Eagles 27 - 49ers 24: Post-Game Notes and Quotations

The 49ers conducted their post-game interviews and sent out the transcripts for everybody. The transcripts are after the jump, but you can watch Coach Singletary's post-game press conference here and can check out the players video here.

The post-game notes do provide some positive performances from today. Alex Smith did have the second 300-yard passing performance of his career. Additionally, and this can be attributed quite a bit to Smith, the team had its highest 3rd down conversion percentage since December of 2003. Smith once again had another up and down performance highlighted by his three TD passes. His night was lowlighted by his incredibly costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown followed by a 49ers three and out that saw boos rain down at a level I've never heard before in San Francisco. This performance might have been the ultimate personification of Alex Smith. He flashed amazing abilities while also costing the team the game.

Of course, we all know he wasn't the only cause of the loss and hopefully people will be willing to recognize this. The timing of the boos was a crystallization of this. Alex Smith was under siege when in reality it was a combination of factors putting the 49ers in this position. It's just that Alex Smith is the official 49ers fan whipping boy at this point and it's much easier to bring down the fire simply on him and not the other factors that contributed to the loss. I'm not saying this is wrong or right, but rather simply pointing it out because it's there to be seen.

Scoring On The Opening Drive
QB Alex Smith connected with WR Michael Crabtree on a 7-yd. TD on the 49ers first drive of the game. This is the second time in as many weeks that the offense scored a TD on their opening possession. The last time the 49ers scored TDs on their opening possession in consecutive games was 11/7/04 at Sea. (3-yd. run by RB Kevan Barlow - 3 plays, 21 yds., 1:24) and 11/14/04 at Car. (1-yd. run by RB Kevan Barlow - 11 plays, 71 yds., 5:51).

Long Drive
The 49ers 11-play, 51-yd. TD drive to start the game ate 7:07 seconds off the clock. It marked the 49ers longest TD drive in terms of time since 9/13/09 at Arz. (7:26 TD drive - 3-yd. pass from QB Shaun Hill to RB Frank Gore).

Keeping Drives Alive
The 49ers offense converted 8 of 13, 3^rd down attempts (61.5%). It marked the team's highest 3^rd down conversion rate since 12/14/03 at Cin. (6 of 9 - 66.7%).

Getting To Kolb
DT Justin Smith sacked Eagles QB Kevin Kolb twice in the first half for his first sacks of the season. Smith now has 57.5 sacks for his career. It marked his first multi-sack game since 1/3/10 (3.5 sacks at StL) and the 8^th of his career.

LB Manny Lawson brought down Kolb and stripped the ball for his first sack and FF of the season. Lawson now has 13 career sacks and 7 career FFs. LB Parys Haralson recovered the loose ball for his first FR of the season and 3^rd of his career.

LB Travis LaBoy sacked Kolb for his 2^nd sack in as many games and 3^rd on the season. It marked the 8^th time LaBoy registered a sack in consecutive games and first since 10/28/07 vs. Oak. (2.0 sacks) and 11/4/07 vs. Car. (1.0). 

First Quarter Completions
49ers QB Alex Smith and Eagles QB Kevin Kolb combined to complete 12 of 12 pass attempts in the first quarter. It marked just the 5^th time since 1995 that both quarterbacks combined to complete at least 12 of 12 pass attempts in the first quarter.

11-85 Connection
QB Alex Smith hooked up with TE Vernon Davis for 5 recepts., 104 yds. and 1 TD. It marked Davis' 4^th career 100-yd. game, all of which happened with Smith as the QB.

Crabtree's Career Day
WR Michael Crabtree registered 9 recepts. for 105 yds. and 1 TD, marking his first career 100-yd. performance. His 9 recepts. also set a new career high.

Two Over 200
WR Michael Crabtree (105 rec. yds.) and TE Vernon Davis (104 rec. yds.) became the first set of 49ers teammates to eclipse the 100-yd. receiving plateau in the same game since 1/3/00 at Atl. [WR Jerry Rice (143 rec. yds.) and WR J.J. Stokes (130 rec. yds.)].

