San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak, and quarterback Brock Purdy spoke with reporters after Friday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 6 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
Your initial impressions on Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and the running threat that he poses more than anybody maybe outside of Miami Dolphins QB Malik Willis so far?
"That we've played you mean?"
Yeah.
"I don't want to undersell his running, but him as a quarterback, he's a really good quarterback. He's a great processor. He can stand back there and throw it. That's what makes him so effective when he does run. His ability to get out the pocket and really shock you and have people drop and get down the field and be able to take advantage of that is elite at a very high level. You've got to keep him contained. You've got to keep him as close to in the pocket as you possibly can. Then when he gets out, you've got to be able to rally and tackle him. He's a hard tackle. We've got to deal with that this week and we've been preparing that way."
How did LB Jaden Dugger perform when he moved to WILL and stepped in for LB Dre Greenlaw the other day and what are your expectations for him?
"Did a nice job. Obviously, stepped in when we lost Greenlaw and he was able to go to the WILL backer and transition that way. And also [LB Luke Gifford] Giff, Giff was able to go to that other SAM backer, fever backer, outside backer for us. Those two filling in that role did a nice job for us and getting us through. Whenever you lose that kind of guy, particularly in a game, that's tough. And for Jaden to be ready that way says a lot about the young man and his development. Also you've got to give his coaches a lot of credit. When you talk about [linebackers coach] K.J. Wright and [defensive run game coordinator] Johnny Holland and having him prepared to do that, that's not easy. So to be able to do that, I'm very proud of him and the coaching job that those guys did. [Defensive quality control coach] Angel Matute too, obviously."
How have you been able to create pressure even given all the injuries you have on the defensive line right now?
"I think it's a little less about me creating pressure. I think it's just about the guys executing the game plan. We've got some really good people up front doing different things. I know you've heard it before, but you've got to rush as a unit. When you don't have that superstar player that we know we're missing, like a [DL Nick] Bosa, you've got to be able to rush as a unit. Those guys have been able to rush as a unit, whether it's been absolutely executing it, the plan, the game plan, executing how you're going to attack a player, executing how you want to get home. They've done a nice job. Even the weeks we didn't have sacks, we had really good pressure. Even the weeks we weren't able to get sacks, we had really good pressure those weeks and being able to get up at the quarterback and being able to affect them. That's been really helpful to our secondary and everything that's happening and how we cover as well."
You guys don't allow a lot of explosives. How much is the communication a big part of the key to doing that?
"Usually when things go wrong, all the coaches get up here and say we're lacking communication. That seems like a cliché thing to say, but I really think it's about the preparation during the week and those guys being laser locked, focused and locked in, and everybody kind of knowing, right? The communication is definitely awesome. When you've got a bunch of people that don't know what they're doing and you can help those guys. We've got the best leader, best communicator probably in football when it comes to [LB] Fred [Warner]. But, I really believe everybody has to have an understanding of what's happening and why it's happening and what you're doing those things for. And the guys across the board have done a great job of that along with the communication. I think that's really been helpful for us to be in the right spots. You're always going to give up explosives, they're great players out there. They do a lot of good things out there, but the guys have done a nice job locking in."
What impressed you about CB Renardo Green's two interceptions?
"Again, it goes back to what we just talked about, being laser locked and focused. And he was that. He was ready for the moment on, whether it was a third-down pick or was a pick in a pass down situation or run down situation. Being able to undercut a tight end and pick it off and do some of the things that he's capable of doing. He's shown us really dominant corner play thus far and I expect him to continue. The way he's locked in, the way he's focused, the belief in himself, the confidence that he walks around with, the confidence he's playing with right now is really at a high, elite level."
How much has he improved since you started coaching him?
"That's tough. We talked about this before when we were a little down on him from a community standpoint, really the media, and I just didn't see it right from the beginning. I saw a guy that was locked in and focused when I first got here. I was really excited to meet him. I was really excited to work with him. And I've seen a listener, I've seen a studier, I've seen a guy that asks really articulate questions. I've seen a guy that can take it from the classroom to the field. He's been exciting to work with."
What have you seen from DL Sebastian Valdez?
"High effort, high energy, big-time run stopper. Then this week he turned it into his number one sack and got a big-time sack for us. His ability to continue to play and fight has been fun. I'm fired up about him."
