Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – October 19, 2022

San Francisco 49ers

Opening Comments:

“Alright guys, injuries. [CB Charvarius Ward] Mooney, same thing, groin, will not practice today. [S Talanoa Hufanga] Huf, concussion, will not practice today. [T Mike] McGlinchey, calf, no practice. [DL Arik] Armstead, foot and ankle, no practice. [DL] Samson [Ebukam] Achilles, no practice. [DL] Drake [Jackson], knee will be limited. [DL Nick] Bosa, groin, limited. T [Trent] Williams, ankle, limited. [DB] Jimmie Ward, hand, limited. Go ahead.”

What about CB Jason Verrett?

“Verrett is not on here, so he is good to go.”

With Jimmie Ward being limited, does that kind of increase the possibility that he could be available?

“Yes, it does. We’re just going to see how it goes out there with his cast and how he feels doing it and what he can get away with and be safe with and still perform, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Not to belabor the point, but is it frustrating to have so many injuries? It kind of seems like you have more than other teams. I know it’s part of the game, but do you just feel like you’re tired of this bad luck?

“Yeah, everyone gets frustrated with that. Coaches, fans, players. I’ve gotten more hardened with it I think, so I try to just deal with it.”

How big of a morale boost would it be to have Bosa and Williams potentially ready?

“It’s always huge. Getting anybody back helps and especially getting those two guys back would be huge.”

What’s the challenge trying to gameplan when you have so many injuries? Not sure if they’re going to play on Sunday.

“You game plan it for everyone, so you have to have ways to go even when everyone’s healthy. That can change on the first play of the game. I’ve had a change in warmups before, so it’s kind of the same story every week, regardless.”

Huf is out of your hands, basically in terms of his availability, has he started to progress through the process?

“He’s in the protocol right now, so he is progressing.”

With Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes improv skills, how’s watching film of the Chiefs different as compared to other opponents?

“Just because you don’t ever see people play like that really. There’s not many people in the history of football as good as him. Reminds me of [Hall of Fame QB John] Elway a ton watching him. Just how he’s a top thrower on the planet and the way he can move. He’s not always doing it just with a flat out 40 just running away from people, but the way he feels space and can create time and as he does it, his vision down the field with that arm talent is tough to deal with.”

In the red zone specifically, how creative do they get and just how weary do you have to be of Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce that combination?

“Very. I think Kelce is probably one of the best separators in this league with the best hands in this league. So whether he separates or not, he can catch that ball on guys, but usually he does separate and then he has got a quarterback that’s good at throwing, so that’s always a problem. They do a good job getting down there. When you do stop stuff, that’s usually just when the play gets started too. So that’s why they’ve been pretty consistently good.”

Usually when you think of separators, you think of small quick guys. What is he doing with that big frame to separate?

“It’s all his lower half. His feet, it’s how he can cut in and out of stuff and can right, left people and go anyway and you pick one side and you’re in trouble. If you try to get him head up and he’s got two ways to go, you got no chance.”

When people talk about that Super Bowl against the Chiefs, what is the moment that pops to your mind generally?

“That we lost.”

Anything specifically?

“Tons of stuff. I love thinking of our team that year. I felt like that year we had the best team in football, but we ended up being the second best because we didn’t get it done in the end.”

How often or not often have you watched it?

“I hadn’t watched it for a while until these last two days, but yeah, I don’t like watching it, but this week it wasn’t about that. I had to watch it for schematic reasons and what our history is together.”

You said a lot about that 2019 team that you thought they were the best team in the league. Do you have any sense yet of where the current team is? 3-3 and, are you confident about which direction it’s going to go?

“Yeah, I think we’re right there with everyone else. I think most of this league is pretty close in the same spot. There’s a couple teams that are ahead of everyone and there’s a couple teams behind everyone. I believe we have just as good a chance as anyone in this league though.”

Statistically, QB Jimmy Garoppolo is the best quarterback ever as an underdog, 14-6, best win percentage there. What is it about him that brings out the best as an underdog?

“I don’t know. I think Jimmy plays well a lot and I think our team does too. So I think our guys, they’re best when their back is against the wall and I think it starts with Jimmy.”

How different is the Mahomes that you’ve been looking at back from that Super Bowl game and the guy that you’re seeing now?

“Not much different. Just been in a lot more situations, more experience, he was unbelievable then and he is unbelievable now.”

Are they much different without Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill?

“They’re missing the fastest guy on the planet, to me, but they have a lot of players all over and the quarterback spreads it around and they’re still just as effective.”

The organization will be honoring the 2012 Super Bowl team on Sunday, do you know if former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick will be here?

“No, I don’t know.”

When you are forced to watch just the Super Bowl over again, is it added motivation for this Sunday?

“No, that’s a different game, different year, different teams, don’t need much more motivation for this Sunday and I usually don’t for any Sunday.”

How active are you guys going to be in the trade market?

“I know we look into everything, so if there’s something that makes sense that we can pull off, I know we’ll never hesitate to do that. It’s a hard thing to do, I think for all teams, but that’s something we always look into.”

Does it make it more difficult, considering there’s only a few teams that have one win? Everybody kind of like you said is in it, so does that diminish the market you think?

“I don’t know, each year’s different and it has to do with not just people’s records, but also their depth charts where they’re at and people’s contracts for the following year, so I think too much goes into play to just say that would be different just because of that this year.”

Would it be hard for you guys to trade, so I know you listen to everything, but to trade someone knowing that you’ve already had to dig so deep into your own depth?

“Possibly, but you never know what the player is, you never know what the situation is. Every team, I think, looks into it, all 32 teams and you see a couple each year. So I don’t think we’re going to look into it any less than anyone, not any more than anyone. If there’s something that we think can help us and not risk a ton for the future, that’s something we’d always be willing to do.”

How do you think quarterbacks coach Brian Griese has been able to help Garoppolo this year?

“I think he’s done a real good job with him preparing for the games. We have a gameplan that we give to the quarterbacks every Wednesday, so he has to digest it Monday and Tuesday and just prepare him through the week to get him ready for Sunday.”