Opening comments:
"Good morning. Alright, with the injury report, [WR] Quinton Patton did sustain a concussion last night. So, he's in the protocol with the trainers and the doctors and going through that protocol. So, with those things there's no timeline. It's however he heals. So, and there is a set protocol. So, we'll keep you updated on that, but that's all I have for there. OK, questions?"
With TE Vernon Davis, is that a bruise or what is it? A ligament?
"From what I understand, it was a contact injury. So, that would mean something, to me I'm deciphering now, but it's a contact injury, so I don't want to say, here I am saying bone bruise. You know what I mean, like a deep contusion in there."
Is it more pain-management than structural damage?
"Oh yeah, that's what I understand it to be. Yes. I don't think there's anything structural."
We've all seen QB Colin Kaepernick work so diligently, work so hard, put so much effort into what he's doing. At what point do you think, "Hey, it's got to be so anguishing for him." At what point do you say, "Why don't we save you from your anguish a little bit, take a little bit of a back seat," just to sort of get his mind together?
"Yeah, I mean, you don't know what those answers are. That's part of when we go through, we use the word evaluation lately. We just throw it around, but evaluating is evaluating how we're doing things for our players and what we're putting schematically for our players and those kind of things and we're in the middle of that. I mean, I just, that's why I'm a few minutes behind, as we're obviously grinding through all of that right now. So, I don't have any direct answers for anybody in that sense. We're starting from top to bottom and where I'm at and the things I'm asking for and then going through offensively, I mean, these guys are all busting their tails, everybody is busting their tails. But, we need to, we have to fix some things. And, I just, that's where we're at. We're going through that now."
So, would it be fair to say that you're evaluating everybody and Colin Kaepernick is in that category?
"I don't want to say it then that starts a whole, that's not where I'm at. I don't want to say that, no. I mean, everybody is evaluated. We're in the middle of it and I don't have any statements for you on anything like that."
"No. I mean, no. We've got very good coaches in that respect. We haven't played like we need to play, which means none of us are, I'm not doing what I need to do. But, no. Just in terms of football, when you're in football, whether you're offense, defense, whatever, you sit down and you take a look at the personnel. Take a look at your own personnel and then you try to match your personnel in a schematic to attack their personnel. And, just in terms of sitting there and a lot of it is asking the right questions. Looking at it, walking in a room and asking the right question and going from there."
How do you evaluate the job that offensive coordinator Geep Chryst has done?
"That's, again, that goes back to me. I mean, we're 1-3, so the evaluation is on me and the job I've done to this point is not where it needs to be."
When it comes to matching the personnel you talk about, if you feel like maybe you don't have the personnel that could run the play that would, or the scheme that would fit in that situation best, then do you just lean toward then what's best for your players or do you lean towards the scheme that would be best and kind of not put it on your players, but "Players this is what you need to do." Where do you lean on those types of situations?
"Coaching-wise, things need to fit our players. We have good players. We don't have a good record, but we have good players. We have good coaches and we've got to go through the middle of this and get it sorted out. And, that's where I am there. The scheme has to match the players and the players have to match the scheme and that's all part of this whole thing and I'm not telling anybody anything new. So, that's how I approach it."
You started the same five offensive linemen every, they've played every single snap in all four of these games. Are you inclined now to start looking at possible other options on the line or maybe moving guys in different spots?
"But, again, as I stated earlier, I've said it earlier on in the year, I'm saying it now, again the evaluation work. We have to keep looking at what it is. And, when you do that, to me, it can't be an emotional decision. You have to think your way through it. So, we're trying to make sure we're thinking our way through it. And, we are in the middle of that right now. They are still over there and I'm going back over."
This is something you've seen though for a while now. Is this an area that's concerning to you? Are you getting the quality of line play that you need?
"Up and down. I mean, is it an area of concern? 1-3 is an area of concern."
"We see Nick as a center. We see Nick as a center. He does take reps at guard, but we see him as a center and that's quite frankly why he's been up."
The front office made a major investment in WR Torrey Smith this offseason. He has nine catches. Why haven't you used him more and how can you get him more involved in the offense?