300 For Smith
QB Alex Smith registered his 2^nd-career 300-yd. passing performance, completing 25 of 39 passes for 309 yds., 2 INTs and 3 TDs.

Nedney Nails It From Deep
K Joe Nedney connected on a 50-yd. FG, marking his 17^th career FG from 50+ and 10^th as a member of the 49ers, adding to his franchise record. Nedney is now tied with Jax. K Josh Scobee and Cin. K Mike Nugent for the most 50-yd. FGs this season (2). 

Extending His Streak
DT Justin Smith extended his NFL leading consecutive starts streak among defensive linemen to 144 games.

49er Debuts
CB William James made his 49er debut after missing the first four weeks with an ankle injury.

Undrafted rookie LB Keaton Kristick made his NFL debut after being promoted from the 49ers practice squad on 10/5.

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On what happened at the start of the fourth quarter:

"At that time, I was contemplating putting (QB) David Carr in the game. And after talking to (QB) Alex (Smith), decided not to."

On what Smith said to convince Singletary to keep him in the game:

"I'm not going to go through that. It was exchanges that we had on the sideline, and that's personal."

On whether he was angry with anything that Smith had done:

"The bottom line is, it was just something that we talked about, and I'd rather keep it personal."

On whether he changed his mind based on what Smith said or how he said it:

"What he said."

On how he feels Smith responded to that:

"We went and scored."

On whether he leaves the game feeling better abut the quarterback because of his response:

"I leave this game feeling disappointed that I think a pretty decent football team are 0-5.  Disappointed for that because we put ourselves in this situation and only we can get ourselves out. I think the best team that we've played so far is the San Francisco 49ers."

On whether they are maybe not as good as he thinks because of the record:

"Well, I look at it like this. Obviously when you're 0-5, it can be taken many different ways. As head coach, I chose to see it in the way that I feel that we are a decent football team. We haven't given ourselves a chance to find out how good we are." 

On whether he will consider a quarterback change after this week:

"I've got to get back and look at the film, and we'll go from there."

On whether he is open to a quarterback change:

"It's possible."

On how much of the loss he blames on turnovers:

"Well if you look at the stats, the more turnovers you have, the less of a chance you have of winning the game. That's a fact. So the thing that we knew we could not do was turnover the ball. But yet, we did it. So we just have to keep working at it."

On whether he considered taking Smith out to improve the play or just to get him out of the game:

"I thought at the moment, I really wanted to see what his response would be. More than anything, in a situation like that, a quarterback, a quarterback that has anything in him, is going to have something to say about that. And we were in the situation, how do we get out of the situation? Hopefully you're part of the solution. And I think in the conversation that we had, I felt he felt he was part of the solution. And we went forward from there."

On his comparison to the conversation he had with former 49ers QB Shaun Hill at the end of the 2008 season:

"Similar. Similar."

On whether Smith reacted similarly to Hill at that point:

"Totally different responses, but the same result."

On whether he expected Smith's reaction when he decided to challenge him:

"I really didn't know what to expect. I just knew that I needed to see where he was once I did."

QB Alex Smith
Post Game Quote - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles 

On what happened after he was told he was being removed from the game:

"I'm not really sure. Some things were going on on the sideline. Obviously, [Head] Coach [Mike Singletary] and I talked and I went back out there. It kind of blurred a little bit, to be honest with you."

On what he told Singletary:

"It's kind of between me and him there on the sideline. Obviously I was frustrated, but didn't want to come out of the game at that point."

On whether he would characterize the exchange as an argument or disagreement:

"It was a discussion. We weren't seeing eye-to-eye the whole time. But, it's kind of between us."

On whether he spoke with Singletary again after the game:

"Yes. I just came from there."

On the message from that conversation:

"Just kind of going through the game. Kind of lots of different stuff."

On whether he had to convince Singletary not to take him out of the game:

"You'd have to ask him I guess. I don't really know what he was thinking."

On whether it was his perception that he was coming out of the game:

"Yes."

On whether he convinced Singletary:

"Once again, that's a question for him."

