. You'd always rather play at home, no doubt about it. I think in football, out of all sports, home-field advantage is the biggest advantage because I think crowd noise truly affects the game in terms of pass rush and things like that. But, the main thing is just it's one less game. I'd love to be home. That's our goal. If that doesn't work out, we're excited to go on the road too."
How do you balance wanting them to play for the number one seed and understanding that you guys already are in the playoffs?
"You don't. Every single game you empty the tank. Started to have that mindset since Indy, we had it two nights ago against Chicago. We'll have it this week versus Seattle and the next time we line up, whether it's the following Saturday, Sunday or Monday or a week after that, we'll be ready to go."
You have had to wait patiently for Yetur pretty much all year and he made the big play at the end. How did he do before that and what kind of impact can he have going forward?
"I think Ye can have a huge impact. We've been down a number of guys. I mean, just even getting guys like [DL] Sam O [Okuayinonu] back, coming off high ankle sprain. We've been going with eight for a while. Getting Yetur back has allowed us to go with nine. So, just having nine guys, we can rotate those guys better. Yetur, we knew going into this year with how the offseason went that we were going to have to be very limited in how we used him and that's probably what leads to a hamstring injury. When you don't get the training camp, when you can't practice as much and he ended up I think at the end of one of these games getting a hamstring. He came back, got it again. Now his hamstring is good and he's going, but you've always got to be smart with a guy like that who didn't really build that callous and all that stamina throughout an offseason and training camp. But, having Ye out there, his talent, the way he plays, the numbers, it helps a lot."
You mentioned Juszczyk will be missing practice today with a hip injury. Is that something that happened during the game?
"Yes, it happened in the game."
Do you know when?
"I don't know when."
Christian recently described that your meetings are kind of like football heaven. From your perspective, what kind of atmosphere or vibe are you trying to bring into the meetings when a player steps in with the players?
"Really just trying to help prepare them for the game. I always try to coach people like how I was when I was sitting in meetings. They're kind of just talking to talk or going through some PowerPoint or just saying cliches and stuff. I'm really just sitting there trying not to fall asleep, so I get in trouble from them. If they're saying something that helps and that can help prepare you, then you're kind of into it. So, we just try to prepare them for the game with film, with showing stuff with how it's going to be, what we think they need to do. It makes it a little easier with guys like Christian because he sits in probably the most boring football meetings ever. It's the most exciting thing known to man because he's a true football nut. We've got a few of them, but that makes it a lot easier also."
QB Brock Purdy obviously had a history-making game on Sunday. What are you looking for him coming into this week against the Seahawks? Are you hoping the momentum is going to carry you guys through too?
"You always hope the momentum helps you, but I just want him to keep being him. Not hesitating on stuff. When he sees it, let it rip. I loved how he's been playing. I loved how he's played all year. I love how Brock's played since we got him. But, I think kind of early in the game shows you kind of where he is at. I mean, throwing a pick-six on the first play and you watch some guys how that makes a person act and how they change after that, and he didn't change at all. Personality-wise, demeanor-wise, what you see on the silent tape, when he's confident and he sees it he lets it rip. If he doesn't, he gets rid of it, usually to a check down or he finds a way to make a play. So, keep being him and keep being aggressive."