San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several others spoke with reporters after Sunday's 16-15 Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Here is what they said.

Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.


49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan


Opening comments:

"Injuries from the game. [DL] Nick Bosa had a knee, didn't return. [DL] Mikel Williams wrist, he did return. [CB] Renardo Green had a head evaluation, he returned. [QB] Mac Jones had a knee, he returned. [DL] C.J. West had a thumb, didn't return."

Can you rule anything out with Nick's injury?

"No, we can't rule anything out. I mean, they check for ACL and stuff there. It was good with that, but we're still not sure. So, we've got to check with more thorough things here tonight and tomorrow."

After losing Bosa, how do you think this game would've gone if Mykel Williams wasn't there on the other side of the defensive front making plays down the stretch?


"It's a big hypothetical. It would've been harder without him. Anytime you don't have your players, it just gets harder and harder. He made some big plays in that game and thought our whole defense did. I thought the fortitude, the resiliency they had throughout the whole game, our whole team, that was really impressive."

At what point did Mac hurt his knee?

"On the drive, he hurt it in the red zone, the one we went for it on fourth-and-goal from the two and didn't get it."

How do you think he played given that?

"I thought he did some really good things. I know there's a couple that he'd love to take back, have back. I thought his pick was just a bad play. Love for [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] to be able to break that up, but I thought it was a bad call. The way he came back on the end on that last drive, he was unbelievable. Even scrambling around when his knee was bothering him. But, he was real good today."


What was your view of CB Upton Stout's play on the breakup there?

"It was unbelievable. I mean, they had him beat on the play. He had some separation. That's how kind of Upton's been with everything. Just never quits, never stopped, ate up the cushion. I didn't get to see, but it looked like he raked out the ball when the guy was bringing it down in transition. Huge game, wouldn't have been able to win it without that play."

Did you have a goal line yardage in mind to set up for K Eddy Piñeiro and what was the calmness level you had in him on that last kick?

"I was confident. You know, we don't have a lot of life experiences together, but yeah, I was feeling good with it and he definitely kept that going. We were gonna kick a long, we were in field goal range earlier before that. Loved the screen that [RB] Christian [MCCaffrey] did, the guys blocked great for him, got it in there, made it easier, and then we centered it and he hit the game winner."

You've had a lot of few faces coming into the season, but a lot of shuffling with injuries. What is it about the fabric of this team? What does it say about it that you guys have been able to eke out these three kind of grimey wins?


"I've just been so proud of the guys in all three games. All three of those games are games that could have gone either way. We've had to overcome a lot in those games going into them with some injuries and some people we've lost during the games in all three. I think those were some of the games that I think we struggled to win last year, and to have three like that and to win all three, can't say enough about the guys in there."

Do you remember the play call on fourth-and-two on the 34 yarder to Pearsall? What'd you think of it?

"Yeah, trips right, three-Jet, Florida. Thought it was awesome. Mac had an option to hit [WR Kendrick Bourne] K.B. on the out route or to throw Ricky on the go. He had a good look for both of them and he chose the right one. It was a big time play."

You didn't even hesitate to go for it there. Did you have that play ready to go? Had that been set up?

"It wasn't really the play ready to go, but I knew based off what we did the down before that, that we were going to give him two tries. I was hoping we could run it. We had a chance to, came up just short and then those guys were big time on that."


That doesn't seem like an easy throw. Mac's on the opposite hash throwing across the field. Is that a throw that he's good at? Are you confident in him making that throw? "I

mean, in the NFL go routes to the field, you don't worry about it. They better have a strong enough arm to throw to the field. But, Mac's been good at throwing go's all the time. Whether he hits him in stride or whether he hits him with the back shoulder, that's really based off of the separation that Ricky gets on it. Thought Ricky got the separation and Mac dropped it in there. They were telling me it was dicey towards the sidelines, so that's why we hurried up and ran a play. I never got to see the replay or anything, but it was a big-time throw, big-time catch."

There was so much concern about about Christian going into the season and him standing up to get hit all the time and he got hit a ton today. He wound up still making that big screen play at the end. How tough was he today to get through this game?

"As tough as he always is. Christian is never not like that. He battled, did a lot of good things in the run game and the pass game, but that's how Christian is to me every day of his life. So very grateful to have him."

