San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and players spoke with reporters after Monday's 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders.
Here's what they said.
Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff.
49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Opening comments:
"Injuries from the game. [WR] Mike Evans, Achilles, went out, didn't return. [LB Luke] Gifford with a groin, didn't return. And [CB Upton] Stout left with a shoulder, didn't return. Go ahead."
S Malik Mustapha, two weeks in a row, two big game-changing plays. How much of a game changer has he been in the last two weeks for you guys?
"He's been awesome every time he's gotten out there. That was a big-time fourth down, him knocking that down. I'll see how he did the rest of the game, but that was a big play right there."
What's the severity of Mike Evans' Achilles?
"Just the same thing that was bothering him all week. Acted up too much in the game, couldn't go. We'll see how he feels this week."
Just soreness? Does he need to have any more testing or anything?
"I don't believe so."
How close of a call was it for him to play after not practicing?
"It was a pretty close call in terms of that he wasn't able to go all week. But, just talking to Mike, just something he has dealt with in the past in his career. He felt confident he'd be good today, so that was the confidence he gave me, but we knew he might not be able to last."
That was not the prettiest of finishes, but do you take something out of that saying, '6-0 is 6-0,' or what do you take from the end of that game?
"It was a frustrating end there, just going three-and-out those last three drives on offense having a chance to put them away. Thinking we did a couple of times and then having those penalties kept those drives going. Yeah, you're not always happy exactly with how it, some of the stuff was frustrating. But, real proud of the guys for just the competitive stamina to keep it going all game. First half obviously looked like we were going to run away with it, especially that opening drive in the third quarter. They made a big play. I thought we had a touchdown. I think it was number four [Washington Commanders LB Frankie Luvu] tipped the ball, held us to a field goal. They got some big plays going. But, just the perseverance of the defense, just putting them back out there those three drives in a row. Losing a couple of key guys. [LB] Jalen Graham having to get in there with losing Gifford, played a lot in the base stuff. Losing Stout there where we had [S] Ashtyn Davis come in and play some big pivotal roles there in the fourth quarter. I was just really proud of the defense for finding a way to overcome all those penalties and us not helping them out on O in the fourth."
A lot of young guys out there on defense. It did look like they were flying around a lot, a lot of energy. Did you note that, a lot of speed out there?
"I hope so. I think we've been running around all year pretty good. I love how we fly to the ball. I love how our defense hits. I love that the older guys have kind of set that standard and I think the younger guys have really bought into it and play the same way."
What did you see from QB Brock Purdy and the offense in the second half?
"I thought we had an awesome drive to start it out. I think we were going to score. I think Brock ripped that ball, just got a tip. Then the next three drives were just frustrating. We got sacked on the first one on first-and-10, got us into second-and-20. Couldn't overcome second-and-20. The next time up, we got to second-and-four. Probably should have called a run, but I was anticipating a run blitz and we did get that and our hot route just got caught up. We couldn't get rid of it, so we took another sack. Then the third time was just four minute. We were trying to eat up their timeouts. So, it's frustrating we couldn't get a first down after that opening drive."
I realize it's simplistic to say you had Mike Evans in the first half and you didn't have Mike Evans the second half. It was a big deal, obviously, but as far as his impact and his presence and the way he effects the defense, how big of a deal was not having him and how much did it contribute to the second half struggles?
"It's definitely a big deal when you lose a player like Mike, but our first drive I thought was one of our better drives of the game. We ran the ball real well, we just got a ball tipped on third down that would have been a score and we got a field goal. The next two drives really, we got a sack on first down, got us into second-and-20. We went three-and-out both times and then the fourth time was a four-minute drill. We were trying to run the clock out. So just the way it ended up being, Mike wouldn't have had a chance to have much of an effect there in the second half. Now, if we would've gotten some first downs and stuff and got driving, then you would've felt the lack of presence of him. But, we didn't get enough first downs to really show where we would miss him."
Was Christian Kirk a close call? Is he a possibility for Week Seven?
"Yeah, he's a possibility for next week. He had two good practices in. It was just his first two practices of the year. We were down on wideouts, so it was still something we discussed, but we decided to give it another week."
What about WR Demarcus Robinson? Where is he in the process?
"I don't think he'll be ready this week."
You used RB Christian McCaffrey in the slot a little bit today. How did you think it looked? How did you think it worked out for you?
"Christian, wherever we put him, he's always ready to do that. Just with some of our receiver situations, we wanted to be able to mix him in there, get him at wideout, some run plays, some pass plays. When it was a run play, he blocked very good as a receiver and [RB] Kaelon [Black] ran the ball well, so stuff that can always be an option with him."
Another missed extra point for K Eddy Piñeiro. Could have been huge. Is there some concern there with him?
