Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen Press Conference

Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen

Press Conference – September 12, 2024

San Francisco 49ers

How did you think Monday night went as far as just the communication and the process?

“I think I thought the process and the communication was really good. It was fun going through it with everyone, with the guys upstairs, my coaches on the sideline, and also the players. Just being able to talk through everything and go from group to group, depending on what was needed to be talked about. I thought it was really smooth. The guys being open and just kind of just talking through our next series, what happened on that series, just like you do all the time. It was just cool to be able to bounce from group to group doing the same thing.”

LB Fred Warner described you calling the game as flawless and then just the combination of you guys talking. It seemed like he really anticipated and knew exactly where you were coming from on every play call. Is that kind of the plan?

“Well, I don’t think anyone’s flawless. I would say it was good communication throughout the game and with him as well. I do, I try and talk to the guys during the week with what I’m thinking and why we’re doing what we’re doing, the reasons behind it, backed up with tape and the plan and they executed.”

This preseason, coach Kyle Shanahan let offensive passing game specialist Klay Kubiak call offensive plays. Was that in part so that he could kind of listen in with you? Did you get extra help from him or at least just input in getting that part of things down at all?

“Kyle’s been great with me this whole time and like I’ve said before, it’s been really fun in this position to be able to talk a lot with the offensive guys too. And when doing scripts and you’re scripting with the offense during training camp, you have to be more connected with them. So, I was really talking a lot with Kub and some with [senior offensive assistant Mick] Lombardi and Kyle. But regardless, I think that communication was there. Why he did what he did, I don’t know. You could ask him. But I think a lot of it was, Kub’s done a great job too. I’ve enjoyed learning a lot, just being more connected, like I said, with Kub and with Kyle. He’s always trying to teach you and challenge you. That’s what’s been really awesome, just being here period like as a Niner the last three years, not just in the last six months.”

What are the hallmarks of a Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense?

“It’s very similar to a lot of the things that they did with the Rams. It’s been around for a while and it’s been really successful. I think with [Minnesota Vikings QB] Sam [Darnold] he’s a good quarterback and we’ve seen that. I think he brings a lot of those qualities, obviously with the pieces he has with [Minnesota Vikings RB] Aaron Jones and with [Minnesota Vikings WR] Justin Jefferson. He has a lot of those things that make that offense special. We’ve got to be really detailed in what we do.”

How much communication do you have with Kyle in game like on Monday night? How much are you going back and forth?

“Oh, in game? No, he’s busy in game. Yeah, that’s totally different. Even now he is really busy. It’s just when we can catch moments to talk about stuff, we try to.”

In the preseason games, did you communicate?

“During the game? A little bit. I don’t remember it being like a ton.”

There was an assumption that after the Jets touchdown drive that you guys made big adjustments or some adjustments after that. Is that the case or was it more just better execution of what you were doing?

“I think it’s always a combination of things. There’s always something that goes wrong, when people are sustaining drives, whether it’s execution or just communication. The league is so detailed, there’s always such little things that happen that you might not be able to see, when you’re just watching it. But for whatever reason it wasn’t ever one thing, just like it never is. And yeah, we’re always correcting them on the sideline. The guys did a really good job of responding. I think the best thing about it in this game was how our guys played as a group. I think they felt confident. They played fast. We always hope that that shows up on tape is how hard our guys play and how fast.”

I don’t know how familiar you are with Sam Darnold with the Jets. I realize he wasn’t in a wonderful situation there, but if you can speak to that and how he looked say last week? Do you see like wow he’s done this so much better, he is a much better quarterback? Did you kind of see stuff like he had that potential with the Jets, but he wasn’t in a great situation?