Christian and Ricky had like 26 targets or something like that. On the last drive though, Mac kinda spread it around to WR Skyy Moore, TE Jake Tonges and all those guys. Was there any conscious effort on your part to say, "Hey, like maybe they're sitting on some things, let's try to get other guys involved," or was that just kind of how it went?


"I think it's more just no huddle, two minute. You have plays and you design most of your stuff for your guys and then coverage will cover them and then you go to the next guy. That's why Christian sometimes gets a lot more targets becuase he gets some when you end with a check down also. Not to mention, we target him as number one a bunch. But, when you get in a two-minute situation, you're just going no huddle plays and stuff it really doesn't matter. So the ball went there and those guys stepped up big and made some big, big-time plays on that drive."

What did you think of Kendrick Bourne on that drive in particular?

"Kendrick was awesome. Kendrick seemed pretty good every time we went to him. Thought there was one low one I would've loved him to catch on one third down I believe. But, K.B. just in these two weeks, every time we've gone to him, he's made some big plays. Love how he steps back to the ball and love how he finishes after. It was awesome with Skyy too showing up there."

Can you just expand on what you thought from watching Ricky? It seemed like he kept a lot of drives alive late and then you didn't have WR Jauan Jennings, who everybody calls third and Jauan. What was it like to have Ricky Pearsall out there today?

"This is how Ricky's been for a while. We felt it towards the end of last year. He's been this way all through training camp and it's one of the reasons we wanted to draft him here and hasn't disappointed us at all. So he stepped it up big, and you've got to do that even more when you have guys out like J.J. and guys like [TE] George [Kittle]."


What did you just have to say to the guys after the game?

"Just how proud of them I was. I said it to them using big words for myself, but fortitude, resilience, the character, people had to help me with those. To me, you felt it throughout the whole game. You could tell it wasn't going exactly how we would have liked it to, you know, the time of possession, stuff like that and really struggling on third down. I think we had our seventh play on offense, I want say like it was seven minutes into the second quarter. So they were controlling the ball and we weren't moving the ball on third down. So, it made it real tough, but the guys never wavered. For the D to stop them at the end, then us to get a safety and then with Stout to come back and make the play to give the offense another chance. So it was just a hell of a job by everybody."

Did you speak to Nick after the game? We know his parents went to the locker room to check on him. What were his spirits like?

"I haven't seen Nick yet. I'm sure he is concerned, and just knowing how he would be, and hopefully we'll have some good news tomorrow."

To clarify, they ruled out an ACL for him?


"They haven't ruled it out. No, we're not sure. There is concern because of how he feels. They do the tests and stuff on the sideline when usually they say whether he definitely did or not and they didn't say that. But, we are concerned with that. Keeping our fingers crossed for the MRI or whatever he does."

A 3-0 start, but 2-0 the division, and two close wins in division. What does that say so far about your season?

"Oh, it's big. I mean, they all count, but you like to say towards the end the division games count a little bit more. So, these are three wins that could have gone either way. Especially having two on the road and especially two in our own division. Really good start for us and we've just got to make sure to keep it up."

How do you think you bounced back on both sides of the ball after not getting the fourthand-one at the goal line? Would you like that call back or did you like the call you didn't execute?

"No, I'd like it back. Anytime it doesn't work, I'd like it back. I wanted to go a different direction. So I hesitated a little bit. I almost called a timeout. I actually wanted to call the play that we scored on the next time down there, on the bootleg to [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice. But I was worried about it, I was watching Mac limp a little and stuff, so we don't want to do a rollout with him. Felt good when it snapped, but they ended up doing a blitz, and they had our hot throw covered, so it just didn't work out. So yeah, I was disappointed with it. Defense held them pretty good and we got it back, actually they held them to what I thought was the safety, so then I felt really good about it. But, the ball was out of the end zone, so it wasn't a safety. Then I thought we were going to go in and score and then our next drive was a pick. So, a lot happened right there and just glad we were able to finish with the ball last."


It's a common narrative that Piñeiro's a pretty confident guy. I know you don't talk to kickers that much, but have you gotten that sense from him that he is kind of an extra confident kicker?

"He seems like it, carries himself that way. He was cool breaking down the team there at the end. But, we've enjoyed him here in these two weeks and liked how he's handled himself. You definitely like guys even more when they make kicks."

What did you see on the holding call against your offense?