"Yeah. I mean, he's got to make them. He missed another one today and fortunately it didn't get us, but I think everyone knows the answer to that. You've got to make your extra points."
Mike Evans, is it essentially his decision whether he plays or not with Mike?
"Yeah. I mean, if he can play. Mike's got a lot of experience doing this stuff. Mike's pretty honest with us too and my life experiences with him over six games, if he says he's ready to go, I believe him."
You went for fourth-and-three on that second drive down in the red zone and ended up scoring a touchdown. What went into that thinking? Obviously, those points became pretty huge.
"It was just a gut feeling. Just the way the game was going I thought we were going to get it. I thought we had a real good chance to get the play right before it. I was frustrated we didn't. It's something we don't always do, but it just felt right there and it worked out."
DL Mykel Williams getting his first sack in just his second game back, how important are his contributions on the defensive line in getting him back into that defensive rotation?
"It's huge. I didn't know that he had a sack, and I'll see how the tape looks, but just for him to string two games in a row, get him back from a bad injury. It's been a long recovery for him and I'm just really happy that he's made it back. Been out there two games and hopefully didn't have any setbacks in this game and can keep getting better with another week of practice."
Will you have to evaluate the punt returner this week? Is that something you have to take a look at?
"It's something we've always got to take a look at. I thought [WR Jacob Cowing] Jake made a real bad decision on the one. I think he caught one on the four, I think it was from what I saw. That was a bad decision, had to let it go. I don't think he made a mistake on any of the others, but yeah, that was a bad decision by him."
Six-and-0, you can't do better than that. How do you feel at 6-0?
"I feel good that we just won a game. I mean, 6-0 is better than any other options in your record, but definitely, I feel good when the year's over and you're the last team to win the last game of the year. So, I'll wait until that moment."
What's the level of concern with Mike's injury?
"Mike who? Mike Evans?"
Yeah.
"It's something that he's had before, something that bothered him throughout the week. When you have Achilles tendonitis like he does, it kind of is what it is. It flared up tonight. I hope he recovers throughout the week. You don't think it's a long-term thing, but right now it's almost cost him this game and ended up costing him two quarters. Hopefully he'll be able to play next week, but, if not, we'll have to have the rest of the group step up and hopefully get him healed up by after the Bye week."
What do you see with DL Romello Height? It seems like he's helping you guys really finish games the last few weeks.
"From stuff I got to see, it seemed like he was all over the place. I thought he made a number of plays. It looked like he got a couple sacks, I don't know if they got taken back or not. I'm not sure of the stats from the game, but with what I saw out there, he looked like he had a big impact."
Why Ashtyn Davis and not another corner there?
"Just guys who got the reps and stuff. We put [DB Deommodore Lenoir] DMo there a lot, but he didn't get as many of the reps. Then it's a chain reaction outside, so we thought Ashtyn could step it up and go in there and do his job and I thought he did a really good job at it."
He's basically playing nickel, nickel corner there, or is it different when it's a three-safety setup?
"[Defensive coordinator] Raheem's [Morris] probably a little selective on all his calls and stuff, but a nickelback is just a third linebacker, you know? There's different matchups because they're usually going against a receiver when you're in there, but I think Raheem's smart with his calls and stuff like that. But sometimes you can't be, you've just got to go. He was the next man up in this situation and got a lot of respect for him for being ready for that moment."
With the situation at receiver, obviously you're going to get some guys back soon, but how do you weigh that versus needing maybe outside help here in the next week?
"It's tough, especially also on a short week. That's what you've got practice squad guys for and we were able to get one up today. We'll see how our guys heal up. I'd be surprised if we got [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.] or D-Rob back until most likely after the Bye week. We've got enough guys in our building, so we'll put a plan together and see how it goes."
What was the message to the team when you spoke to them just now?
"I just told them, I don't care how it ended in terms of some of the stuff that guys were frustrated about. I was just really proud that they found a way to persevere and get that win. Anytime you get off to such a good start and you have a comfortable lead and it slowly dwindles and the other team has the ball down less than one score inside the 50, it's not a good feeling. Usually, the momentum takes over and, especially after a couple of those penalties kept them on the field on fourth down, it wasn't looking good for a while. I thought that was a huge challenge for our guys to just the competitive stamina to keep that focus, to keep it going, to not think negatively of the fact that we let them back in it. I was just proud of them for being able to finish it and find a way to get a win."
49ers QB Brock Purdy
Maybe it wasn't the greatest second half there, but what do you take out of still pulling this game out and still getting to 6-0?