How often do you guys work on the peanut punch and when you're looking back when did it really start to become this thing that everybody does now?
"It started a couple of years ago. I mean, we really started to focus on the ball. Got to give a lot of credit to all the coaches in the league and talking about it, but the guys that really focus, they really locked in. You see it all. You see it every single week. These guys are sacrificing their body to get in front and make those punches. You know how hard it is to still make the tackles and be elite like Fred and not miss tackles going after it. He's done such a great job being able to do that. And a lot of the guys do it. You've seen it with some of the younger players. Jaden Dugger had a great opportunity at it this week and got it loose and that's glorified in this building, so it was good."
Is the coaching point on that, make sure that somebody else has the player wrapped up before you take a swing?
"That was when me and you were playing. That was the coaching point, right? You secure the tackle and the other guy takes the punch. It's kind of evolved now, right? You've got to be willing to get run over, sacrifice your body for your teammates and punch that ball out. Fred does it all the time. If you watch him, he puts himself in some vulnerable positions at times in order to get that ball out and it is impressive."
You just went on the road to beat the Super Bowl champions. The Commanders are not that. So it's like, 'Oh, were they let down?' You obviously have been a head coach where it's maybe more of your responsibility to make sure that the temperature of the team is right. With the leadership on this team, do you think it makes the 49ers less susceptible to letdown-type games?
"I think that's the key, what you just said, right? The leadership on this team is different. The leaders on this team know that any given Sunday it can happen. Not to be all movie cliché, but it's the truth, man. You've got to come ready to play. You've got to have your very best every single week or it's going to be a long day for you. Anybody can come get you. The Commanders are a very good football team. They had some unfortunate things happen to those guys and put them in the situation that they're in, but I know what they're going to come like. I know what their leadership is like. I know a lot of their players and they're going to come in ready to play."
Yesterday I asked head coach Kyle Shanahan about giving you a contract extension based on the success you've had here and he said, 'Hey, you could be here as long as he's here if it was up to him.' Could you be satisfied being a defensive coordinator or do you need to be a head coach? Would you be happy winning rings here?
"We have somewhere in society been screwed up, right? We have got this illusion in our head that everybody's a head coach. Guys, there are 32 head coaches in the National Football League. There's 32 defensive coordinators and there are 32 offensive coordinators and there's 32 everything we do. There's 32 media members that do what you do. We are blessed and you couldn't have a better job than all of us."
Kyle's always talked about how important it was in his early years learning defense to help him become an offensive coach. Your time as a receivers coach, how did that make you a better defensive coach?
"It was a lot of fun. I'll give you a quick story. I remember people asking me, 'How was it coaching [former NFL WR] Julio Jones?' I said, 'It's easy. Good catch, Julio' (laughter). No, all joking aside, you were able to take your defensive analysis and bring it to those guys while you were learning how to be a good offensive coach and the detail and everything that's required. That goes into scoring touchdowns and staying on the field and manufacturing first downs. Being around Kyle that first year on offense, it was really the philosophy of what we're trying to do on football games and how we're going to go out there and attack people. I had so much fun being able to be over there with the likes of Kyle Shanahan, [Green Bay Packers head coach] Matt LaFleur, [Arizona Cardinals head coach] Mike LaFleur was on that staff, [Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator] Mike McDaniel. It was a bunch of really great coaches that were teaching me the backend. And in the frontend, you had all the guys on the front end like [assistant head coach/offensive line coach] Chris Foerster and those guys just teaching you what it was like in the run game and what the rules were and everything that was required to go out there and accomplish what we wanted to get accomplished. You can't help but bring that back to defense when you had to go back over there. So, when I was able to go back and really formulate how I see the game, how I feel the game, how you want to make your players feel the game, that philosophy really helped me a lot to grow. I think everything from the beginning was really helpful for me when it came to offensive football."
Offensive Coordinator Klay Kubiak
Head coach Kyle Shanahan described Washington as the biggest challenge you guys have had this year. What do you think he sees there? What do you see when you watch them?
