Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Press Conference

Head Coach Kyle Shanahan

Press Conference – August 14, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Opening Statement:

“All right guys, I’ll just give you guys some injury updates for where we’re at. We’re hoping to get a number of guys back this week. It’s not a hundred percent for sure, but the guys we’re hoping to get back, we’re hoping to get [DL Robert] Beal back, [DL] Kalia Davis back, [WR] Danny Gray, [LB Dre] Greenlaw, [DL] Drake [Jackson] and [RB] Elijah [Mitchell]. We’ll see how it goes. [TE] George [Kittle] will be another week, hoping to get him the following week. And the guys we don’t expect back this preseason, but hopefully for Week One are [S] George Odum, [WR] Ray-Ray McCloud III, and [LB] Oren Burks, who I don’t think you guys know about. Oren had a PCL sprain on that play that him and [Las Vegas Raiders WR] Davante [Adams] collided on Friday. So that’s it for the injuries. Go ahead guys.”

What is the Danny Gray injury and is it a bright spot of the week that you didn’t lose anybody in yesterday’s game?

“Yes. It was a very bright spot of the week. It’s usually the number one goal in those preseason games. So yeah, we didn’t lose anybody in that game. Danny, he had a tight abductor and hip before we went to the Raiders and only got tighter while we were there. And he wasn’t ready to go yesterday so he couldn’t go.”

You kind of mentioned this week would be the week that QB Brock Purdy has the third day off restriction removed. Is that indeed going to be the case?

“Yes, that’s off so he’ll get to go the three practices in a row this week.”

With Ray-Ray you indicated last week that you thought it would be eight weeks, so is this some welcome news that it could possibly be Week One?

“I mean nothing’s changed on that. We just have him in that same category, but I do thinks he has a little worse odds than the other two guys.”

After looking at the tape, what did you see good and things that can be worked on by QB Trey Lance?

“I thought he played a lot better as it ended. He came out, first play was tough. The corner just keyed his three-step drop and sat on it and he did the right thing. He reset to go to the tight end over the ball, but one of our eligibles busted on the play and put two guys in the same spot so he had to protect the ball and take a sack there. Another sack on the third and eight wasn’t his fault. We kind of had a jailbreak on it, but the two ones after that I thought he could’ve gotten rid of it a little before the sack and a couple things, he just hesitated on a hair early in the game. But as it went, I think he made a huge third down on the third and eight I think it was to [WR Chris] Conley. Made a very decisive one in two-minute that got us down there to [TE] Troy [Fumagali]. And ended up doing some good things. I wish we would’ve converted that short yardage and kept him out there a little bit longer, but that’s some of the frustrating things about preseason.”

Did you see any more on that touchdown pass that was a little bit scary for maybe a split second?

“Oh, it was scary, a lot of it, but I totally saw what he saw. The middle third safety cut the low cross and then there’s a guy going behind him and what I like is he didn’t react and he saw a hole and tried to rip it. And there was some guy coming from the backside that he didn’t see, but it wasn’t a gun shy throw. Those are things you learn from. I kind of like seeing him trying to make that play, regardless of the result. And obviously we got a little bit lucky, it ended up being a good result. And I wouldn’t have been happy if it was a pick, but I can understand what he saw rolling out to the left. Usually when a middle third player cuts a route, someone’s vacated in the middle third and that corner was hesitant to get there, and so Trey didn’t see him and he let it rip. And those are things I want to see more of them, not picks and bad decisions, but just playing a little bit faster, a little bit more aggressive. And I think that was one that he did that on but also the other ones that I mentioned, that weren’t just lucky they ended up being good.”

Was his hesitation maybe just because he hasn’t had reps in game situations for so long?

“It could be, yeah. I’ve had guys who’ve had reps in a lot of games that come out and are hesitant at times too. That’s also the hard thing about preseason, you don’t get to play a whole game to work through those things. And there was a number of times last year that any quarterback we played with comes down there a little hesitant early. And I think he had a couple of those, and a couple bad sacks, and our offense didn’t get going and it kind of builds up. And I was glad that he was able to fight through that and makes some plays there at the end. And I wish he could’ve stayed out longer, but we stuck with our plan and made sure not to panic and make any bad decisions for him.”

It seemed like CB Isaiah Oliver was unique in being a starter who played in that game. Where does he stand and why did he play on Sunday?

“Just because he isn’t a guaranteed starter. He has been doing that spot a lot, but there’s a lot of competition there. We sat out our outside corners, but we didn’t want to sit out any nickels and needed some guys to play because there’s a lot of things we’re still deciding.”

How do you think he played in the game?

“Kind of like everybody. Some good, some bad. There were a couple things where he stood out that weren’t always his fault and I think he needs a little bit more help on the goal line. The touchdown they gave up, our corner playing with vision and understanding he’s got to come off on that for our quarters-type coverage there. But it was a good first game for him and hopefully he’ll keep getting better for us.”

What is George Odum dealing with?

“I know it’s his shoulder. Let me just see the technical version for you guys. SC joint. Left SC sprain. We’re hoping he can get back in a blue jersey this week, so he can practice a little bit of stuff. But we just have to keep the contact off him until Week One.”

You said the hope was to get those three guys Burks, McCloud and Odum back in Week One. Is that possible for McCloud even?

“No, I think Ray-Ray’s would be the one that most likely won’t work out that way. The other two we got more hope than Ray-Ray. But as Ray-Ray keeps telling me, don’t count him out.”

Did you talk to K Jake Moody last night after his two misses and just about what he went through going into the game?

“No, I didn’t talk to him. I don’t try to get involved in that head game. I feel like he missed a 58-yarder, which that’s I think the first time I’ve ever attempted a 58-yarder. So I’m not going to make too big a deal about that. What’s been cool is how good he is been at those in practice. But he definitely missed a tough one in the game. The 40-yard one is one that he’s been great in practice, he missed it obviously. But I’m not going to go there and try to ask him a bunch of questions because usually they’re just going to make something up because sometimes guys miss. And I think he’ll be much better next time and kind of really like he’s been every other day we’ve been with him.”

Is the plan with the kickers like you’ve been doing in practice to have K Zane Gonzalez go Saturday against the Broncos?

“No, actually our plan was to let Zane go in that game. But just after Moody missed the first one, we were going to let Zane go, but I just don’t want to leave that bad taste in Moody’s mouth. I wanted to give him another shot and the third one we were going to go with Zane and let him start to go. Unfortunately, the next one that we got was a 58-yarder and then we didn’t have any moments like that. So we plan on getting both of them some work next time.”

On that first third down, I think it was third and six, Trey goes to throw to Ross Dwelley and he’s still like getting into his route. Is that on him? It seems like he’s kind of drifting. And I ask that because after the play, Dwelley kind of taps himself on the helmet and then they had a little interaction after that play. My second question is, how do you feel like your backs did in pass protection because you guys faced quite a bit of pressure?

“Yeah, Trey’s got to make that throw still to move the chains. Dwelley didn’t make it easy on him. It’s an option route. It was zone. You should hook up decisively right there on the numbers and that’s what Trey was expecting and that’s what we wanted Dwelley to do. And Trey was aggressively ripping that. That was one play he wasn’t hesitating on early, that was real good. And Dwelley just surprised him a little bit, which does happen at times and then it threw Trey off. So, Trey still should have made it. Dwelley could have made it a lot easier on him. And yeah, I was disappointed in the pass protections. They’re bringing it to the back and the man coverage with the hug ups coming. And we got to do much better going forward than we did in that game because we struggled in that area.”