"Obviously offensively and for myself, in the second half, it's tough just to do what we did, three-and-outs. I think there's some plays where I could have been better for sure in getting the ball out and whatnot instead of taking some sacks. But, for our defense to do what they did, obviously I know it sounds cheesy, but I mean it's true, it's a team win. It takes a whole team collectively for four quarters. And so, for our defense to do what they did at the end, that was really impressive."
They are a team that blitzes a lot. They didn't do a ton in the first half. It seemed like they did a whole lot more in the second half. How big of a difference was that? How hard was it to decipher? Were you surprised that they didn't do as much in the first half?
"Yeah, I think we were ready for it with our plan. First half, obviously didn't feel like they did it as much. Second half, I just thought they did a good job with just being a little disruptive and taking checkdowns away, sort of making me hold onto the ball. So that's still on me on some certain plays to get the ball out. But overall, really good scheme. I respect the heck out of them."
What did you think it was going to be like when WR Mike Evans left the game?
"Obviously he's one of our best playmakers. So, you want to get him the ball as much as you can and what he brings to the table with making plays and sort of what defenses have to do to respect him, that's a whole other conversation. So, obviously it sucks having him go down, but I still obviously believe in the guys that had to step up and make plays for us too. So, we'll be good, but obviously we'd love to have him out there."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that this Commanders team's scheme defensively is a real challenge for you guys. What made them such a big challenge this week?
"I think just the different looks. And obviously they know, they hang their hat on pressuring and the different exotic looks with bringing blitzes and whatnot and trying to eat up the halfback and make sure he doesn't get out and take away checkdowns and make you hold onto the ball and hope the quarterback either takes a sack or messes up as their defense sinks back in coverage. So, they did a good job and we respected them coming into this game and knew what we were going to get. It's on me and for us to execute better and more efficient in the second half. There were plays to be made. But, we respect their scheme and those players for sure."
It's not like after you throw for four touchdowns you're jumping around in the locker room, but you don't seem thrilled. Are you somewhat upset? Obviously, you won, you're 6-0, life is pretty good, but just the second half, are you annoyed by what happened?
"Yeah. Obviously, just with the lead that we had, it's like put your foot on the gas pedal and go make plays and put the game away kind of thing. And not put our defense in that kind of situation. That's where my mind goes. But, at the same time, it's the NFL. Every single Sunday, today Monday, it's a competitive game. You've got the best players in the world in the sport playing and you just never know what can happen. So yeah, I'm obviously a little upset with how I finished the game, but I know that moving forward, every single game matters when it comes down to playoffs and getting in and all the things. So, we'll take this dub as a team, watch the film and we've got to be happy with it. And we've got a short week, so we do have a chance to get on the plane and go to Atlanta and play better."
You guys were up 20 late in the third quarter and you were kind of alone on the bench. Quarterback coach Mick Lombardi wasn't showing you stuff on a tablet. You just looked like you were hanging out by yourself. Can you tell me about that? Did the emotions change a lot within the next few minutes after that?
"Human nature thinks and says like, 'We've got this game.' But for me, I think the five years I've been in the NFL so far, there's been a lot of games where you take a breath and you're on the sideline and you think we've got this. And so for me, I don't know what it looked like, but no, this whole time, this whole game coming out at half, I'm like, 'We've got to go put them away. We've got to score.' And it's the NFL, dude. [Washington Commanders QB] Jayden Daniels is a great quarterback. He can bring this team right back. And sure enough, that's what he did. So, that's just sort of what's going through my mind is not trying to think for a second to take a breath. What's my assignment on this next drive and where my mindset needs to be? That's where I was probably trying to be in that moment."
49ers TE George Kittle
There was a point where you guys went to three straight three-and-outs. How challenging is it without WR Mike Evans out there and if it's not him not being out there, what do you think made it so challenging to move the ball?
"Mike Evans is an amazing football player. He showed all that in the first half. Runs all the routes, catches everything that you throw at him, really opens up the field for us. He's just such a threat. I don't think we went three-and-out three straight times because Mike wasn't out there. Obviously, he would have helped, but we've just got to execute and I don't think we did. We definitely had some missed assignments. I mean, we ran six passes in a row and I know that there were some mess-ups somewhere in there. So, we're going to watch that film. Obviously, we're super stoked with the win. Winning is very hard in the NFL, but we should be much better than that, much more efficient than that as the offense that we've put on tape so far this year and we definitely were not."
It seemed like they blitzed a lot more in the second half than they did in the first. Did it surprise you that they didn't do it as much in the first and was it more difficult to pick up because of that?
