Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – October 30, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Opening comments:

“All right guys, injuries from the game: [LB] Dre Greenlaw had a shoulder sprain, he will be day-to-day, and [OL] Aaron Banks has turf toe and he is going to end up missing a few weeks.”

Is Dre Greenlaw dealing with anything else? It appeared like he was getting up slow from almost every tackle he had yesterday.

“I mean, the wear and tear that he has had the last few weeks with his ankle and things like that, but mainly the shoulder was the worst thing. He is one of our many guys who really needs this break.”

How did QB Brock Purdy come out health-wise and was there a scare on the way his head hit the turf like a minute and a half to go in the game?

“There was a scare when you see the tape or when I saw the tape, but just talking to him after the game and talking to him today, he has been totally fine.”

What else jumped out to you, defensively, when you’re watching the defense? What alarmed you the most between the missed tackles, the pass rush and the coverage?

“All that stuff alarmed me the most that you just said right there. It was a combination of it all happened at the same time. I know we’ve lost three games in a row. I thought there was things that we were sloppy on versus Cleveland, mainly the penalties and struggling against the run. I thought in Minnesota there was actually a number of good clips that I really liked how we looked on tape and our energy and stuff like that. But, I thought we gave up too big of plays, a couple busts, and we struggled against a quarterback who was really hot. Then I believe yesterday that to me sticks out on the tape the most is just how slow and tired we looked. When that does happen, I think it leads to bigger holes. I think it leads to more mistakes. I think it leads to missed tackles. I could see on tape a different type of energy that was disappointing, but I also know that they need this rest and that showed the most.”

Will you consider making a change at quarterback during the Bye week and if not why?

“No.”

Why?

“Because no one just changes their quarterback for no reason.”

DL Nick Bosa played 100-percent of the snaps, which is unique for a defensive lineman. Is there any backstory to that? Did he request that he not come out during the game like he usually does?

“No, we play him the most. We thought he could handle it. It seems like he was handling it through the game and also knowing we had this week off, especially the way it ended when we were down and having to get them off the field. We didn’t feel there was any time that we wanted to take him off and he seemed up for the challenge.”

T Trent Williams appears to still be kind of limping around a little bit. How close was he to playing yesterday and how does he look for the time going forward?

“No, we didn’t end up letting him work out or anything on game day. We thought he was too far away that day, just seeing him Saturday night. We thought he was going to be good, but he wasn’t. Hopefully he’ll have a good week this week of rehab and be ready to go when we come back for practice next Monday.”

Regarding Brock hitting the back of his head late in the game, his hands went directly to his helmet and just given the fact that he had a concussion, was he checked for a concussion after the game? Also, if you had seen that in the moment, would you have taken him out?

“I don’t get the TV copy in the game, so I don’t see how they hit from where I’m at, so we don’t see that at all. But I’m always assuming that there’s people spotting that stuff and spot checkers and that everyone’s going to do that when they see it. So that’s not something that I’m looking for during the game. I’m usually watching defense and I am looking at my call sheet getting ready for the next down.”

Was he checked for a concussion afterwards?

“I didn’t ask. The fact that nothing is wrong is why I didn’t ask. I also understand your question and I didn’t ask.”

I understand you don’t see the TV copy, but I’m just saying if in that moment you had actually seen that happened, would your reaction have been we need to get him out of the game?

“I don’t know. It’s a pretty hypothetical question. If I think any of our players are hurt, I always want to get them out of the game.”

Can you give us an idea, you’re under a day before the trade deadline, just the sense you get whether you might be able to pull off a deal or two to improve the team?

“I know [general manager] John’s [Lynch] been working on that for the last month. He’s talking with everyone, as every team does right now. If we think there is a chance to improve us, we’ll do it. It doesn’t sound like there’s a lot of options out there, but doesn’t mean for sure no. I know we’ll look up that all the way up to the deadline and see if anything changes.”

How actively would you consider moving defensive coordinator Steve Wilks onto the field and what would it take to sort of make that sort of call?

“I mean, that’s something we’ll discuss this week, just the two of us. If he felt it would help him that’s something we’ll try, but we haven’t done that yet.”

What’s your schedule with the team with the Bye week coming up and when do they come back in?

“We’re finishing up for today. We’re going to come in tomorrow and get a full day in. They’re going to have a bunch of workouts, we’re going to have some meetings, some get better stuff that we do. Then we’ll let them off until Monday. All injured guys and stuff and things like that, they’re here all week.”

For you personally, how do you split up the Bye week in terms of allowing yourself some time to reset and then also gearing up for Week 10?

“I hit it pretty hard with the staff for these two days, and then after that we try to get away from each other. We’ve got a lot of things that we do on our own and get away. We’ve all got our systems and stuff at our house and things like that. Then we just check in with each other on Sunday, discuss what was done on our four days away from each other and then prepare for the players to come back in the building on Monday.”

WR Jauan Jennings wasn’t targeted at all during the game. I know some of it is what the defense gives you, but is there any need to spread the ball out a little bit more throughout the offense?

“Some games there is. You don’t just try to force it to two people, just [WR Brandon Aiyuk] B.A. and [TE] George [Kittle] got the majority of it. There’s a number of stuff that can go to Jauan. There’s a number of stuff that can go to any of those guys. Those guys are usually the number one guys in the route. When Jauan did have a couple opportunities where he was number one and I think they were all zone plays and the zoning defender’s under him and the quarterback goes to number two. We never try to put in a deal that forces it to anyone and we never try to put in a deal that says we’re going to spread it around. We go in with our plays and guys are in the pecking order of who usually gets it first, but coverages dictate the rest.”

Did you have an idea when Banks suffered the toe injury? Just to clarify, you said a few weeks, would that mean possibly a couple of games including the Bye week, but not a few games?

“Yeah, turf toe, you never know. So, they told me it should be a few weeks is what I got here. I know that’s a little vague, but I would say that means at least three weeks. I know I was told he did it on the second to last drive, I haven’t got to speak with him personally, so I’m not sure which play it was on. But he didn’t report it until after.”

Same question regarding Greenlaw, do you know when the shoulder sprain happened?

“No, I don’t know when it happened. I know it was bothering him. It’s been bothering him for a couple weeks and I just know that it got worse during the game.”