On Singletary hearing from him what Singletary needed to hear:

"I'm not sure what he was looking for either. Obviously, I was frustrated at the time, frustrated with myself, frustrated with my play but didn't feel like he gave us a chance with me coming out. I felt like it wasn't right, was basically what I told him."

On what he and TE Vernon Davis spoke about:

"Just different stuff. I guess I couldn't tell you verbatim. Trying to stay positive at that point."

On how he responded after that:

"It's still a loss. Came back, threw the two touchdowns. Had a chance there with the return to - I mean, at the end, hit Vernon down the middle and we were closer to field goal range. Didn't get it done though. So, again, you look at the stats and say different things. We had a chance to win there, or at least put it into overtime but didn't get it done."

On what it's like to be booed by the fans:

"You know, to be totally honest, I guess I anticipated that question. They're sports fans. We're all proud. They bought tickets out. I'd be pretty frustrated. I'd be pretty pissed off too. I was. I was pissed off at myself. I don't think you can boo yourself though. But, we're better than that. I'm better than that. That fumble was trying to do way too much. It was a stupid play, trying to throw the ball away there. It was pretty much the nail in the coffin. [INAUDIBLE] So, they have the right to boo."

On whether he saw the defender coming:

"No, I did. I just thought I had enough time to flip it over and get it past the line of scrimmage was all I was thinking. Picked up the pressure with the adjustment we made, and I ended up scrambling out left trying to make something happen and literally realized all of a sudden I was in a bad situation giving ground trying to get around him. I didn't want to take a 10-yard sack was my mind. When you're mind is going in slow motion, I'll throw the ball away or I‘ll take this big loss. I thought I could try and get it out, and obviously it was a bad decision to say the least."

On whether he expects to be the starting quarterback next week:

"Until he tells me I'm not, absolutely."

On how he can get to the point where he's not making the mistake of trying to do too much consistently:

"That's a good question. I mean, it's cliché, you talk about letting things come to you as a quarterback, reading the defense, not pressing is a big thing. I think at that point in the game, it was easy to get frustrated. We hadn't done much up until that point, especially in the second half. We finally put a couple of plays together and got towards midfield. I think we were pressing before we had to, premature. We were down seven points. If you keep it a one-score game, it can come down to the last possession, just like the Saints, so not a time to press. Worst scenario, you make the decision to get out of there, it turns bad. Those are things... When you get behind it becomes harder, you know, when you're losing, it becomes harder not to press. You have to stay patient as a quarterback, and as an offense in general, all of us. It's easy to get frustrated. It doesn't help you as an offense at all, to try and press and force the issue. In a one-score game, perfect example of pressing."

On whether his mindset when he went back in after the Singletary discussion was, "I'm the starter, I shouldn't be having this conversation":

"Yeah, I thought a lot of things. I think definitely that. I think I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really frustrated with myself at that point. Knowing I'm better than that. There's no question. It was for my teammates, it was for myself as far as, they had a right to be frustrated. For all of the above. I think you go out there and you try to play good football, not try to do too much."

On whether more changes necessary than just firing former offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye to turn season around:

"Who knows. Right now, we're 0-5. What we're doing is not working, but if you take a look at our division, we're in a unique situation, I think. 0-5, right now, we've got to get some things cranking, obviously."

WR Michael Crabtree
Post-Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On how disappointed are you in a 0-5 start:

"Man I just, I never started 0-5, this is something new to me, something I'm not trying to get used to, you know? Just got to go work."

On whether you helped QB Alex Smith get through the ups and downs of the games:

"I really like to see our crowd stick with us though, that's what I would like to see, but at the same time you are going to have your ups and downs. Like I said this is a football game, everybody is playing hard, everybody has one goal and that is trying to win. Everybody's playing hard and we came up short."

On how he saw Alex respond to the moment when head coach Mike Singletary was considering benching him:

"He just responded, came out being Alex Smith, playing football. Giving the ball to his play-makers, making plays. Trying to get up field, trying to make something happen."