"That's a great question. I would say I was surprised they didn't blitz as much in the first half. Then when they did it in the second half, we just didn't have an answer for it. We just didn't take advantage of anything and I think in our offense, we have the capabilities. I think we're on our fifth or sixth wide receiver. I don't really find that as an excuse. I think our wide receivers are more than capable of running the plays that [Head] Coach [Kyle] Shanahan has called for us. I mean, yeah, maybe he's not calling all the ones he'd call for Mike Evans, but we're still calling plays. Like, hey, [WR] Jordan Watkins had a hell of a play there that kept us on the field. I think that was in the third quarter. They're capable. Our wide receivers are capable, but our other guys, we need to continue, to go out there and make plays. I had a catch there on a third down that I wish I would have brought down. I didn't. [RB] Christian's [McCaffrey] probably going to punch himself in the face later for one of his plays, but we've got to be better and that's all it is."
How fun is it to watch S Malik Mustapha and just the energy that he brings to the field?
"You know what? I know that Malik was like gnawing on a bone like a rabid dog when he wasn't playing and so the fact that he's getting in there and now he's just taking advantage of that opportunity, I think I've said that 100,000 times up on this podium, talking about guys taking advantage of their opportunity. And that juice that he brings, I know that that helps [LB] Fred [Warner], that helps the defense, keeps his guys alive. And that play in the fourth quarter where he just came down and stuffed the running back, that was fantastic."
You're part of the locker room. You've got a lot of the young defensive guys around you. You've got DL Mykel Williams on one side, you've got DL Romello Height. What can you say about their energy and their closeness and helping them play together?
"Before that, I was really impressed that [T] Trent Williams knew what rounds that they were drafted in when he was just talking about that. I was like, 'How are you that aware of that? That's so weird.' Besides that, I'm just, I'm pumped for them. It's a young D-Line. We have got like four guys out there at a time sometimes, and they're all in their first or second year. That's awesome. One of my favorite stories is Sebas, [DL] Sebastian [Valdez] being a practice squad guy and getting the call up and going out there and making plays. That's awesome. [DL] Gracen's [Halton] playing at an incredibly high level. [DL] James [Thompson Jr.] is back. He's just going to continue to get his legs underneath him. Then Romello and Mykel, it's so fun seeing Mykel out there because he is such a young, talented player. It also messes me up that Romello is like four years older than him and he's a rookie, but Mykel's in his second year. That doesn't make sense, but I'm all for drafting older players because they understand the sense of urgency and they're all adults. You're not dealing with a 20-year-old. Nothing against Mykel for being a young guy, but when you're 25, you kind of understand that. I was very happy that we drafted older players because they're all very ready for the moment. Thanks, Coach."
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
Tale of two halves. Obviously losing WR Mike Evans is a big part of that, but what'd you just kind of see the difference of the first and second half?
"I just think efficiency. Just a couple miscommunications here and there. Being able to stay on the field and sustain drives. You never really know until you look at the tape, so check out the tape and have more answers."
You've got a lot of young defensive linemen around your side of the locker room. What can you say about them being so close, playing well together, and the energy they bring to the room?
"It's so cool. When you go through training camp, there's always guys that you're excited about and dudes that you have your eye on. 'Hey, I think that guy can play', but you never know until the game starts happening. Those guys have not just proven us right, but they've upped the standard and upped the bar of what I thought they could do. It's been so cool to see them step into their role with elite energy, confidence, and playing great football for us."
While a win is a win, there are a lot of things you guys feel like you need to clean up after this game. What's your take on that?
"I think when you can win and not play your best, obviously it's better than losing. But I know our standard's high, especially on offense. My standard's high. [I] can't put the ball on the ground, but there's a lot of stuff we've got to clean up. It's always good when that's the case in a win."
49ers S Malik Mustapha
Two weeks in a row, two big stops to help solidify the team at 6-0. When you think about the time missed at the beginning of the season, and I guess the hunger to get back to where you are playing right now, what are you thinking?
"Yeah. I didn't have the start that I wanted this year, but it gave me a chance to really scale back, take a step back, observe, and see what ways I can improve my game, even if I'm not getting the physical reps, and then just being ready for my moment. Everyone has a role on this team, and you never want to be too high or too low on yourself. You're just trying to find ways to improve day in and day out. Once my number is called, being in the best shape or best mindset to help my team win is key for us because they depend on me as I depend on them. I just thank God I was able to go out there these past couple of weeks and just put it out on full display."
What did you see on the fourth down pass that you broke up there? What did you see and how did you make that play?
"We are just in man coverage. I'm just reading the stem of the receiver and then he broke out and I was just trying to race to the pylon. Then, once we got to the catch point, I just wanted to be physical at the point of attack and get that ball out."
Are you thinking get the ball out and get him out too? Is it kind of both?
"In that moment, you're not thinking about anything, but just getting a stop. However it may unfold is how we get it done."
Did you have any more resolve at the end of this game to make plays? You made a play on 3rd down, then you made another play on the 4th down. What are you saying to yourself coming out of the huddle on those two plays?
"On third down, you get the stop because, you know, it's four down territory. I was like, 'alright, we got to get off the field again.' It's just rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. You can't be dwelling on one play, whether the outcome is good or bad. We just got to be on to the next. Even when I got the fourth-down stop, yeah, we're celebrating. At the end of the day, there's a sense of urgency that we're going to be able to have to go on the field again. We had to, and, you know, the D-line is humming and you know you played good defense in the back end, and we got the stop we needed. We just always have to be alert. As long as there's time left on the clock, we have got to be ready to go."
49ers LB Fred Warner
What do you think of S Malik Mustapha when you watch him? He made two big plays at the end and it just seems like he gives you guys a lot of juice.
"He's unbelievable. Unbelievable. That play he had where he ran up and stuck that dude in the hole in the run at the end, then that play he had to get us off the field in coverage – he's a fantastic player and I'm happy he's on our side."
You mentioned the penalties. I know you didn't get a look at them, but what's the frustration level? What's your message to guys to continue to kind of keep playing hard but try to avoid the mistakes?
"Guys aren't out there intentionally trying to commit penalties by any means, right. In the moment, it's not about you worrying about the penalty. I'm so laser-focused on one play at a time and whatever the situation is. Of course, we feel like we got off the field or that we're in a favorable situation, but then you see the yellow flag and they got it on us, you're like, 'hey, let's run it back.' I don't care, we'll go all day. That's the mindset while we're in it. Obviously, we've got to play cleaner."
You recently made a post reflecting on being one year post your injury. Can you just reflect a little bit? You guys are undefeated and obviously you're a large part of that.
"Yeah, I can. How much time y'all got? I could sit here all day and talk about that, but at the end of the day, I think when that all happened, the whole mindset with that was that everything happens for a reason, right? I've always had that mindset. I've had a great faith in God and him having a plan and everything happening as it should. So my whole goal was to come back being better than I was before I got injured. That drove me through my rehab to continue to try to find ways to attack it, try to get back for the playoffs and obviously train in the offseason and go hard in training camp to start the season the way I have. Ultimately, in my mind, we're just scratching the surface, right? In my mind, y'all haven't seen anything yet and I'm going to continue to just continue to try and get better."
49ers T Trent Williams
What do you think of Mustapha? He's so physical. He's so violent. And he just gives this whole team a lift.
"Yeah. I mean, he's an enforcer. We need guys like that. Not only that, I mean, you see what he does for us in the pass game. I mean, literally won the game for us in the corner. I mean, at the pylon, breaking up that pass. He had a major breakup last game, he got him out of bounds. He's doing it all. So yeah, I think the missile really describes him well, but it doesn't really encapsulate everything he does for this team."
What do you take out of just kind of grinding out this one? Not the prettiest finish, but to get to 6-0, obviously you can't get any better than 6-0.
"Yeah. A win is a win. You know, they're hard to come by and no game is given to you. We had a lot of guys go down. They did as well. So it's not an excuse, but I think we were just a hair off a couple of plays where we could have kept the drive alive. And ultimately we could have probably ended the game on our terms."
What can you say about the young guys on the D-line especially? I mean, they're so close and I feel, does it make them play better together?
"Yeah. And I think a lot of people talk about the experience we have, but I say it every week. I can't speak to those guys personally, but we can't get where we want to go without the young guys. So they make up a great deal of our success. So I'm super happy with what they did in the draft. Those guys they got, we got a bunch of steals in the draft, like a guy like Melo [DL Romello Height] falling to the second round. I think, to me is absurd, how polished of a pass rusher he is. I mean, [DL] Gracen [Halton] in the fourth round, the front office did their job, and I think we can't get where we want to go without those young guys playing as hard as they are."
Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn
Opening comments:
"I'll give you my thoughts first. I loved the way we ended the third quarter and most of the fourth. I think our team demonstrated that these guys are built for tough spots and moments. But the first half was rough. To have third downs go poorly on both sides of the ball. I thought those were going to be one of the real keys to the game. They had come in first in third downs, so for us, getting some stops, getting it back, but 23 - it felt worse than that, honestly. San Francisco is already a tough team and we spent way too much time in the first half battling ourselves. I'm sick about the ending. Proud of the way guys battle and fight."
Do you have an update on WR Terry McLaurin?
"I don't. The concern is that it could be significant, but we'll do the scans tomorrow and give you an update when I visit with you guys. That's the concern tonight, but I don't want to read in until we know, but it's definitely something that there's fear."
What happened on that 4th down play? I mean, obviously the cameras caught you looking like you weren't sure if it was 3rd or 4th down.