“I don’t know a ton about the situation, but I do know, which is why he was drafted so high is how much talent he has. He is a really good athlete. If you watch him throw, he can throw. I think there’s always a lot of things that go into having success. There’s so many guys on the team, it’s not ever one person. That’s why you need all these different pieces. You need guys that can click. You need guys that work together. He definitely has a talent. He’s got the arm strength. He can see things. I think he probably learned a lot too when he came here, as you would in any year, you keep growing. You could see it on the practice field. I was like, ‘man, he can really throw it’ and he would give us good looks in practice and stuff going against him. You could see the talent; you can see how he moves. He’s a good athlete as well.”

You guys had a run heavy game plan Monday night and had a lot of success and dominated the time of possession. As a result, your D-line, I think average your first team was like 30 snaps. Was that part of the master plan to kind of play complimentary football trying to protect your D-line early in the year?

“I think everyone would love to do that every single week to play less snaps on defense because you’re running the ball like that. I think that’s why it’s teams always talk about the whole cliche of an offense going to say we want to run the ball and defense is going to say we want to stop the run because it opens up so many things and you can control the game. And yeah, I think anyone would like to say that they could run it and play 50- something snaps on defense. That was how it worked out and it was great.”

You talked about needing to correct some things in the run game in training camp and the Jets clearly went after you guys in that regard and it wasn’t that successful for them. What did you think of especially of your front with DL Maliek Collins and DL Javon Hargrave?

“Really pleased with those guys. They’ve been practicing awesome. You saw how explosive and how strong and powerful they were, that was on full display. The stuff that we’ve been talking about these guys. Our offense is tough. That’s why a lot of times I said I would come out of practice and not feel so great about it, but our offense is really good too. So we grew a lot by going against a really good offense every day for the entirety of training camp. And sometimes that could be humbling, but it’s good. I used to like those days when we got our butts kicked. One time you guys said that we had such a big day and it was like however many picks and I was like, it didn’t feel like it out there because they had success too. Well, that’s the truth and that’s how you grow. I kind of like it when it had some back and forth because if they didn’t make it hard for us, how are we going to get better? I don’t feel good when I beat my sons in ping pong when they were five years old, 21-3. Some people might, I don’t. I want to play someone that’s a challenge. I’m not going to get any better and that’s the truth. I used to crush them. I still do.”

With Jefferson, what’s kind of been the focal point of practice this week in trying to prepare the defense to go up against the Vikings on the road?

“Yeah, those are the guys we have to stop along with Aaron Jones. He’s a heck of a runner. We had trouble with him last year. He’s had a lot of success. He’s a tough runner. He can move. He’s slippery. I think the thing about him is how he can slash but I have a ton of respect with how he runs the ball. He’s not a big guy, but he runs big and he finishes runs and he’s tough. And it’s a big challenge for us. It’s not just Justin Jefferson because he’s an excellent receiver too, who plays tough as well. I think they have a lot of pieces that do to fit this offensive scheme. A lot of respect for how they play their game and this offense that they’re well-coached.”

LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles has been a guy who’s a lot of LB Fred Warner and LB Dre Greenlaw over the last couple years. He’s stepping into a more prominent role with Dre out. How did you think he did and what does he bring to the table for you?

“Flann’s done awesome. He’s progressed so much over the years. The cool thing about Flann is, like you said, he’s had great examples even when [Houston Texans LB] Azeez [Al-Shaair] was here, but with Dre and with Fred, these guys are two of the best in the game. And with them, it’s not just so much how good they are, it’s that they make themselves good by doing it really well and working really hard every single day. So when you get in that room, it’s always been a really good room, along with [linebackers coach] Johnny Holland coaching them. And over these years, you can’t not get better. And when you’re in it for a few years, like Flann and like [LB] Curtis [Robinson] has been, you just continue to get better and like how you saw [LB] Dee Winters improve as well. But really proud of Flann. We’re glad he is on our team. It was cool to see him get a pick like that. But he’s continually gotten better over these years.”

How do you see the pros and cons of having somebody like CB Charvarius Ward travel with Justin Jefferson on every play?

“There’s pros and cons to everything. We feel great about all our corners. I love Mooney. I think Mooney’s top notch. He’s one of the top tier corners in the game.”