Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – October 22, 2021

San Francisco 49ers

Opening comments:

“Alright, the injuries for this week: [DL] Maurice Hurst is out. [DT] Javon Kinlaw is out, [QB] Trey Lance is out, [T] Trent Williams is doubtful and [LB] Marcell Harris is questionable.”

What exactly happened with Maurice Hurst yesterday at practice?

“He hurt his calf, pretty bad injury. Just like these calf injuries have been in the past. I’ve been told anywhere from four weeks to eight weeks, so with it being 24 hours after that, we’re not exactly sure yet, but it’s going to be some time.”

What about Trent? Is that ankle injury stemming from the Cardinals game?

“Yeah, it’s stemming from the Cardinals game. We didn’t think it was as bad as it obviously is. As tough as he is, being able to finish that game and everything, but he re-zinged it a little bit at practice on Monday and hasn’t been able to go since. But Trent out of anybody on this team, we’ll take up all the way to game time. So that’s why he’s still there.”

How did QB Jimmy Garoppolo get through the week and is he your starter on Sunday?

“Yeah, definitely. He got better each day and I see him as 100-percent now.”

OL Jaylon Moore would be the guy if Trent can’t go?

“If Trent can’t go, it’d be Jaylon.”

What have you seen from that rookie?

“I think he’s done a real good job. You have to get thrown out into battle and you’ve got to deal with the NFL and how it is. So, there’ll always be adjustments with that, but every time he’s gone out there, whether it’s in the preseason, whether it’s been in these practices, the game’s not too big for him. He gets better the more he plays. And if he does get that opportunity Sunday night, it’ll be a hell of opportunity for him and I know he’ll be ready.”

We haven’t had a whole of interaction time with him, but he seems very low key, almost shy. Does that personality kind of help him deal with situations like he could experience Sunday night?

“I hope so. We’ll see. Some of those guys, I think he’s shy too and doesn’t talk much, but Trey tells me he talks a lot more when we’re not around. So, sometimes guys come out of their shell as they go through their rookie year, but I know the guys enjoy him a lot. We enjoy his personality and I’m glad to have him.”

What are your options on the defensive interior without Kinlaw and Hurst?

“We’ve got [DL Kentavius] Street, we’ve got [DL] D.J. Jones, we’ve got [DL] Zach Kerr and we’ve got guys on practice squad with [DL Darrion] Daniels. So those are decisions we’ll have to make.

Could DL Kevin Givens come off of IR?

“No unfortunately not. We’re really hoping to get him back next week. Became a lot bigger deal yesterday.”

With Kinlaw where he is now, do you have to consider maybe doing something with IR or is that still up in the air?

“Yes, definitely. Yeah. It’s something we’re worried about and concerned about. It’s something we’ll probably decide here in the next week.”

How did RB JaMycal Hasty get through the week? Do you expect him to be up?

“Yeah. I expect him to be full go. He had a real good week, which you never know when they’re coming back from a high ankle. But he looked good Monday and continued all the way to today. So, no concerns.”

Do right longer, can you just explain what that means? And it seems like it’s picked up this season, is that accurate?

“That’s a coaching saying I’ve heard a lot. It’s basically how long can you go doing the right things? It’s not beating yourself. I say it to our team a lot. I’ve said it a lot here, probably in the last three games. So, I’m sure players have been echoing it a little bit to you guys, but it’s hard to win in this league, but you can win a lot of games just by not losing them. And that’s kind of what that means. And when teams just flat out beat you that’s understandable, but you have to do your best not to beat yourself. And I think that’s something not to take away from any other teams, but that’s something we haven’t done a very good job of lately. Even when we get some things going, you don’t get points, you don’t get turnovers, you don’t finish the deed if you can’t keep doing the right thing. You’re always going to mess up here and there, both teams. But who can do right longer, usually wins.”

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Dan Quinn was a do right longer guy. Did you get that from him?

“Yeah. I think I’ve heard it before, but Dan definitely got that in my head and that’s why I say it a lot. I never said it before I worked with Dan and Dan’s one of the coaches I respect as much as anyone. And he preached that all the time and it’s something I’ve said since I’ve come here. But it sounds like guys have been repeating it a little bit more lately.”

Yeah, I’ve got a problem. I’ve tried to trace the origin of it. I think Dan Quinn got it from Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. I’m not sure about maybe Alabama University head coach Nick Saban maybe started it. Anyway, I’ll let you know when I finish my research.

“I appreciate it. We’re going to have to get you a microphone behind that mask. It is real hard on me, but I think I heard it all. It sounds like it was alright if I didn’t hear it (laughing). Thank you. I’ll read it.”

Can you talk a little bit about the energy in the locker room after a Bye week and now coming into prime time?

“I think the guys are geeked up. Anytime you lose three games in a row in this league, that eats at everybody, it’s tough. You put a lot into it and we’ve had three games in a row that we felt we had opportunities to win and we’ve come up short and add a week off to think about that, so it’s been a month. The guys came back from Bye week probably sick of thinking about it. Their bodies were fresh, we had a great week and I think our guys are fired up for Sunday night, ready to go out there in front of our fans and ready to do something to give ourselves a chance to feel better about ourselves.”

On the mental part of it, I know last year you guys talked a little bit about having psychiatrists to talk to them. With something like that, do they still have that?

“Psychologists? Yeah. Most teams have it. We have one. I know guys see them. I don’t know how many guys do it. It kind of usually depends on the guy. But whether you get it from a psychologist, psychiatrist, from your wife, from your friends, whoever it is, you need people to depend on. You can’t keep everything locked up inside. It’s a long, tough season. And I’m sure just like people have long, tough parts of their careers too, but anytime you can deal with stuff with people, it always helps.”

You wanted a wet practice to kind of rehearse for Sunday’s game. Was there any benefit from this morning’s rain? Was it slick at all out there?

“No, not at all. It was actually really nice out there today. First time we did a bunch of wet ball stuff today. Jimmy wanted to try it out and work some different gloves and stuff to see. [QB] Nate [Sudfeld] gave him some ideas on some things that he’s used and they tried that out. So, it seemed like they enjoyed it, but that stuff, really just for the quarterbacks, they can change a couple things, but that’s all up to them and that stuff’s all different. Everyone else, you deal with it and you see what type of game it is. You see who’s staying in the ground the best, who your best mudders are and you figure that out as the game goes and you lean on them.”

Did they do the bucket of water thing with the QBs and douse the balls?

“Doc, one of our equipment managers, he made sure the balls were wet. I don’t know how he did it, but he did his job today.”

What do you want to see out of TE Ross Dwelley while TE George Kittle is out for another couple of games?

“Ross has been a very dependable guy for us. I wouldn’t ask anybody to come in and just replace Kittle. I want Ross to go in and do his job and that’s what he’s been very effective at for us. What we ask Ross to do, he does it a very high level and he does it consistently. And you talk about doing right longer, I’m on Ross to do what we ask him to do and be efficient at it. And if he does, he gives us a chance to win.”

Going back to the weather, where do you get your weather reports? Have you heard that it’s supposed to be just a torrential downpour on Sunday?

“I heard it’s supposed to start raining later today again and not stop until Tuesday. And it’s supposed to be the worst at the start of our game, is what I have been told. So, I don’t look at anything. People tell me stuff and you deal with it when it comes.”

In your own mind do you start to formulate ideas of what can work and what might have to change?

“We do that regardless, but it’s not like, ‘alright, if it’s raining, this is going to be my favorite play call.’ You go through stuff regardless of the weather about how you throw the ball the best, how you run the ball the best, when you’re struggling to run the ball, what other things can you go to? And then you go into a game and whether it’s the defense that affects it, whether it’s the weather that affects it, you’re prepared to go in a new direction. So, I’ve been in some rain games that for some reason or another, guys have good footing, it doesn’t seem like an issue at all. And I’ve been in others where no one can function, similar to our one in Washington a couple of years ago. And we’ll see what this is like on Sunday. Hopefully the weather people aren’t totally right, but I don’t know whether it’s an advantage or disadvantage, but I will after the game.”