"No, I definitely knew it was 4th down. We were going for it. I was probably saying, like with the illegal shift, there's not a penalty to go for a field goal. I think somebody had asked me, 'can we kick a field goal?' So no, we were going for it. We knew we had to go for some 4th downs to be bold in the game. I didn't think it was going to be a 17-14 game. I probably thought we were going to need 28, 30 to score to go win it. So, it was by design that we were going to go, but no, I knew what happened. I think I was probably just commenting on the headset, somebody asking me, and after an illegal shift, like it was a turnover on downs. [QB] Jayden [Daniels] saw the foul, too. I think he also came off and saw the penalty."
For QB Jayden Daniels to go through what he did in the last game, often struggled, and then to rally like he did, what's that going to say about him?
"One, I think we know this competitor. We've been around him. Just not pleased with the first half. We had to be in sync together. This is already a good team, so for us not to nail the marks that we needed to hit, that's what we'll spend the time on this week to really to make sure as we're scouting ourselves, what can we hit? What do we have to improve upon? I liked seeing some of the run-action game going with [TE] Chig [Okonkwo]. The second half, you feel his speed, even on catch-and-run plays that are four or five yards can go to longer downs. But I think it speaks to the competitive nature of the game. The offense, we're doing a good job of taking care of the ball. I didn't think this would be a team that Jayden [Daniels] scrambled a lot against. I thought it'd be scramble-to-pass based on how they play and the speed they have on their team defense. I didn't think, going into the game, it would look like last week where he's going to be out running. They've got speed, so that was my thought."
This has been a wild six weeks with Jayden getting hurt, other injuries, weird ending against the Giants. As you get to exhale here, what's possible going forward?
"I don't normally talk and show that to the team, but I felt it was appropriate to last week, telling them, 'Hey, this is 30% in, and this is the team. This is who's playing where and why.' So, I'm not one to look ahead like that, but I felt it was important in that tone to say, 'Hey man, we didn't win it,' or 'We didn't lose the division on Sunday.' And like I said at the time, we're not going to win it when we win Monday night. But I wanted them to know this is going to be one of those years, it's going to take a long time. A road like this is going to take a while. For us to have a chance to play like we're capable of, it does have to be way more consistent."
With your self-scout that happens over the next 10 days or whatever, is some of it scouting yourself personally?
"Yes. All of it. Our whole operation, from things that we can do better, differently. I loved the team's week of practice this week. I grade every practice, look at some KPIs that I want to see in each of them. So for a team, it was our best overall week leading to it. To have that performance in the first half was certainly disappointing. Like I told them, it gives you a chance to play well. It doesn't mean you're going to, and you have to go execute in the spot. I'll give credit to San Francisco as well, but the first half was just hard."
What did you think was different in the second half?
"I think after we got a field goal, getting a stop and another stop, it gave some momentum. It gave some lift for sure. The drives that we had were much longer. I don't know how many of those would have gone for it on 4th, but there were certainly ones that I was going to be bold leading into it. I liked how the run game got going better. Honestly, in the first half, I think it was 16 plays. And like I said, it felt worse than what the score was. I thought we'd come back out, just start on a drive. Let's just start with that. There's no 17-point plays, just get started and play well. That's what I wanted to see the team do. That's what I was calling on. It just felt a tick off on all the 3rd downs, especially."
How do you think QB Jayden Daniels handled the last quarter and a half after the first half didn't go particularly well?
"Yeah, I think it speaks to like his ability to create, to make plays, to go. Like most times there'll be a throw I think he'll want back. There was one to [WR] Luke [McCaffrey] I thought that went high, but there was also like some incredible throws too in the right location. And, from a rush standpoint, I felt like this was not a team, like we said, we were going to scramble to run. It was going to be get outside to make plays in that way. But, like seeing Stef [WR Stefon Diggs] emerge and obviously with [WR] Terry [McLaurin] going down, that was significant. But he does have that ability to make plays when it's covered, you think it's the right one. And so, we've just got a lot of work to do to be more consistent and to start like we did. It's just on both sides. That was what I was shocked about. Nothing against San Francisco, but this was about us and the practice that we had. It is frustrating. They did a little bit of what we thought. That's almost more frustrating."
On that final drive, where Jayden takes the intentional grounding, what was the approach on that play? Ten more seconds left, this time in the half and everybody is running?
"Yeah, I'll have to go back and look at it. It'd be a good one we can follow up on tomorrow. I'm certain that wasn't the first read of what we were going to hit and where to go. Certain looks require certain plays. It could have been one that was a zero-one that was part of it, but I'll give you a better follow-up. Sometimes in the moment of that one, I'm thinking of the next. So, I don't want to like BS you and tell you something that's not accurate."