"We need to use him more and we need to get him more involved. So, again, that's on the checklist."
A couple of guys have gone on the record nationally about their criticism of Colin. FOX Sports analyst Jimmy Johnson said yesterday, "49ers need a new quarterback." Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews said on the field to Colin, "You aint Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson." What do you make of that and the fact that they are able to say that so freely about him, your impressions of that?
"I really don't have any comments on anybody else's opinions."
Colin made some comments after the game about not wanting to push the ball down field and make mistakes that had the people who heard it thinking that he was still dealing with the Arizona loss. That he was still recovering from that loss and was hesitant against Green Bay because of that. What's your reaction to that analysis?
"I don't have an analysis to, I didn't see his press conference. But, what I'm going to have a reaction, I mean, we have to see that. Again, what we're doing today and see if there were things from the last game that creeped into this game. I mean, you don't want that to happen and you work like crazy for it not to happen. But, we're looking at everything."
Where does G Brandon Thomas stand right now and what do you need to see from him for him to elevate himself to being up on game days?
"Brandon, he is working, real hard. Obviously, with the year off and then getting back and getting going, you guys see it out there, Brandon's working at the guard and tackle positions. So, he's working."
"No. Those are the two I'm aware of. A wide receiver and an outside linebacker."
Are you looking to add at those positions or is this just a going through the due diligence?
"Well, that's something that was talked about in the past. We've done that, from a personnel stand point, bringing guys in and working guys out on Mondays. That's just doing it."
Somewhat similar to what CSN Bay Area reporter Matt Maiocco was asking, but it seemed like the offensive game plan, a lot of it was about minimizing mistakes, making sure the offense didn't put the defense in a big hole. Is that a fair assessment?
"No. I don't think it is in the context that I think you're saying it. Yeah, we wanted to minimize mistakes. I mean, that's obvious. That's in any game, any time. But, no. We went into the game playing to win the game."
Why are you confident you can turn this season around?
"I like the way these guys, I mean, I'm still one of those guys that believes in people that are willing to earn it. I believe we have guys that are willing to earn it. We're four games into a 16-game season. So, that's all I know. Roll up your sleeves. Put your face in the middle of it. Think your way through the problems. The tough spots, the tough patches, don't do it emotionally. Think it through, use your brain and push through the middle of it. I don't think you can go around any of them. So, that's what we're doing."
A couple of your players questioned that they didn't know the identity of the team, one on offense, one on defense. What do you think the identity of your team is after four games?
"After four games, right now, the identity of our team. We've got a good locker room, in terms of guys that are fighting like crazy right now. And I think last week's week of practice was really good in terms of guys going to work and really getting after it in meetings and on the field. Defensively, I felt like there were a lot of things to grow on. Still a lot of work to do, but there were a lot of things to grow on there. Some of the guys in the way they played and the way they did things, feel really good about that. The identity, it's a hard-nosed, hard-working team."
"Oh, yeah, we do."
You do do it?
"Oh, yeah."
Oh OK. One of your players yesterday suggested that you do, he said that you don't.
"Yeah, BOB period. We've been doing best on best. We've had it in the fast five and then we've done it in, we move it around. It was in, it's not every day, but it's during the week. I think last week it was our one-on-one's in the red zone was best on best."
Defensively, you guys didn't blitz as much yesterday as you had in the previous three games. Do you see that as specific to the Green Bay Packers or do you think that that is what you guys do well and that could be something moving forward that you'll stick with?
"No, I mean, [Green Bay Packers QB] Aaron Rodgers, that was game planned. The way we played yesterday was game planned. I don't want to get into schematics and where we're going schematically and things, but yesterday was game planned."
You've obviously been coaching for a long time. Obviously, there's a lot of scrutiny on you, this team, the pressure and all that. Is there anything that you can compare this to, another moment in your coaching life?
"No. I mean, there's always tough spots. Every season, every year, every career, there's tough spots. To me, you've got to go through them. You don't go around them. So, roll it up and go through it, keep going."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers
