San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster, and quarterback Brock Purdy spoke to reporters before Thursday's practice as the team prepares for its Week 16 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Here's everything they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
Defensive Coordinator Nick Sorensen
You go against your own offense all throughout the offseason and summer. How does the Miami offense differ from the 49ers?
"It is similar. There are a lot of similarities. There are a few differences, but I mean, just the ability to move things around, get to two back. Just, they're so multiple, they have a lot of speed and [QB] Tua [Tagovailoa] is really good in his timing. There are some similarities, but they do execute as well. So there's some stuff you can grab on, but we'll see."
What are the points you emphasize when you face a team with such speed like Miami has?
"It doesn't, we just have to execute right. It's more, every week is that because I feel like when we do execute well we play better. But, you want to take speed off if you can, when it applies depending on the coverages. But, you've got to hit guys, hopefully they don't run as fast, but we'll see."
DL Nick Bosa talked about how it feels like the defensive line is really hitting its stride at this point. What is it that's so challenging about what defensive line coach Kris Kocurek asks that it takes a little while for guys like DL Leonard Floyd to really get up to speed?
"I guess it depends on where they came from, what scheme they came from. And I think Leonard was more standup and had done some outside linebacker-ish type stuff. So just depends. Some guys, there are just different styles. Just like how our linebackers play too if they come from a different type of scheme. Just with three-four versus four-down and even some four-down teams don't play like our D-Line does. So it just, it kind of depends. The getting on your target, your explosion lines and how we play blocks and how we attack. And I think with Floyd, and any of the guys that have come that are new, they've gotten better. That's kind of been the whole kind of theme of this year is like how much, how fast can we get better and kind of gel together. Because it wasn't just young guys that were playing, it was new guys that we brought in because so many new guys came in and it's just been cool to see that come to fruition the last couple weeks."
We kind of saw it last year, also. I know you weren't defensive coordinator, but you were here with New Orleans Saints DL Chase Young and former NFL DL Randy Gregory kind of not really, I guess, hitting their potential or stride until maybe the very end. And Nick Bosa said it's very nuanced to all the different things that they do. Can you give us like one example?
"I mean, it is. It's nuanced in, like I just said, your explosion and your footwork and how you think you're attacking when you're really maybe not. So that's one example. No, that's the truth. You feel like you're getting off the line and until you show like, 'No, this is what it's supposed to look like.' And then they start to feel what that really feels like. And then someone like Leonard that's had to, you know, been in a two-point most of his career, he'll still stand up from time to time because we don't want to take those other eight, nine years out of him because he is used to it, but there are times that it takes a while to be in a three-point stance and then having those good footwork and explosion lines with your feet off the line."
So much emphasis is placed on practice time and needing practice time to get better, it's something head coach Kyle Shanahan emphasizes all the time. How do you account for guys like S Talanoa Hufanga and LB Dre Greenlaw being so good now, like immediately, after missing all the time they missed?
"That's a good question. Because Greenlaw's done that, he did that a few years ago too. I think it was the first year I got here. I got here in '22, and '21 was the year that he had played the first game and didn't play until like the very end against the Rams. And it was like, 'This guy missed a whole season and just played this game and they, it was so good?' I think it's also what they're focusing on when they're not playing. When you're hurt and, 'Am I putting myself fully into this mental rep or am I not? Am I studying with my time?' And then also those guys are special too. They picked up the system really well and really fast. And I think it's, what are you thinking about and what are you doing when you're not out there? Are you getting those exact mental reps so when you come back you don't have to think as much as before?"
The last game was a week ago, so it seems like a long time. We haven't heard from you on this. So what was your perspective of LB De'Vondre Campbell Sr.'s situation and how perplexing was it for you?
"I think, yeah perplexing. I think Kyle and [president of football operations/general manager] John [Lynch] pretty much hit it. I think they summed it up, along with our players as well as anybody. So, I don't really have anything to add more than what it was and what everyone has said."
What are your thoughts on S Malik Mustapha long-term at free safety? Can he play there long-term? Can he be your answer there?
"Yeah, I think our safeties have to be multiple and yeah, he's been great so far. He's gotten better. He's been violent, he's played fast, he's really accelerated how he communicates and how he executes."
Is there a difference between free and strong safety in your defense?
"Yeah. there are some differences, but we like our guys to be able to do both."
On the end of game, that third-down play, that 14-yard pass they completed to Los Angeles Rams TE Colby Parkinson, what happened?
"Just miscommunication. We had some of those calls and just, right there, they got us."
Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Chris Foerster
What have you gotten from OL Jaylon Moore? How do you feel about just how he has stepped in from the bench?
"Jaylon's done a good job. Last week his hip started bothering him in warmups, so last week probably wasn't as good a game as he's had in some of the other two. He's done a good job. There's a lot of things he can still work on to be better. Starting consistently week after week becomes an issue as always. They start getting a book on you, things you're doing that you need to fix and work on to get better. He held it his own last week and did a good job."
I think maybe the first time he got real playing time was against Denver in 2021, at Denver. It didn't go well. Naturally he's gotten better since, but has it been leaps and bounds just as far as his growth?
"Well, I think it's gotten better. Leaps and bounds is measured, but he's doing a good job. He's doing a good job. Has he proven to be an upper echelon starter in the National Football League? Probably not at this point. Is he in middle of the pack down to second? Where's he rank one to 32 or 64 starters in the League at tackle? Where does he fit in that thing? I think he is somewhere in there. I don't think he's outside the realm of starting. He's ideal as a swing guy, obviously because you have a guy that can step in and play at a starting level because he has done that through these years he's played. Obviously he's replacing a guy that's been a really, really good player through the course of his career. But he's done a good job. For a guy that everybody thought was going to play guard where we drafted him and he ended up playing tackle, I think it's been good. And I don't think you set the bar that low just because of where he came in the League, but I do think it's been good. I wish it could be better. I do think there's always a perspective of winning and losing and the losses, bad plays become magnified and in the wins, they're somewhat glossed over sometimes. So as a whole, he's been good. He still has room to improve."
Can he still be a guard?
"That's why we have him at tackle. I'm not saying he couldn't, but he's never had a chance to really compete at right tackle because he always backed up to [T] Trent [Williams] at the left and Trent at training camp has always been in and out. Moving him inside to play guard, we want him to compete when we've had some open guard spots. But the same thing, it's hard to get him in there to be able to compete. What I saw in him when we got him here, I always think if a guy can play tackle, leave him at tackle and move him in if he can't. That's always been my philosophy, right or wrong. I think there is something as far as Jaylon the way he's built, quickness, speed, that quick twitch, it's a little bit more important sometimes inside than out. That explosiveness that Jaylon has, sometimes a little bit slower getting going than in some other guys. So I think what I've seen from him I think he's more of a tackle than a guard."
Do you envision OL Dominick Puni doing something like that, going from guard to tackle? What would he have to do to make that switch?
"Puni is outstanding. He's doing a really good job at guard. I think he has a twitch that we saw some on tape in college and then has done better in the NFL with it. He's a guy that, and we haven't repped him out there yet, but he would be a get us out of a game at tackle guy if we had to because he does have the experience at it, could do it. I do think his overall, really range, sometimes range gets a guy to tackle. You can't get out to the wider guys because of how you're built and how you're framed that way. That's why I think you move to guard for him, I saw that as that's a better spot for him than tackle. Although he could in a pinch play. In a pitch, he can play all five. He snapped the ball as well. I can't remember which one, when we were down to only two guys or three, he would have to go in the game and snap the ball to get us out of it and have him out there taking snaps before practice."
You talked a lot about the process of when somebody has a bad game or they face different challenges, you enjoy how that goes and how the offensive line evolves and faces that stuff throughout the year. It would seem like it's not been a great year for that group compared to maybe years in the past. How would you say they face those challenges and evolved this season?
"I think we're like the team. We're not good enough. At six and eight, there's no excuses, no hiding behind it. We've had our games and recently more than we would like. I would argue the case before we went to Green Bay, I thought that we were playing pretty good football and every player I could say on a grade sheet was grading out better, even though the record didn't show it. Went to Green Bay, didn't play well. Then we played a snow game, which was fun for us up front but it's hard to measure that. And the games since then, Chicago was okay and then this game last week was not up to par. And so, we've had too many games of late that aren't good enough and we need to continue to work to improve these last three. And I think we can. I think on a whole, regardless of what the record ends up being at the end of the season, we could have a more productive season this year. There's just a lot of factors that go into this thing as to why it maybe doesn't look as productive. But from a man on man, how some of these guys have improved and worked, it doesn't always carry out. I've said before, my guys, we can grade out 100-percent across the board and we can get beat by three touchdowns. We can grade out, everybody grades losing football and we can win the game by three touchdowns because when the ball gets in a guy's hands, we didn't play well and you think about a couple plays in that game that we have back last week and we feel 'wow, we played really well against that. Well, he didn't run the ball as well, but you won the game and boom, you're on the next week.' Man for man there's been a lot, there has been some improvement, but it's not going to get noted. Everybody takes blame when you don't win and we definitely carry our share of it."
You guys have been struggling to run the ball it seems like at times since the Bye week. I asked Head Coach Kyle Shanahan why he said there were a number of reasons, but he said it's not getting blocked clean enough up front. What do you see from a run game in the last month or so?
"Yeah, that was one of the reasons he said. Obviously there were more things he said in that quote. But yeah, obviously if you have gaping holes they're going to run through them and if they're not then they're not going to so we have to block better. I've always said that since the first day we've talked in here. I've always said we have to do a better job if a run game's going to be productive, but there's going to be misses. There's going to be misses in blocks by receivers, by the runners, tight ends, everybody plays a role. Just like pass protection, sacks are a stat that goes with the offensive line, but sacks are also a product of route running, quarterback decision making, other people blocking. There's so many factors that go into it. So again, not deflecting, we have to do a better job. We're a part of the run game not being as successful as it could have been the last few weeks. We're also, that's what we have to continue to work on to improve these last few weeks. And there's changes. Runners are different. The linemen are different. There's excuses. They're just excuses. It's not productive enough and we have to be better at it."
Your coaches are so precise and detailed. When you're talking about the grading, I'm just curious whether it was Trent or anybody else, have you ever had a guy that played almost a perfect game, or is there so much to critique that that never happened?
"I would say that I went through a season with [former OL] Jonathan Ogden. Jonathan Ogden that season graded, I'm not going to say percentage-wise, it doesn't matter, but he had no sacks, no penalties, very few pressures or hurries on the quarterback, graded well above what I would say it'd be winning football. That was as close to a year, we were 13 and three. I'd have to go back and look here, it was 2006 in Baltimore, his second to last year. He had as good as a year as I've ever coached a player to have. When I was with [former OL] Randall McDaniel in Minnesota, these are the two Hall of Famers I've coached up to this point. But he was almost as good in one of my years in Minnesota. I wasn't the line coach there, but I was an assistant and he had one of those seasons as well where you're hard pressed to see him miss a block during a game."
When you ask people about running backs coach Bobby Turner, they say he's meticulous, the attention to detail is inevitably brought up quickly. I assume most coaches are meticulous and have attention to detail. Can you find an example of how he's in the 99-percentile?
"Bobby's a trip man. I love Bobby. Bobby literally takes nothing for granted. I mean, there's sometimes I'm like, 'I have said this so many times, I'm not going to say it again for the 16th week in a row. I'm done saying it. I've said it. You guys know it, we understand it.' Bobby's going to go to page one, start at page one, 1a.1a, and it's going to go right down the list. His tip sheet, it's going to be full, it's going to be every single detail. It might be the most basic and fundamental thing, but he never lets it go by and he never misses one of them. Every little thing that's going to be mentioned, he mentions, he covers them all. Obviously, he emphasizes what's more important for the week, but Bobby just doesn't get tired of the detail. He never gets tired of starting at 1a and just continuing to go down the list. I'm a little, I try to tailor it a little bit more. Like certain guys, I feel like for me personally, I lose them. Like God love [FB Kyle Juszczyk] Juice and [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] because they hear 1a again, I think those are two very, very smart players that probably have 1a down, but they hear it every week as well. I asked Christian one day about it and he could not have been more complimentary. He said 'if a guy was going to last in the League as an undrafted free agent one year, with Bobby he might make it three. If he's on another team, might make it three, but Bobby gets him six because they'll know every facet of everything, and he makes sure they get it. And that's what he's so good at. He has, I don't know if it's patience, whatever that gene is inside of him. He's in his seventies and he's got as much energy around his place as anybody. I love the guy. But the detail, that's what it is. We all do it. I mean, in everything we do, 'I know how to do that' and you move on, but Bobby covers it all."
Working as close to Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as you did through the years, I'm sure you have many stories to tell. What's your perspective on how he's fit into that role as the head guy?
"Yeah, Mike is a bad phone guy. He doesn't respond a lot, so I haven't talked a lot to Mike since he's been down there. Once or twice a year maybe. My youngest son was living in South Florida for a while, and he was just trying to get the coaching, so Mike let him in the building to help out. And we had some communication along those lines. And I worked closely with Mike all the years I was with him. It sounds like from the guys that I know that work with him right now, he's taken to the role very, very well. He's done a good job with leadership. As everything with Mike, Mike grows into it. He's a very smart guy. He's able to adapt and do things. So, I think he's adapted very well and grown in the role. And the best thing I've seen about Mike is he has been able to be himself. His quirky and his whatever the pressers are that you guys see, that's Mike. If you got to know him at all here, Mike's Mike and I'm really happy that he's able to be himself. I really love the guy. He's a great person, good guy and it seems like he's handled the situation very well, but we don't talk all the time about what he's dealing with.
You've been coaching in this League a long time. You seem very calm with us, but all football coaches have a temper. Have you ever asked a guy to go into a game and he said no and how would you respond to that if it happened to you?
"I've never had a guy not go into the game. In fact, I've had to take guys out of the game and hold guys out of games more. I've never had that happen. So, I don't know how I'd respond. I get fired up. I like to get after guys. I tell them, it's like there's this book called The Body Keeps Count or something like that and that your brain remembers traumatic events. And so, if I correct you, like, 'Hey, next time make sure you get your head outside'. That's not very traumatic. But if I go off, 'hey, get your freaking head outside. We have to get going, let's go!' That then marks the guy and it's like, 'oh, now I'm going to make sure I remember to get my head outside.' So that's what I kind of do to try to, I try to boom, take it from zero to 100, snap them back into it and just hope they get it done. If a guy didn't want to go into the game I'd be like, 'okay, fine, take it in.' I mean, it is what it is. If he doesn't want to play, get him out of there, get him gone. And it is what it is. It's a difficult situation. Never heard of it before, but it happens and I think it's been handled properly. I just, I wouldn't know what I would do. I wouldn't snap on a guy probably."
QB Brock Purdy
DL Nick Bosa was saying he hadn't played in a quote unquote, like meaningless game, they're not high stakes here like ever in his life. I was just wondering when's the last time you were on the team that was this kind of out the contention?
"Maybe college, like towards the end when, like out of Big 12 contention. But outside of that, I've never played in a game where I've never tried, or like for myself, man, I love the game of football and then to go out and compete at any chance I can get since I was a kid. It's always been the mindset in the case. So, I don't know if I've ever played in a game that's ever been meaningless to me."
I didn't mean to imply.
"No, yeah, I understand. I know. Yeah. Yeah. But obviously my first two years, I mean, we haven't, we've always been in contention and stuff, so yeah."
Is there, I mean, with these last three games, is there anything in particular that you're really kind of focused in on that an area where you think that there's just so much room to improve and you guys need to build some momentum heading into next season?
"I think just offensively, just trying to play a complete game for each other. Obviously get the run game going, pass game, everything, just get it clicking on all four cylinders and I think just be able to play for four quarters. Like a good, legit, complete game. Defense is playing great right now. Special teams is playing their best ball. So for us it's like, all right, offense, let's get this thing going and look like the Niners that we all know."
You talk about the complete game that you want. Why has the fourth quarter been so much different this year than last year? I mean, obviously you have, last year you played with the bigger lead usually, but is there bigger pressure, are defenses playing you guys differently? What's the difference this year with the fourth quarter?
"I mean, I just think it comes down to every drive matters. We get into it and it's like you start thinking about what we could have done in the game and we're in this situation and we shouldn't be in this situation. And for all of us it's like, no man, like that's the game of football. And so, I think for all of us, we've got to learn from that and be like, even if we are in this situation we've got to find a way to finish and complete a game even if we do have some mishaps and stuff that happened earlier on. I think it's really just a mindset thing more than anything."