You guys made a ton of moves before the game, including putting RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt on IR. What kind of went into that decision?
"There was a lot. And to see some of the guys, I knew they would have an impact certainly on the team spot. I thought [TE] Chig [Okonkwo] made a great play, kind of gave the team some energy, on a team side. And so [LB] Jordan Magee and [S] Percy [Butler III] back, that was significant for us and J-Mac [RB Jeremy McNichols]. So, he had injured his groin. This was, probably training camp, in London, third time. And so, let's get him right. Let's get him healthy. Let's get him strong with it. The guy's a really good competitor. And we're just going to make sure we get him back to where we can. We're fortunate that we have other backs but let's get him all the way back."
Did you see the play that OL Sam Cosmi got thrown off? Any thoughts on that?
"I did. I think they called the right foul. Just from a like play style and attitude, but I definitely saw it. I knew what the foul was going to be."
How do you balance the frustration and the close calls with knowing there's opportunity in the division?
"I think tonight is more of the frustration. So I don't have the big picture look at it, but I do know what I've seen from the team capabilities. I need to see it for the whole way. And that would give us maybe a chance to say where we can be at the division, but that has to improve. And like I said, I love the way they practice. I love their fight, but I'm sick about the ending. And when it's hard, I love their resolve. But to be the team that we need to be, we've got to be more consistent. I want to see the fouls, look at them to see what's really holding us back. But there wasn't one that in previous games where I was irate about some of them, I didn't have that sense in this game."
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
What started working for you guys during the second half?
"We just started taking it one play at a time. Limiting the errors, the pre-snap penalties and post-snap penalties that were keeping us back behind the sticks, and we started going one play at a time."
In the first half, what happened on the 4th down play?
"I have to execute better in that situation, regardless of a flag or not. Fourth down, we can't die with the ball and stuff like that. So just be better. I have to be better in that spot."
On that final drive, what are you thinking on the play that ended in intentional grounding?
"We had no timeouts, we can't take a sack, I was just trying to save us some more time to get another play off. I was just trying not to die with the ball and have everybody run back, just trying to get the ball out."
What was sort of the messaging at halftime?
"Just one play at a time. I know we said that offensively. I know we said that as a team, just one play at a time. We dug ourselves in a hole and it ended up coming to bite us in the ass at the end of it. We have to be a full game, four-quarter team, not just a half team."
Was there something momentum-changing for you guys, or something that they said or something they did?
"Just the message that we had collectively as a team. Everything was just taking it one play at a time, do your job, don't try to do somebody else's job, make sure you're doing your job, and we just started rattling off longer drives, three-n-outs, stuff like that."
How aware are you about what's happening with the rest of the NFC East?
"Obviously you're aware. It's a weird spot right now, but you try to focus on the Commanders, but obviously you're aware about the other people in your division."
What was the message just now after the game?
"It's tough, but we have to be a full four-quarter team. We can't just be a first-half team or second-half team. We have to put a full four complete quarters together in order to win the game, in order to be considered a championship team."
It's been kind of a wild first six weeks, with the injuries and what happened against the Giants. What do you think is possible going forward?
"I just think you got to take it one game at a time. Like I said, obviously it's a weird spot with our division and everything is still wide open. We have a divisional opponent coming into town, coming off the Bye Week. That's going to be a rugged match, and it's going to mean a lot for both sides. So we get the time off from this Bye Week and get to regroup, refocus, and come back and finish the back half of the season off."
What's going through your mind with WR Terry McLaurin's injury?
"Just, he's a brother to me. It just sucks because you see how hard he works, and you never want to wish any injury on nobody on that field because you know how much you put into the sport that you love and your body and stuff like that. I didn't see the full play, but I'm just praying for Terry. He's been there for me through a lot since I came into this league and obviously the adverse times I went through last year, and so far this year, he's been right by my side. I love Terry, man. He's a brother to me, and I appreciate him a lot."
Are you guys able to take anything positive from the way you guys played in the second half and what you learned from that?
"No, not really. We have to play a complete game."
Do you feel like this team is still capable of being a championship team?
"I think we're for sure capable of doing stuff like that. We show glimpses, we show flashes of how we could be when we're at our best and we're not shooting ourselves in the foot. We just can't come out here and start off slow between a 5-0, now 6-0 team like the 49ers. We went out, we competed hard, but competing can only get you so far in this league. You got to do whatever it takes to win the game, and we didn't win."
Are you surprised that you still came out slow and had no attention to detail?