"It looked like [OL] Dominick [Puni] got beat. We were trying to get rid of it quick and hit Ricky right there hooking up. It felt like the backer was driving on him, and I don't know if Mac could have hit him or not. But he had to shuffle because of the quick win. I think it was [Arizona Cardinals DT] Calais [Campbell]. It was shocker. I was hoping we didn't hold him. I mean, I saw on the scoreboard it looked like he didn't totally grab him, but it's the tough part about being backed up like that."

Should Skyy Moore have tried to not fair catch that one?


"From where I was looking at, it looks like that. I mean, when you have a fair catch at the six, that's usually not where we want it. I couldn't tell where that last one landed at the end, but it looked like the right thing. I thought he was in the same situation and let it go and it was much easier having the touchback there."

What did you see the D-Line after Bosa went down?

"I just saw them step it up. I mean, as I saw a number of guys make plays, I thought they contained [Arizona Cardinals QB] Kyler [Murray] pretty good, which is a huge challenge. The whole goal is to keep him in that pocket and it is extremely hard with how fast he is and how quick he is. I thought we played the run game very well. They didn't give any big ones, and I was real proud of the whole defense, but especially the D-Line."

What can losing a guy like Bosa mid-game do to the mental of the defensive unit and how did you see them just respond?

"It didn't seem like they wavered. Anytime you lose your best player, guys are disappointed and stuff, but you can't sit there and feel sorry for yourself. I mean, it's tough enough to play in this League and you've got to be ready. I didn't sense anything from the guys at all. You didn't hear anyone talking. Guys had to step it up and it looked like the guys did."


49ers QB Mac Jones


On the fourth and two pass to WR Ricky Pearsall, what were your options on that play? What were you thinking as you're letting it go?

"Yeah, it was my alert on the play. We don't really throw it that often, so it was just a great catch. I don't know how he caught that [laughs], but it was a great play and he did a great job in the game. He was open a lot. I could have hit him even more, so I'll watch the tape and see how I can get him the ball more. Ricky did a great job."

I don't know what the extent of the knee was, but you came out with a brace. How many conversations did you have with yourself to get out there and finish this game through the pain that you were having?

"Yeah, so I had a little injury that I just reaggravated and I'm good. I took the brace off because I wasn't moving around very well and then put it back on after that. But yeah, I felt like it affected my play a little bit, which I was disappointed about. I could have just been tougher. It was affecting my reads and everything. So anyways, finished the game out and just going to do treatment and I should be good."

How hard was it to fight through that and how rewarding to be able to get a win?


"Yeah, it was great. Anytime you're fighting through stuff, I know everybody has my back and the offense line did a great job this game keeping me clean for the most part. And just to be able to come together at the end and finish like we talked about on the sideline, 'hey, we got nothing to lose, let's go get it.' The players made plays, so it was awesome to be honest."

What would you say about your defense to keep you guys in this game?

"They're the only reason we were in it to be honest. They kept making plays and getting the ball back, really an explosive offense and explosive quarterback in [Arizona Cardinals QB] Kyler Murray. They did a great job and [LB] Fred [Warner] and everybody just having a plan and executing the plan. So I'm really thankful to have that. And as a quarterback, when you know that in the back of your head, you know you have a chance. When you don't, it's hard because you sometimes they press and stuff, but they did a good job."

After the interception and the safety, how were you able to reset yourself for that last drive and deliver what you guys needed there?

"I failed a lot in that situation to be honest and in the NFL. I just know the guys had my back like we talked about on the sideline, 'let's go out there and rip it and just one play at a time and erase everything that happened like the two plays before' or whatever were my fault and just to give your team a chance to win. The offensive line blocked really well. KB [WR Kendrick Bourne] had a couple good catches, everybody was lined up, the process and execution was great. So that's all you can ask for. [K] Eddy [Piñeiro] made a great kick at the end. [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] obviously on the screen, getting those extra yards is huge. It was a screen that I hadn't really run before and I was like, 'Christian, what is this again?' So he reminded me and he was like 'oh yeah, I got you.' So that was bad by me. I got to know exactly what it is, but it was great to see that happen."


What do you like about running no huddle at the end of the game?

"I love it. I've always been good at good at it or whatever. Like I said, I enjoy it because I think it takes thinking out of it and you just go out there and play and you get into a rhythm. I feel like we've done a good job trying to double up between the end of the half and the third quarter. I feel like can do a better job obviously in the third quarter part, but two-minute, end of half and end the game just two different things. Your mindset's the same. You're trying to run the play that's called and you're not trying to chase the play. You need a touchdown or field goal, but you just got to take it one play at a time."