I'm sure you'll have more time to dig into it when the season's over, but how would you assess just how you've played this year and what kind of growth or maybe step back or just kind of the way you feel like you've progressed this season?
"Yeah I think, there's some plays out there that I'd love to have back and I wish I could've been better for my team and for myself. But at the same time, I feel like there's been some growth in my game that has happened and really just I think like leadership-wise with this team and sort of stepping up when the team needs it, sort of just being a guy that they can hear from. In the past, I've been sort of particular about when I speak and waiting for the right moment, but this year it's been more than it has. And so, I don't know, I feel more comfortable in who I am, but also like I think I need to get better and get back to playing at the chip on my shoulder like it was my first two years of every game, every down trying to prove to myself that I'm the guy for this team and I'm capable of doing it. And so, that's sort of just been the case this year with some moments and I've got to learn from that."
Back to playing with the chip on your shoulder. Do you feel like it hasn't been there? And if so, why?
"No, I mean, I think it has, but there's been moments where I feel like I was a little bit more concerned and consumed with trying to be perfect rather than, 'hey man, let's go out and compete and show my guys my teammates that I love this game and that I'm passionate about it and I can lead them in any situation.' So, sort of just handling that mentally and getting back to that."
There's been some speculation whether you've been 100-percent since coming back from the shoulder injury. Has it felt tight? I mean, how have you felt since coming back?
"No, since I've been back playing it feels good and there's no doubt in my mind that there was still some injury with it or anything like that. When I got back on the field I was good to go to play."
The NFL doesn't give you a lot of time for reflection, but this is where it started for you professionally. When you think back to that Miami game, the first game that you played in the pros, what stands out? What are your recollections from that day?
"Honestly it was just like any other game my rookie year in terms of backing up [Los Angeles Rams quarterback] Jimmy [Garoppolo] and getting ready for it and being ready if my name was to get called. And when I go in just know my answers within every play and keep the offense on the field. And I just kept it simple and I competed my butt off. It was really that simple. And so, here we are two years later, it's going to be cool to go down and play them again, down to Miami. I grew up a Dolphins fan and everything, so I think it's pretty cool just going into Miami and playing in that stadium. So, for me it was a lot for me to go into this game and compete and show my guys that I'm a competitor and I want this more than anything."
In that game two years ago, they said they kind of ripped up their defensive game plan when you went in and they started blitzing you like crazy. In a way, did that kind of help you with the, you know, just getting the ball out quickly and kind of the predetermined, you knew where you were going? Did it make it more easy on you because they were blitzing so much?
"I mean, yes and no. I mean, physically, when they're bringing the house and they're bringing more than we could block for, as a rookie it can sort of be tough to set my feet, throw accurately, get the ball off, throw on time. All those things are a little tough, but at the same time, if you complete it, it could be big gash plays and stuff. So it's hit or miss with that. But, looking back on it, I understand why they did what they did, a rookie quarterback getting thrown in, not knowing that he was going to play in that game and try to heat him up. So I get it. But, here we are two years later and I'm interested to see what they're going to do for this one."
You got to see former Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino on FaceTime, I think last season, right? Have you met him in person since then?
"No, I haven't met him in person."
This Sunday he's supposed to be there. Is that something?
"Yeah, maybe if that, yeah if that happens that'd be sweet."
I'm not sure any quarterback loves the rain. In fact, there's legendary quarterbacks that have said, 'yeah, it was a nightmare,' but it's been brought up like, Brock in the rain, Brock in bad weather, he's going to struggle. Do you feel like there are any serious issues with precipitation or anything and you just having a hand on the ball?
"No. I mean, I think any person that's throwing an object in the rain, it makes it wet, the grip isn't as good. I think for me it's been more about learning how to change the motion a little bit and throw differently in the rain. You can't just get back there and be as violent as you normally are and the ball can come out and all that kind of stuff. So, it's like, it comes down to sort of learning how to handle those kinds of environments and finding a way to complete the ball, move the chains, stay on the field, put up points, those are all things that you've sort of just got to learn as you go. And so, for me and if I see bad weather for a possibility in a game, I don't freak out or anything. It's just like, all right, how can I be better and learn from games that I've played in those kind of situations or environments. So that's how I look at it and for me I can play in it."
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