49ers 15 - Vikings 10: Post game quotations

There was a lot to like about today's game, and as always there were certainly areas for improvement. Alex Smith looked very solid, particularly as compared to last week. The opening drive was as close to perfect as you can get without getting the ball in the endzone and Smith was huge on third down in those drives.

The next question is whether he can bring some level of consistency from week to week. Next week he'll see the most playing time of the preseason, likely going into the middle of the third quarter, if not more. I think it'd be nice to see him put together three really solid drives and maybe two touchdowns. The touchdowns are not as important as moving the ball on a consistent basis, but they certainly would bring some confidence.

The most interesting post-game comments have already seen discussion in the recap thread. Those are the comments Mike Singletary made about Nate Davis. I've posted all the post-game quotations, but obviously this is the important one considering today's game:

On whether Nate Davis is competing for a backup job or still needs to get on the same page:

"I think he has to get on the same page. I think he has to get on the same page and really put himself in the position to really compete. I just think right now that he's competing against himself, I really do. I really like the kid, there is a lot to like about him, but there is a work ethic that's involved in terms of being a quarterback in the NFL and he's got to get it, it's as simple as that. I'm pulling for him, I'm hoping, but so far it's inconsistent."

That's certainly disappointing to hear. Nate Davis is arguably the most physically talented QB on the team. He's got an absolute cannon of an arm. And obviously people will make the excuse about the learning disability issue. While that's certainly a reasonable excuse, but it is not an excuse for a lack of work ethic. A lot of big arms have flamed out because they thought they could simply ride their talent to greatness. Obviously Nate Davis hasn't flamed out yet, but considering Jason Whitlock is a huge fan of his and Jeff George, it'd be quite the coincidence if Davis joined George on the trash heap of QB history (not that I'm saying that will happen!).

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

Opening Statement:

"A couple of injuries in the game: (TE) Nate Byham, chest contusion. Don't ask me what that is, a contusion. (CB Patrick) Stoudamire, knee contusion. Those were the two injuries. Overall I thought the game was pretty decent overall. I thought we started fast. I thought our offense was in good rhythm in the beginning. I thought Alex did a good job of coming out and having an offense get into a good groove. The biggest thing that I was disappointed in was that we were not able to run the ball. I think in our offense, really in any offense, if you can run the ball you are going to have problems. But I thought we did a pretty decent job even though we couldn't run the ball while being efficient in getting first downs. Our first and ten, I think maybe the first four or five first and tens we were awful. We just did not do very well. And for the first time in a long time I thought in third downs we did pretty well. The end of the game I was disappointed in terms of how we finished. I thought we put ourselves in a difficult situation that we really did not have to be. There's no reason that we needed to be in that situation where we got an on-side kick at the end of the game. Defensively I thought (LB) Travis LaBoy, for his first time back, I thought he did a decent job applying some pressure and I'm sure they felt his pressures out there. (LB) Diyrall Briggs for the second week did a nice job. He was tired, we just told him he'd have to suck it up and get out there and play. So overall I thought it was a decent win for us. We have a lot of work to do, a lot of work to do. I told our young guys before we played this game that we are playing against a number one ranked team against the run for the past four or five years. I'm sure they'll take my word after playing this game. A lot of things to learn from this, a lot of good film to look at and really evaluate where we are as an offense and a defense. I thought (RB) Adrian Peterson got some good runs outside, kind of bounced him outside and we just have to do a better job in those areas and make sure that everything stays inside and if he does get to the sideline then we have someone to support the outside."

On the running game and RB Anthony Dixon's ‘happy feet:'

"I think there's a reason that he has happy feet. If there's a hole, he's going to hit it. But what he has to learn is that even if there's not a hole, sometimes you have to hit it and it eventually works itself out. But I think that's being a rookie and I think that's the system of not having the discipline of staying in that hole and trusting those guys to keep pushing and something is going to open there. You just keep trusting. I thought Dixon, he did okay but tonight danced a lot and I really think that has more to do with Minnesota's defensive line then his instinct."

On whether they wanted to match up and see what they could do against Minnesota's run defense:
"That's the thing it's a really good situation to have this early in the preseason to have the opportunity to play a really good run defense and have our young guys have that experience, and that's about as good as it's going to get. So now we have to learn from that and Dixon is going to learn from that as well because I'm sure that he's going to see some plays that if he had just stuck with it more, just hit it, that something more would have happened."