On how much it is emphasized to the offense not to turn the ball over:

"Turnovers, you can't win with a lot of turnovers. That ball security is a big thing and we seem to have problems with ball security every game. Like I said, from now on, we can do nothing but go forward."

On whether you can take anything from this game:

"A loss is a loss man. Like I said, we're going to work hard and try to win the next game."

TE Vernon Davis
Post-Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On how QB Alex Smith responded to Head Coach Mike Singletary's conversation with him during the fourth quarter:

"I think he responded well. I think he did a good job, you know. He's very courageous. [Quarterback] Alex [Smith] is a hard worker; very dedicated to his job and he wants to do well, he wants to be a good player."

On turnovers being an ongoing problem for the 49ers:

"We just got to figure it out. I mean, you could say this and say that, but at the end of the day you can't really blame anybody until you look at it. Deep down inside you have to look at it and figure out what it is because, at the moment, I can't touch it; I don't know what it is."

On the reason for his conversation with QB Alex Smith in the fourth quarter:

"I wanted Alex to stay in the game because I believe in Alex. You know, he has a lot of pressure riding on his back and I'm for him; I'm here for him."

On where the 49ers go from here:

"There's no limit. Wherever; we can go wherever we want to go, pretty much. We just have to believe. We have to believe and finish strong and in the end, who knows what will happen."

On how it felt to be back on the field:

"It felt good to get out there.  I just tried to get out there and make plays.  But unfortunately, things didn't go our way."

On his big returns:

"I think my guys did a great job blocking and putting a body on a body.  I just have to make plays.  I tried to create and make things happen and just feed off my blockers."

On the team's performance:

"I believe my team showed heart and toughness, and we came out and tried hard to get it done.  It was high-pitched, and we tried to stay as calm and collected as we could.  It didn't turn out our way.  But we have to get better and capitalize."

RB Frank Gore
Post-Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On what he could have done differently in the game:

"Just relaxing and letting the game come to me man. You know, just playing smarter and, you know, I should have given the offense a little something today. I didn't give the passing game any help. I was pressing and pressing and things weren't going right for me."

On whether he put more pressure on himself for tonight's game:

"You know, I was just trying to make things happen and not being smart. I was just pressing too much. You know, I feel bad for us. I didn't give [quarterback] Alex [Smith] or the receivers or the offensive line much help today."

On the screen pass to him during the final drive which got tipped:

"That would have been a big gain, probably a touchdown. It's tough, just real tough."

On the answers the 49ers are searching for:

"We got it, you know, we got it. I'll say about today; I look at the mistakes and they hurt us but I should have brought more to the table for the offense, you know. The type of player I am in this league, I feel that I should have given more to the offense today."

On whether he wants QB Alex Smith to remain the starter:

"Yeah, yeah I do. He's got all the tools, we're just killing ourselves. You know, you saw when he came back in the game how he fought; that's all you want from a player. Like I said, I don't even want to put it on him, you know. I feel like I didn't give him any help today. You know, I feel that if I had run the ball better and didn't make my mistakes we definitely would have had a chance to win."

WR Josh Morgan
Post-Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On what changed for you in the offense towards the end of the game when you started clicking:

"Nothing really. I mean [QB] Alex [Smith] was competing, he's a competitor, he's always going to compete. I don't think anything really changed, I guess they either just stopped blitzing or we just started playing better. I mean, I don't know, I think everybody just wanted to win. I don't really know what changed, it felt like we were playing the same game that we were playing. We just took care of the ball a little bit better and just calmed down and just played football. That's all this game is, it's just football, so that's what we did."

On whether it's true what head coach Mike Singletary said about ‘the toughest team that the 49ers have faced this year is the San Francisco 49ers' and whether that is a reflection of how they have seen two different teams from themselves throughout the course of a game this year:

"Yeah probably, that's a good conclusion. Once we stop turning the ball over and get in the end zone, I mean that's all we have to do. We'd get in the end zone every time if we take care of the ball. You only have 60 minutes, so sometimes it's just one of those times where you come up short."