"Yeah, schematically, it's a big challenge. They're doing a really good job implementing the scheme that came over from Minnesota. So schematically, number one, it presents a huge challenge. They're a defensive scheme that can really hurt you in really unique ways on any down with their blitzes, with their different coverage packages that goes on first, second, third-down. So schematically they're a very talented defense too. If you look at their players up front, very active. They added a lot of guys in free agency. They're just doing a good job. I think they've had some unfortunate games where the ball didn't bounce their way or the game ended in a way that they should have won last week. But they're a good team and we got our hands full. I think they're coming in here Monday night, coming off of a hard loss, going to be very motivated to give us their best shot and we got to be ready for it. So put all those things together and I think it's a really big challenge this week."
It's been so long since in training camp you went against a defense that was pretty similar schematically. I know defensive coordinator Raheem Morris didn't overhaul it completely, but were there enough changes from what he was doing in camp on the other side of the ball that gave you some sort of advantage or different looks that you think has helped kind of early in the season?
"For sure. And we definitely commented on that throughout training camp and OTAs. Yes, a lot of things were similar, but when you talk about the front variation that Raheem's given us, some of the different style of coverages he runs with maybe more match principles, more man principles, gave us some exposure to a lot of things that we didn't normally see from our defense in previous years. When you look around the league, it depends on your schedule. But when you happen to play in a year where you're playing more schemes like that, it definitely helped us. It helped us maybe understand that style of defense better for what we're going against. So, that hopefully pays off in the long run when you start to play similar types of opponents."
Kyle alluded yesterday to just kind of unlocking an aggressiveness with the secondary in particular. How did that kind of show up and what did that do for maybe your young receivers?
"Yeah, it was huge. I think when you go against a secondary that's aggressive, that's sticky in playing man-coverage, that's aggressive in jumping routes, that they're taking their shots, it does a lot of things. I think, one, it makes the quarterback better. It makes him more accurate. It makes him have to be more aggressive. It allows him to see the type of throws he can make versus those looks. So it challenges [QB] Brock [Purdy], challenges [QB] Mac [Jones] to see what they're capable of doing versus that type of DB play. Our receivers, a lot of camp was man-to-man coverage and let's be one-on-one. Let's get open. Let's compete. Let's run routes versus bad leverage, all those things. And so at the end of the day, I think you go against an aggressive secondary, it makes your offense better. It challenges us every day in a good way."
Brock Purdy is five passes away from qualifying as like the NFL's all-time leader in passer rating. There's a lot of data out there that you guys can study and stats. What does a coach look at in passer rating and how weighty of a stat is that?
"I don't look at it. One, I don't pay attention to the stats that much. But when I look at passer rating around the league, to me, you look at guys who are playing in very efficient offenses. You're seeing guys who are distributing the ball. They're getting completions. They're not turning the ball over a lot which is usually a reflection of how the team's playing. You're running the ball, you're playing good defense, you're doing a good job on third-down. I think all those things add up and they're usually what contribute to a high passer rating. So it's kind of the way I see most good stats on offense. It's a reflection of your unit and how you guys are playing together. So that's not to take away from Brock. Brock's been awesome for five years, but I would think he'd say the same thing. It's a reflection of the guys around him and how everyone's playing together."
With Brock what jumps out when you watch the film from Sunday against the Seahawks?
"It wasn't perfect and it was pretty ugly at times. But the way he played in the fourth quarter when it mattered most, I think he threw a pick, late in the third quarter. And then it almost felt like from then on out, Brock wasn't going to be denied. He made really aggressive throws. He made plays with his legs. He avoided some sacks. He was a competitor out there and he made plays. He's done that throughout his career. It kind of reminded me of the Philly playoff game last year where there were some ups and downs. But man, in the fourth quarter when he needed to just step it up, he did. And he put the team on his back and with some help from other guys, obviously. But that's what stood out to me the most."
What happened on the pick? It looked like one cornerback was covering one guy and sort of came off that. Is that something that the quarterback should recognize or that the receiver should recognize that?
"Yeah, it's a tough look for that play we called. Definitely a tough coverage and the corner made a heck of a play. I think Brock would sit here and tell you the same thing. He's got to recognize that a little bit better and probably move on in the progression. It's also something we worked on and the type of throw you were going to need to make maybe versus that look. But maybe Brock held on to the ball a little too long, maybe should have progressed down to his two and three option on the play. But it is a tough look for that play and the guy made a heck of a play."
How's WR Christian Kirk looked so far? How do you see him fitting in your offense?