You and Ricky have connected for some big plays over the last couple weeks. How have you guys developed that chemistry?

"Honestly I got a lot of reps with Ricky in OTAs and training camp. He was kind of hurt and was working back in and stuff. So, got a lot of reps with him and I loved watching him in college. I'm like a secret fan of him always because I just enjoyed his tape and like watching him on highlights. So he's a really fast guy. He's really twitchy and then has straight-line speed. In and out of his cut speed is really, really good, probably the best I've seen. He just does a good job on those in breakers and then out breakers too. And then that catch at the end was amazing. So he is a guy who just makes plays."

You've got a front row seat basically to watch what Christian does. I don't know if we've seen him get hit as many times as he got hit today hard and he just keeps getting back up. What's it like from your vantage point to watch this?


"We were just like both in the cold tub next to each other just watching. I was asking him 'you took a lot of hits.' He is like, 'yeah, I'll be good though.' And he's just tough. He'll be out there and practicing and that's just who he is and he takes care of his body the best I've ever seen every day. I've learned a lot about the body and what you need to do to get ready for the next game being around him. But yeah, he's really tough and he did a great job. We had a couple plays where we weren't on the same page for various reasons, but at the same time I know he is my safety blanket. I can just throw it to him and he'll get you between six and 15-yards every time."

How much does having him on the field with you raise your confidence level?

"Yeah, it does. He's one of the best players in the NFL. So you look around in the huddle and you have confidence. Yeah, he's Christian McCaffrey. I don't know how to describe it. You know that he's there and he's going to make plays and he's going to hold onto the ball. He is not gonna turn it over. And then the offensive line was giving him some good holes. I know the run game, we're still working through some stuff, but they're doing a good job. We're doing what we need to do."

QB Brock Purdy knows this offense pretty well. How much does he help you throughout the week in your preparation?

"A lot. Brock's played a lot of football in this offense and he's done a great job just being there for me during the games, but also giving me my space to just let me do my thing. So, I appreciate that. And every day in the meetings, he'll be be like, 'hold on, is this what we're doing on this play?' So he'll speak up and make sure that we're good on everything. And that's because he's been through it, he knows what works, what doesn't. He wants to win, he wants the team to win and that's why he is a team captain and a leader. So he's done a great job rehabbing and stuff. I know he was out there for a good amount last week, so I hope he's back."


Going into that last drive, you had targeted Christian and Ricky a lot. Did you have a sense that Arizona was maybe trying to take those guys away and you were able to spread it around a little bit more? Or is that just kind of the way it broke down?

"Yeah, they did some good stuff. They got two really good players at safety there and a tough scheme. So, they were doing some things, but they mostly just spin the dial. They never called the same play twice, to be honest. They were just spinning it, whether that's to confuse the quarterback or the play-caller or whatever. So it's good for them. They have a good scheme, but I felt like Christian and Ricky and really everybody just did their job for the most part. And [TE Jake] Tonges on that drive to hit them on the little quick one. We never hit that. For him to be ready and catch it and get vertical to start the drive was huge. So, just little stuff like that."

On the interception, when you're throwing that, is that your trust in Ricky?

"Yeah, for sure. I threw it right to the guy, so it wasn't like he made a good play [laughs]. I mean good for him. He caught it like awesome. It was the technically the second part of my read and I took a hitch to it and ripped it, I don't know. He was standing right there, so I just got to get off of it. I had an outlet down the sideline that would've been my second part of the read, so could definitely do that or just throw it over his head and maybe play fourth down or whatever, try and kick a field goal. I know it was pretty far at that point. You never want to do that, but at the end of the day, I did rip it and committed to my throw. So I won't take that one back."

With Ricky, what can you say or expand on about just his performance so far this season and just how he continues to stack all these really impactful games?


"Ricky, he runs fast every day, so he has never taken reps off, taking plays off. He runs every route and it looks the exact same, it's a hundred percent, whether that's like a walk-thru or the end of practice. He's a guy who could easily be like, 'alright, I'm just going kind of jog on this one' but I think it sets the standard for that room, him being a young player and playing a lot of football already. Just like he goes out there and works and that's what you see on Sunday. So he's just got to keep doing that. I feel like the guys in the room, there's some old guys and young guys, but they all have a standard that they play to and really appreciate those guys."