On whether the second preseason game serves as a confidence builder:

"I think that's what it's all about is continuing to get better each week. We have to go back and work this week and continue to gain that confidence, continue to get in that rhythm, continue to hopefully get some more guys back, maybe TE Vernon (Davis), (WR Michael) Crabtree, getting those guys back and have our offense be intact and really get on rhythm with everyone. So I think that's part of the process."

On what he thinks of QB Alex Smith's opening drive without some of the main starters:

"I think - I've heard that Alex has to play without (RB Frank) Gore, he has to play without Vernon, he has to play without Crabtree, but to me, you have receivers you play with them. I think you have to make the situation better. If you're a good quarterback then you have to make the situation better. So I don't ever look at what he did without those guys because at some point in time during the season he may not have those guys, and what will he do then? So I just think that he did a good job overall. I was happy to see him take another step."

On his impression of QB Nate Davis:

"It's up and down, just like he was. I just think inconsistent, I think he's a guy that's got a lot of flash, a big arm like a lot of kids, a lot of young kids, but you have to learn how to play the position. You have to learn how to command the huddle, you have to learn how to get people in and out of the huddle and you have to have a presence about you and I just feel that he's still learning how to do that. And I don't know how long it's going to take. I don't know how much time we have, but I think its just nice to see him every now and then make some nice throws and then bang, there's one play in particular that I'll talk about, you have to know where the first down marker is. You don't just fall. Anyways, we just have to do a better job of playing the game of football and playing to win. So that's something that he just has to do a better job of." 

On RB Anthony Dixon blocking and picking up blitzes:

"He did okay. We put him in a lot of situations where he really had to block. We didn't make it difficult, you just have to count a guy and there it is. But obviously he is getting better. He missed a couple tonight as well. So it's a process. We're a football team that, like I said, we're young and it shows right now, the inexperience. We have to grow up in a hurry to be ready for a tremendous season coming up fast. So I am excited about getting back and watching film and learning what we can learn from this and go forward."

On whether Nate Davis is competing for a backup job or still needs to get on the same page:

"I think he has to get on the same page. I think he has to get on the same page and really put himself in the position to really compete. I just think right now that he's competing against himself, I really do. I really like the kid, there is a lot to like about him, but there is a work ethic that's involved in terms of being a quarterback in the NFL and he's got to get it, it's as simple as that. I'm pulling for him, I'm hoping, but so far it's inconsistent."

On Davis' body language on the sideline:

"You know I don't really care about his body language, I just want him to be on the field, executing. The other stuff, I don't really - some quarterbacks come off the sideline and they look awful, but they go in the game and they play the game, they play to win. So I don't really care about that."

On how he looks at the third preseason game:

"I know traditionally that's the way that everybody does it, but being the 49ers we make the rules a little different. The most important thing for us is in this next game, this third game that we play, it depends on what we need to do, what we need to accomplish. And I think we're going to base whatever we do off of that."

On his strategy in blitzing:

"I just wanted to get a feel for it. We felt like we wanted to let it go a bit and see how we responded on the back end and just see how it worked out."

On what he meant in terms of work ethic when referring to Nate Davis:

"I will be more than happy to explain it. Right now Nate Davis is working his tail off to try and learn this system. But in the offseason, that's when you take the time to get that done. And I'm not sure how hard he worked this offseason in getting that done. So when I talk about work ethic, you just can't turn it on and turn it off. Now that we're in training camp, ‘Well I'm really trying, I'm really trying.' In offseason, in OTAs, the mini camps and all those things - that's when you have to get that done and that's when you have to stay up and drive the coaches crazy and look at film and ask all the questions that you possibly can. And I'm not sure that he did that. So now it's a lot that he has to get in a short amount of time. So hopefully he can do that. I don't know."

LB NaVorro Bowman
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On some of the things that you thought went well out there:

"You know I felt good with having the leadership out there, you know just doing the things that I did you know to prepare for the week. You know the coaches know I can do the job, and I just wanted to show them and do whatever they wanted me to do out there for as long as I played. You know I didn't play too long but I think I did a good job with the limited time that I had."

On the fact that the Vikings are a good running team and how he and the defense were able to limit their run game:

"You know our number one goal as a defense is to not let anyone run the ball on us, and once we stop the run we know they're going to open up with the quick passes to loosen us up. So I think we controlled the run pretty well as a defense, as a whole, so we just got to get better and keep moving forward."