"Yeah, it's just a focus thing. The pre-snap stuff is really just focus. Can you focus for 6 seconds at a time? That's usually how long a play lasts. The holding calls or whatever they call when the play is happening, you get beat sometimes, you can live with those. But the false starts and stuff like that, the illegal shift, and illegal formation that we had on that 4th down, that's the stuff that's killing us. We have to get lined up. I have to overcommunicate in the huddle, the play call, and painting the picture for everybody, so everybody's on the same page."
You took a lot of hits in this game. How were they getting to you, and how did the brace hold up?
"I'm here right now, I'm good. The brace held up well. I think they had a good plan with their stunts and different packages that they had up front. And they did a good job, but you have to stare down the face of pressure and deliver some throws regardless of whether I'm going to get hit or not."
Was anything unexpected from what you've seen from them on film?
"No. They fly around, they play hard, play fast, play physical, they try to bully you. We fought back. They threw punches, we threw punches back. So everything is advertised on film or when you watch the game, that's them."
Did you think it was an illegal shift?
"I didn't know. It could have been offside, it could have been on us. I'm not really into that type of stuff."
Commanders LB Frankie Luvu
How do you explain the difference from the first half to the second?
"Just adjusting off what they were doing. You know, it was a lot of in-cuts and deeper routes. So getting us in the call, and I felt like a good job of DJ [Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones] giving us a call to be in the best position. And just taking every high-low as you can and balls going back to the check point. And also caging the pocket for explosive runs."
How tough is it going into the Bye knowing that you guys have had these close games, close opportunities multiple times in kind of the first half of the season?
"Yeah, man, it's tough, but at the same time, we know we're capable as a team and we see the corrections. Like, we're right there, right? And it's tough. We're going to watch it and just learn from it."
The amount of passes as opposed to run in the first half catch you guys by surprise at all?
"No. We knew they were going to come out and pass the ball and it didn't catch us by surprise. Like I said, just making some adjustments from the first half to the second half. And I think we did a good job of that."
This has been such a wild six weeks, injuries and crazy results. What do you guys think is possible when you get back from the Bye and you've still got a lot of games left?
"You know, just get everybody back to healthy. Just have a couple of guys coming back and just get the body right. It's going to be a long ride after that and just make sure everybody come back healthy. It's tough, you can't control that. It comes with the game. You know, prayers out to [WR] Terry [McLaurin], just an elite competitor. And like I said, just circle back and get this correct."
Commanders G Chris Paul
Why, in your perspective, did it take till the third quarter to start to feel the momentum?
"I honestly do not know. What I do know is that it starts with execution. Being ready to go for 60 minutes. And I don't think we did that today."
When it comes down to the final two drives, you guys had two chances to go in and win the game. How do you take it to that next step?
"We practice dire situations like this and it's being at your best when your best is required. And we came up short today."
We're not going to be able to chat with you guys until the other end of the Bye Week. What is your mindset and this team's mindset, the offense's mindset, as you have a chance to get right before Philly?
"Do you have the utmost confidence in the world? In the team, the unit, the everything that we can be. And we absolutely have to nail it in those critical moments. We have to take that next step."
Commanders S Jeremy Reaves
In the locker room postgame, what's the message to the rest of the guys?
"You've got to stay together, man. It's a long season. We lost some fallen soldiers, but you've got to keep going. At the end of the day, we've all got a job to do despite the circumstances, right? We're still expected to show up and you have to show up. We still have a lot of ball left. We've still got a lot left."
With the NFC East shaping up how it is, how does that message get through even stronger?
"No matter how it was, how it is shaped up at the end of the day, you go into every game expecting to win. You measure that one game at a time. We've got to clean up our own mistakes. Like starting fast and finishing fast. We can't start slow and we need to finish better. We can't start fast then finish slow. We've got to build that consistency and continuously play good ball."
You and WR Terry McLaurin are two guys who have been here a long time. What's it like seeing him go down like that?
"It's tough, man. He's one of our guys, he's one of our leaders. We've been through a lot and kind of seen this place through every stage. It's tough. I remember what it was like when I went down and the thought process. You put so much into this. So much focus, so much attention and grind. All those things. Then stuff like that happens, it's like, 'why me?' I hate that for him. I'm hurting for him because I know what that's like."
Commanders DT Tim Settle Jr.
What was different in the first half? Why were they able to just move the ball pretty fast?
"I don't know. I felt like we were prepared for them to run the ball and they were passing more and it was a mixed kind of game. We just have to execute. Our coach called all the plays, we just have to execute."
For the pass rush specifically, what started clicking for you guys down the stretch, there, getting a couple sacks?
"Just knowing and having the proper rush lanes and making sure we're keeping [San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy] caged in. He's a smaller quarterback. I feel like we were doing a good job getting him off his spot in the second half. I feel that gave us the momentum."
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