Earlier you said something that you failed at in your career. What specifically? Were there moments in New England?

"Yeah. I've had a lot of potential game winning drives or whatever, and a lot of quarterbacks have, but I also, I've done well in them and I've done pretty bad in them too. So, I really was just motivated to change the narrative. This team, I feel like they have my back and I got to be able to do that when I'm stepping in the game. And like I said, don't put too much pressure on yourself, just go out there and let it fly. Obviously didn't play great the whole game, but at least gave us the chance at the end. And the guys around me just made plays. So yeah, not to look in the past, but I did think about that and just took a deep breath and just kind of blanked everything and said, 'alright, let's play a new game here and go down there and score."'

49ers WR Kendrick Bourne


First of all Kendrick, how do you feel being back in the red and gold?

It feels amazing. We played a great game and it has been good to meet the new guys and be around the new guys. We have a lot of new guys. There are faces that I was familiar with but in making my rounds, I'm building relationships. It's been fun. It's been happening fast and it feels natural, so it's been fun."


Talk to us about the last drive when you guys knew exactly what you had to do.

"Two-minute drive, man. [Head Coach] Kyle Shanahan gets us prepared really, really well. Obviously, I just kind of got here too. You know, just knowing where to be, knowing the calls and being comfortable, things like that. I definitely could have played a better game overall, but the two minute drive. A lot of these games in the NFL come down to that. So great job executing by the guys and by the offensive line. Everybody just did their job."

How impressed are you with WR Ricky Pearsall?

"Oh my goodness. He is impressive. Just even coming in with his energy. We connected. We were dancing and enjoying each other. We came up with a handshake so fast. I'm proud of him and I told him how impressive it is that he is doing what he is doing at his age. I told him his conditioning, his stamina are top tier and if he can play like that, he's going to have a great career, get paid and make a lot of money."

49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk


QB Mac Jones seemed to have a real sense of relief on his face and in his demeanor. What was he like on the sideline? Can you just talk about the kind of rollercoaster of emotions you guys must have felt?


"Mac was great the whole time. I'm sure he felt relieved. You don't wanna throw a pick when you're a QB, so I'm sure he was feeling the pressure of that. I know he was a little banged up, he was kind of trying to limp his way through the rest of that game. But I also felt that sense of relief as well. It looked like we gave one away, and we just stuck to it. The guys made plays when they needed to, and we found a way to get it done there at the end."

How do you look at these past three weeks, winning these tough games with so many new faces on the team and a lot of shuffling due to injury? What does it say about what this team has built so far in terms of chemistry?

"It says so much. You know, this team is not at its full potential. We're still trying to figure out who we are, too. As you said, it's been gritty and grimy, but we have found ways to figure things out and still finish with a win. We know we're not a finished product, but we're going to continue to grow, and right now we're doing that at 3-0 and 2-0 in our division. Which is a good place to be."

How do you feel Mac has done so far, specifically today?

"Mac did a great job. He did a great job in the huddle, commanding the troops. Great job getting in and out. He led the game-winning drive, and he was decisive out there. He had a little bit of pressure at times, but he steps into his throws, is confident, and does his thing. So I have all the faith in the world in him."


49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir


What did you guys do right to get the victory today?

"Just never giving up. As long as there's time on the clock, we're going to play until there's zeros. That just shows the defense's relentlessness, especially with how we're flying around. That's just a testimony to how we play for each other."

You guys have to keep thinking big picture because playing against Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has to be frustrating from time to time. Can you speak to that?

"Yes, he's a great player. A talent like him is really hard to defend. I felt like we played great tonight. As a defense, we played together. We just kept fighting."

This year, it seems like you guys are finishing these tough, really close games. What is about it about this year that's different?


"All throughout the offseason, all throughout OTAs, all we talked about was finishing games. There were about four games that we played last year that came down to us finishing opponents in the fourth quarter."

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and T Trent Williams


What does it say about the fabric of this team that you've been able to keep pulling out tough wins?

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey: "I think anytime you open up 3-0 with two division games, that's a big deal. I think the best part about it is we're definitely just not satisfied with how we're playing, but to not be satisfied and still find ways to grind out some wins is a huge deal. It's a four quarter game and we know that we've got a lot of guys shuffling around this and that. All those can be excuses, but at the end of the day, we've found some ways to win the last three weeks and today was a good example of that."

What do you guys think of 49ers QB Mac Jones' demeanor in the huddle?