"Yeah, it's good to see him out there these couple of days. We haven't really got to see him much kind of going back to OTAs and he didn't do much in training camp. So it's good to have him out there. He's a vet. I'm impressed with how much he's on it and how sharp he is with the knowledge of our offense. You can tell he's been staying in it even though he hasn't been on the field. He looks good. He looks fresh. So we're excited to get him through this week of practice, get him through one more day. He's like that whole group. We need guys to step up and contribute and be ready. And so I'm excited to see what he does."
What's been the chemistry between WR Brandin Cooks and Brock just over the last three weeks or so since he's been here?
"Yeah, it's been a pretty cool development. Obviously Brandin made some huge plays for us in the game. He had the touchdown catch. He actually had another one the play before that got called back, but it's been cool. Brandin's been getting a lot of reps in practice, when [WR] Mike [Evans] doesn't go on some days, early in the week. Brandin's been getting a lot of those reps and working on his timing with Brock and just continuing to learn our offense and the route tree. I think Brandin's getting more confident in everything we do. And so just happy with his growth, happy with where he's at mentally, just contributing to our team in any way he can. He's the ultimate pro. It was cool to see him have some success on Sunday and hopefully continue that moving forward."
When you watch Washington Commanders LB Sonny Styles, he had 13 tackles last week. He's very fast. He jumps and everything. How do they utilize him? Does he stand out to you?
"Big time. He's already a heck of a player. The athleticism is what jumps out. The length for his size, his speed, his athleticism playing that inside linebacker role. He can kind of do it all. He can rush, he can blitz, he can cover. He's long. He's going to get his hands on balls. So the guy's a heck of a player. He's going to be a bright player. Reminds me a little bit of [LB] Fred [Warner] in that way, just the athleticism, the range. He's a good player and they got two really good linebackers with [Washington Commanders LB Frankie] Luvu in there too. So definitely got our work cut out for us keeping our eye on those guys this week."
QB Brock Purdy
What's your chemistry been like with WR Brandin Cooks, someone who's a veteran but who's only been here for a few weeks?
"It's gotten better I think since he's been here and stuff. First week or so, him figuring out our playbook and just the details of routes being ran and stuff. I think it's been pretty smooth, man. He's gone in and gotten in some games and moments and stuff, and he's been where he needs to be. That's the biggest thing for me. Obviously, we're still going to continue to get better with each other. He's a vet, and he understands how it goes with where he needs to be and on certain routes talking to me after on what I'm thinking. Then at the end of the day, man, you could just tell the way he carries himself and everything. He's a true pro. He's a true vet. He's been around the block. He understands what he needs to do and communication-wise for me has been really cool. So, learning a lot from him and obviously, our trust is just, it's getting better and better as we go, so I'm really excited to keep playing with him."
He was known for his speed when he came out in the draft, which was a while ago. What's that aspect like? Does that jump out to you?
"Definitely. I forgot what he ran. I don't know if it was at practice yesterday or something, but, yeah his speed was up there, just like all the other young guys. So, he can definitely still run, and he looks great moving around, so I'm really encouraged by it. I know even watching some film on him last year with Buffalo, seeing him get in and out of cuts, I'm like, 'This dude looks great still.' He's a competitor and everything, and he's out there every day at practice. Then obviously on Sunday last week, he got right in there and was able to allow our offense to keep going once [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.] went down. Made some big plays for us and I expect him to keep making plays."
Brandin and WR Mike Evans both came out in 2014. What were you doing in 2014?
"Twenty-fourteen, I was a freshman in high school. I'm trying to think. I watched Mike Evans at A&M. Mike does a lot of trivia with all the guys, like when we're warming up for practice. He's like, 'You know who won the Biletnikoff my year in college or whatever?' And I was like, 'Wasn't you?' And he's like, 'Nah.' And he was salty about it, but he's like, 'This guy right here.' And it was Brandin Cooks. I was like, 'Are you serious?' So, it's two older guys, man. I've been watching them forever. It's been really cool, actually, for me to be able to drop back and throw to them. Asked Brandin Cooks about [former NFL QB] Drew Brees. I don't know, man. For me, it's been really, really cool to have some older guys that I grew up watching, and they're still making plays, balling. So, it's sweet."