On what gives you hope that you can still get this season turned around:

"Because all we really have to do is win 10 games. Win 10 games we're still in the playoffs. Win the division we will still be in the playoffs, just play football. That's all it is. Let everybody do what they do best, come out here and play football. [QB] Alex [Smith] is going to do what he do, [RB] Frank [Gore] going to do what he do, everybody is going to keep making those plays and we are going to do it. We are killing ourselves so we have to take care of the ball a little bit better, come out here and keep fighting. Can't ever give up."

DE Justin Smith
Post-Game Quotes - October 20, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

On how it feels to be 0-5:

"It's tough.  Anytime you start out 0-5, it's definitely not where you want to be as a football team.  We just have to continue to fight and get ready for next week.  Things just haven't bounced our way."

On the defense's performance:

"We can definitely play better.  We can't let them score 27 points.  We have to try to keep them under 17 points and give our team a better chance of winning. There are teams that have done it.  We pride ourselves on being a tough defense.  We're just not getting it done right now."

On the variety of emotions throughout the game:

"I can't even begin to describe it. It's just really frustrating, but that's part of it. You have to keep going and get ready for next week."

LB Takeo Spikes
Post Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles 

On how hard it was against the Eagles being 0-4 coming into the game:

"What you saw was pretty much self explanatory. We've got to find a way to win. We need a spark. What that spark may be, I don't know. I just know at the end of the day, every player has to look in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do better?' Or, ‘What can I do more to help this team win?' Because this... it's embarrassing. It really is."

On how QB Alex Smith played:

"We just need him to make more plays. Just like I said about everybody else. You can't put a lot of load on him. Everybody's got their fair share into it. But what he does, it really gets exposed because he touches the ball every play."

On the team's confidence at 0-5:

"Before coming into this game, we lacked no confidence at all. That's the pulse I felt from this football team, inside the locker room, going out preparing every day. We'll have to see as the week goes on, but I still feel that we have the chance to accomplish what we want to. And, that's win the division. I truly believe that in my heart. Somehow, some way, we need to get one win. We need one."

On how much turnovers have cost the team:

"Tremendously. That's the pinnacle right there. Sometimes I feel like, the other team, it's not even about the other team. We don't even have to talk about failure. It's the turnovers. We're killing ourselves. And the next questions I know you're going to ask is how do we handle that. Trust me, if I knew, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. We really wouldn't. So, I don't know. So, go take a survey or something."

LB Patrick Willis
Post Game Quotes - October 10, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles 

On the confidence of the team:

"I really don't know. I just know that whatever we do, whatever guys are feeling right now, it hurts because I feel the same feeling. But at the same time, we still have a lot of football left, and we've just got to keep fighting. Something's going to turn. I've never known a team to work as hard as we work every day and to believe in each other the way we believe in each other and just end up coming out on the losing end. It's tough, but we've just got to keep believing. I feel like the good Lord is testing us. The football gods are testing us, and somehow, some way we're going to find a way out of it."

On what he saw in the exchange between Head Coach Mike Singletary and QB Alex Smith:

"What did I see? I didn't see that. Whatever they discussed, that's on them. I really don't know."

On what he would say to the team as one of its leaders:

"As a team leader, I just - we've just got to keep fighting. We've got to stay together.  Right now we're going through a tough time. We're going through adversity like no other, especially for a team that's as talented as we are. If we just had a few guys and we were losing, it wouldn't hurt as bad. It wouldn't feel like that because of what we're supposed to do. But, to have a team like we have and to have the capability that we have to make plays and to score points and the whole dynamic of what it takes to have a football team, and for us to be 0-5, it hurts. But, we've just got to keep fighting.

On what the defense did differently in the second half:

"Our defense in the first half, they were giving us some stuff that was a little different. We were just kind of giving them what they wanted to run against, to play against. But, in the second half, we made some adjustments at halftime. And, we just went back out and said, ‘You know what? Enough is enough. We're a better team than this. We're a better defense than this, and we've got to stop them.' We made some plays, and they made a couple when they needed to. We've just got to find a way to get the ball back to our offense so they can score. On defense, make big plays on defense and things will work themselves out."