49ers OL Trent Williams: "I think he's been pretty good. He's not a spring chicken, you know what I'm saying? He's played some ball and he's been in some really intense games and intense atmospheres - you can tell. He's been wonderful the last couple weeks in the huddle even when the stakes are high, he's still the same person."


Can you guys describe the screen play that set up the winning field goal at the end?

CM: "It was a great call. A little under screen and the offensive line did a great job, the receivers did a great job blocking downfield and made my job easy. Then [K] Eddie Pineiro came in there, new to this team, and didn't blink to hit the game winner. We were fired up for him."

What's it been like to have Piñeiro here and what was the confidence level when he was approaching that kick to win the game?

TW: "You don't have any choice. You got to control what you can control. We can't control whether he makes it or not. We've been around him and we're confident in him. When he walks out there, I'm pretty confident that we're going to win the game, especially after the screen play and my dog set up - in which I didn't do anything. I was really confident seeing him jog onto the field. Obviously, it wasn't a 56-yard field goal, that obviously helped, but he's on the team. There's no reason to doubt him. We don't have any other choice so he's got our full confidence."

49ers K Eddy Piñeiro


When you see the game is potentially coming down to you, what are you thinking?


"Yeah, I knew it was going to be close. Obviously a touchdown is always better than a field goal for sure, but I was really grateful to have the opportunity to go in there, in front of the fans and, have some fun."

What has this opportunity been like for you, being able to come in and the team entrusting you to make these kicks?

"Yeah, it was great. I was sitting on a couch three weeks ago, watching the first game of the season, and now I'm here. It's a blessing and I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to come here and show what I can do."

This was a true walk off. Have you had other ones like this in your career? Does it help you that you've done that in the past when you have to prepare for something like that? "Yeah,

I've had many. Yeah, of course, you know, the more game winners you have, the more experience you have. But this one felt great and I'm super excited that the team was able to put me in position, because it's not just me, it's our O-line and our D-line and we did well today."


What's going through your head before you have to go out there and do that? Take us through that.

"Yeah, I mean, I know I have to make the kick. If not, I probably won't be here. Just have to make kicks, like I said a week ago. So, I'm just happy that I'm able to make some kicks and, and I can be here and enjoy the ride."

49ers LB Fred Warner


Pretty gut it out kind of wins and you've had a lot of new faces, a lot of shuffling injury. What does it say about the identity this team is finding that you've been able to gut these out?

"Yes, super gritty. Great win. Before I answer your question first, I want to say, my prayers are with guys who went down in the game, obviously on their side. I think [Arizona Cardinals RB] James Conner went down and then hoping the best for [DL] Nick [Bosa] and seeing what that news is. But yes, I think it just speaks to how gritty our team is. We got a team full of fighters who are willing to go the distance all four quarters and some if we need it. We are calling on a lot of guys who probably didn't know that they were going to be needed as much as they have been. Just extremely proud of the group and finding ways to win and we'll just continue to try to get better and keep finding ways to win."

What would it mean if you do have to miss San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa for a certain amount of time?


"Yes, obviously he's one of our best players, right? So it would be a huge loss, but like I said, hoping the best with the news."

Kind of following up on that DLs Alfred Collins, C.J. West and Mikel Williams had a huge stop. S Marques Sigle had a huge stop on Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. And then DB Upton Stout obviously the breakup at the end. What does it speak about these young guys really stepping up and filling in these huge roles?

"I think it speaks to the work that they've all put in and their maturity. I have to give it to them and the way that they've prepared which has allowed them to come in and be ready for their moments, they don't play like rookies. They are coming in week in and week out making these big time plays and we're going to need them to continue to do so."

After the safety you guys, as the defense went back out there, you have to get a stop quick, get the ball back, just what was the key in that possession and getting the ball back for your offense.

"That was it right there. I think we knew if we couldn't get off the field on that drive, that the game would probably pretty much be sealed, given where the time in the game and the amount of timeouts we had left. So, Upton Stout came up with a huge, big-time PBU [pass break up] there on that throw and gave our offensive a chance."


49ers DL Mykel Williams


How much motivation was there to step up once you saw DL Nick Bosa go down?

"I feel like it was the whole group, like the whole D-line room said we've got to step it up because Bosa is a great player for us and he holds a heavy load. So when we lose him, everybody has got to raise their game."