What's it like playing with a wide receiver like Evans who's open even when he's covered? Do you find yourself locking in on him a little bit longer than you would normally?
"Yeah, for sure. I think just obviously with the catch radius that he has, his body compared to DBs, it's almost like when a tight end is matched up on a smaller DB or something and you know, 'Alright, I've just got to get the ball in this guy's vicinity and he's going to go up and get it.' So, I definitely feel that with him. As we've played a couple games with each other now it's like, 'Alright, if we get that one-on-one matchup, man, I've got to be able to just give him a chance.' Even if he is double-covered, I know I talked about this last week a little bit, but even if he is getting double-covered, he still finds a way to get open and still giving him a chance and hanging on him and stuff. So, that's something that I've had to learn too, which has been cool. Obviously you guys saw it last week, multiple one-on-one matchups where he's going up and getting it. Even if I'm off a little bit on my throws, he's able to reel it in, so it's been really nice."
Were you somewhat surprised at the speed at which you've been able to build a rapport with him given the amount of time he missed in training camp?
"Yeah. I think obviously when you've got a big-time receiver that comes onto the team, I want to get as many reps as I can, but injuries and things like that happen throughout camp and whatnot. Obviously, with where he's at in his career, I understand taking care of your body, so that's been a little bit of a challenge. But, obviously, we're talking all the time, and that's just a credit to him. We're in the locker room in the meetings. Even if he's not getting that rep, we're talking about how that route is going to be ran on Sunday. Then in the walk-throughs, we're making sure that we're talking through things. It's been pretty cool, though. We go out there and he's on it. He's on the details. He's a competitor. He's not just out there hoping things happen and go right. He makes sure that he's putting in the prep and all the communication with me beforehand so when we go out there on Sundays, you guys have been able to see what we've been able to do."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was talking yesterday about how the way defensive coordinator Raheem Morris coaches the secondary and the scheme that they run, it unlocked a level of aggressiveness in the secondary. I'm wondering how that translated maybe in training camp for you and if there were ways that having maybe more aggressive coverage has helped transition into the season here for you?
"I thought we had a great camp going up against Raheem's scheme and everything. Obviously, our guys are our guys, but the way he coached them up this year and has made changes with how he runs his defense, I thought it was great for us during camp. A lot more man-match technique and tighter windows. It felt like everything for me had to be on time and it had to be aggressive. I don't know if there was as many layered kind of throws, just because of how they run things. Everything for me, it seemed like it was just always tight and the vision zones of dropping back and dropping it in the bucket over hook defenders and stuff like that. You get that every once in a while, but for the most part, man, he made me have to play aggressive. And I appreciated that, actually. I think that's translated into the season for me to throw with that, I know we've talked about this, but that aggressive mindset and everything. So, it's a big credit to Raheem."
You're five passes away from qualifying to have 1,500 passes in your career to be the number one all-time passer rating leader. What does the weight of that rating mean to you? How do you interpret it and is there a different stat that's more defining to you for how you're playing?
"To be honest, I don't really know. Obviously, when you look at your stats and are you efficient with your completions and, I guess, not turning the ball over, throwing touchdowns, things like that. I guess, yeah, your rating of course is going to be good. I guess it's, yeah, it's a good thing. But at the same time, I'm not getting done with games going, 'Alright, was my rating at least 100 and something?' I could really care less about that. It's more so, did I do my job well for my teammates? Did I compete and do everything I could to help this team win? I know it sounds cheesy, but that's the reality. That's what I'm thinking about and it's what matters. I guess that maybe reflects, though, playing pretty good quarterback play, so I'm not trying to act like it's nothing. But, it is cool. If I could answer that again too, I would say obviously it goes more into just me (laughter). I've got great coaches, a great team, dudes that help me be who I am and I'm just grateful that I get to be the quarterback for the 49ers so, yeah, it's cool."
Maybe the fourth-quarter passer rating might mean more since that's more crunch time?
"I don't know. I haven't looked at that, to be honest, but yeah, it might be something cool (laughter)."
More info on: Nick Bosa, Brandin Cooks, Jaden Dugger, Mike Evans, Luke Gifford, Renardo Green, Dre Greenlaw, Mac Jones, Christian Kirk, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Sebastian Valdez, Fred Warner
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