When you see a guy go down of Bosa's caliber, does everyone just decide to rally around and make sure that you win one for him?

"Yeah, that's exactly what we did. We just came together better as a group. It was a great win at home, especially a big-time division game like that."

What was this first one at home for you like? What did you think about the Levi's Stadium crowd?


"It was great. We had a loud crowd out there, especially on third downs. I had to lean back and get the call from [LB] Fred [Warner] a couple of times."

Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon


What kind of emotional toll happens after a guy like Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner goes out with injury?

"Yeah, it happens. You have to just be trained."

What is the severity of the injury?

"I don't know. He has an ankle."


Have you assessed the offense's performance today?

"I think without watching the tape, which is a bad answer, I think we have to do a little bit better. We have to make sure that we stay on the field. I thought we moved it well but didn't come away with a lot of points. We generated some explosives, which led to some points, so that's always good. We had a chance to win the game there at the end, and the kid made a good play. Honestly, #20 [CB Upton Stout] made a hell of a play there. So I think not just the offense, but all three phases have to do a little bit better."

We saw a few plays where you guys weren't able to come down with the ball. How do you feel like the wide receivers did?

"I'd have to watch the tape. They're playing a bunch of zone, so we have to see if guys are open and make sure that we can throw it to him when he is open. When they're open."

Coach, what are your thoughts on that drop? That kind of thing really tore the game apart. "Yeah,


obviously that's a fundamental of playing football that we have to do better because it bit us today. We definitely had a couple drops in there that hurt. That happens. But when those things do happen, that's what leads to winning and losing. Those are the margins we're talking about. We all just have to play a little bit better."

How do you think Arizona Cardinals RB Emari Demercado and the running game responded?

"Good. I do. Obviously, the roles change right there. I know [Arizona Cardinals RB] Trey [Benson] had the explosive run. That was a good call. Good run. We'll see moving forward."

You talked about the importance of getting the run game unlocked and on track this week. Did you feel like that happened at all? How do you assess that?

"No, probably not. Honestly, my gut after not watching today, I don't know what the stats are. I know we had the one explosive, but there are runs that are going for nothing. We have to be more efficient with those. I don't know how many of those were, but it felt like a lot of times it was 2nd and 10 after a run. It sets you behind the sticks, so we just have to do a little bit better."


What's the message to the team this evening?

"I was pleased with the violence there at the end of the game. They hit a couple explosives and they got down in the range a little too quick. They had a chance to win the game there. I thought they fought hard versus a good team. We'll see what we can get cleaned up there."

How did [Arizona Cardinals CB] Denzel Burke perform?

"I don't know. I wasn't really pleased. [WR Ricky] Pearsall is a good player, hats off to him. I
thought he had too much today. So that's collectively on all of us."

I know you want to watch the tape back, but initially what are your responses and thoughts on the offensive play calling?


"I have no problems with the offensive play calling. Never will. I know exactly what we're calling. So if you have a problem with that, you should look to me."

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray


What are your emotions after a game like that?

"Frustrated. I felt like we let that one slip. We did let it slip, another game. We had opportunities to put the game away and we all just got to play better."

Speak about the drops in today's game.

"We've got to make plays. We've got to make plays when they're there, myself included. Everybody's obviously feeling like the defense did enough for us to win the game, and we didn't finish the job. I've been telling y'all, and today it bit us in the ass. It's unfortunate, we got to get it right and we got to get right if we want to go where we want to go. We've got to get right immediately."


What were the aspects of the offense that you felt like you could have been better to make that difference?

"We had plays there. We had plays there throughout the game that I've seen our guys make. Again, it's myself included. We all just got to be better but when you're playing better teams, you're playing better opponents and you can't afford let those things happen. You get a chance to put your foot on their throat and you have to. Today obviously it ended in a walk-off field goal. It was that close. We had multiple opportunities to put that game away. Yeah, it was frustrating."

What does Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner mean to this team and organization?

"JC is everything, means everything. I really don't want to talk about it right now."

What goes through your head when your receivers are dropping passes?


"Immediately, I go to myself as far as how the ball comes out, ball placement, things of thatnature. You know, the little nuances of playing the position. Could I have given him a betterball? Was it wobbling? I have to watch the film. But I think that our players, we all can be betterand I expect those guys, myself included, to make those plays."

How do you approach the short week?

"We have to let this go. As hard as it is to feel like we let one slip against the banged up 49ers team, we play on Thursday, so we have to put this behind us and get ready for Thursday."

Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. had a big drop, but you went right back to him on the same route. Talk to me about what, what caused you to have that confidence in him to do that?

"I have no choice. I told him I'm going to continue to come at him. Win, lose, or draw, I'm goingto continue to give my guys a chance. That's just the confidence I have in them. And I knownine times out of ten he's going to make that play."


Cardinals RB Trey Benson


How did watching Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner go down change the dynamic emotionally of the game?

"It reminded me when I was back at Florida State. My quarterback went down with a leg injury, it was 11-0 and the same feeling. You hate to see it, especially when the team leader goes down. It was hard, I thought about it the rest of the game and we will do it for James the rest of the season."

What is going through your mind when the game comes to an end?

"I was hoping they get a stop, they always get a stop. But teams get us at times. We'll watch them and work on it to make sure it doesn't happen again."

How do you approach this week with a Thursday night game ahead?


"Really just taking care of my body, the health bucket part of it is important. Also, making sure we are ready for another division team on Thursday."

Cardinals DL Calais Campbell


You guys were in the same position that you've been the first couple of weeks. It comes down to the end. I'm assuming you guys get positives out of building off of that, even though you lose?

"When you got the game in your hand at the end of it, you want to win it. We practice the twominute all the time and different scenarios from field goal to touchdown and all different things that you need. It's much easier when they need seven, versus when they need a field goal. They made the plays that were there for them at the end. For us to play as good as we did, you really want that win, but at the same time, you know that you're not going to get them all, you know, the only thing this really means is that we're not going to be undefeated this season. I know what we're capable of and we just have to respond. We have another division game on Thursday night at home and the next one's just as big as this one. It is what it is, but we just got to put this one behind us, move forward and try to find a way to get this next one."

The goal line stand, the pick, and the safety. Are you able to take away the positives from this defense in spite of a loss like that at the end?

"This is one of those games where you don't really get to even break it down. because we play on Thursday. We won't even watch the tape, really. You watch on your own, but we won't even talk through it. We just have to move on. There were a lot of good plays out there. We showed a lot of really good ball out there today, but they just made the plays to win it. That's football. All it really means is we won't be undefeated. I believe this team has a lot of heart, character, and a lot of fight and I know we'll respond."


What did you think of Arizona Cardinals LB Mack Wilson Sr.'s play out there?

"He's a great linebacker. I said at the beginning during camp, I expect him to have a huge year and nothing has changed. He's just a physical guy that sets the tone, plays solid and has great range. He's elite. I'm happy he's in my fox hole. I'm happy we're teammates."

Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Postgame Quotes – September 21, 2025

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals

What level of play are you trying to achieve? Is there anything you're looking for out of yourself specifically?


"I think I know what I'm capable of. To go out there and not play anywhere near the best of my abilities is frustrating. It hurts the team and I have to get better."

How do you expect to mentally prepare for playing against the Seattle Seahawks after tonight's loss?

"We'll go back, watch the film, learn from it and get better when we play on Thursday. Start preparing with Tuesday."

What did the toll of losing Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner have on the locker room?

"Yeah, it's tough. I know how much JC puts into the game. He's a leader. On offense, to lose him, it definitely hurt us. Sending him nothing but prayers. I know how much I respect him, and just what he does day in and day out, so it's very unfortunate. That's the game that we play, knowing those risks, but we hate to see it happen to people like him."


Cardinals LB Mack Wilson Sr.


How do you guys emotionally deal with a guy like Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner getting hurt like that?

"It's tough, man. Honestly, to see a leader go down like that, everybody knows how hard he worked in the building early, always the last one to leave. A guy who I've been competing against throughout my career and fortunate enough to be a teammate with, I learned a lot from James. A great leader, great role model. Yeah, it's tough man. I feel like the guys were a little sensitive when he did go down because he's the heart and soul of our team. We just tried our best to go out there and fight for him and tried to get a W for him. But like I said, we fell short. Luckily we have a game Thursday, so we bounce back, get back to it."

Obviously, you played your 'A' off today. What was it like being out there and facing a divisional team for the first time this season?

"It was dope. The atmosphere was great, obviously. At the end of the day, we just need to find a
way to win that game. We had plenty of chances to win it. It's kind of been the theme over the last three games. We just need to find a way to close out games better, but on both sides of the ball, and kind of just get better, learn from it, and move forward."

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