On whether he had a pretty good feeling after the defense put up two points to end the game:

"Oh yeah, I mean we just got to finish, just like he coach said. We got a little complacent with the lead and everything like that, we just got to finish as a team and pull the win out and let the game finish out the way it started, and I think once we do that we'll be alright."

QB Nate Davis
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On whether he felt he needed to show more tonight with the number of playing time he was going to get:

"Of course. I think that every time I get a chance to show what I've got, I've got to put it out there, that's the main thing. I have to prepare for every game like I did, every game. Like today I just felt prepared like the same way I do with every game."

On his TD pass to WR Ted Ginn:

"[Offensive coordinator] Coach [Jimmy] Raye dialed the play up. I had a little pressure, escaped the pressure and saw him wide open and just had to get it to him."

On being the third QB behind Alex Smith and David Carr and where he feels he fits in:

"Wherever they like me at. I just have to keep on working, keep on learning the playbook and getting it down. I'll just go from there."

On what it is like working with Carr and Smith:

"That's a lot of experience right there between the two guys. They've helped me so much. I've learned so much from those guys. I'm just going to keep on working every day."

On how nice it was to see the first team offense get in a rhythm right away:

"They gave us a big boost. It gave me confidence to just keep it all going."

RB Anthony Dixon
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On his performance:

"I learned some things today as far as the Minnesota Vikings and the way they play football. I learned you have to know how to take three-four yards sometimes. I want to break a big run and make something happen for the team so bad that I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing. I learned to listen today. I'm glad it's the preseason. I guess that's what it's for."

On how valuable it was to play with the first team offense:

"It was very valuable. Any time I can get reps like that it's a confidence boost. I just get more comfortable with being in the league and playing running back. It's a big confidence boost to get me more comfortable."

On starting fast on the opening drive:

"It was very nice. It was a big confidence boost for us and it kind of boosted me a little bit too much. I was feeling good and I wanted to break a big play and kind of put them away early. I just have to learn that in this league sometimes you just have to take three-four and just grind. I have to learn that it's going to be a grind. That's what I learned today."

On putting teams away:

"We didn't finish the way I think coach would envision us finishing today. Like I said, that's the reason why it's the preseason. We can go back to the lab and get the things corrected and come back next week, I think we have the Raiders next week, and finish on them. This one is going to get put away quickly. We are just going to go back to work Monday."

WR Ted Ginn Jr.
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On his take about going up against Minnesota's run-oriented defense:

"You know, we came out, we played fast. You know, these guys played these guys last year, so you know, we just tried to come out and show them what we got. You know, we came out we played fast. The ‘D' came out and played tough. We just got to keep it up."

On his comfort level with the offense and his timing with QB Alex Smith:

"You know, I'm very comfortable. We all go out and plays don't happen for us. The only thing we can do is go back in the room and see how it goes and we can see what we can do to get better."

On what he needs to see from himself before the end of the preseason:

"Just consistency, consistency. As long as we keep going out, keep doing what we do every day and keep getting better day in and day out, it'll come."

On what he has seen from QB Nate Davis:

"I mean, great guy. You know, he knows his stuff and, and he goes out and he does his work every day. It's great for him to go in and get a whole half under his belt and show the coaches what he's got and just keep it up."

On how he sees these preseason games and the lack of going against first-team defenses:

"We're playing football. Everybody's going out and playing football, you know. You get drafted somewhere, some spot and one thing they say here is the second team has got to be as good as the first team. And that's what we're trying to build here is this; everybody, no matter who we do, is the same type of consistency and we just want to keep going out and having fun."

LB Travis LaBoy
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On how it feels to play his first game as a 49er, being a local from Marin County:

"Yeah; no question. You know what I'm saying? You got, you know, the hometown fans and all my friends and you know I grew up right down the street so for me, you know, I couldn't ask for anything else."

On his comfort level and the new defensive scheme:

"You know the scheme things I got some things I need to tighten up. I think, you know, real rusty. I haven't played a game since you know Super Bowl two years ago so, for me, it was nice just being back out there running around with the guys and, you know, I know come Monday we'll look at this tape I'm going to have things to correct."

On how clearly he was seeing the field:

"Surprisingly a little bit more than I thought I would be. You know, when it gets to the field the game doesn't change even after all that time off but, you know, I'm very anxious to see how it looks on tape and, you know, fix it for the next week."

On how he fits in with the 49ers 3-4 defense:

"For me, you know I'm going to do whatever the coaches need me to do. Whatever they ask me to do that's what I'm going to try my best to do; and if it's not what I'm good at, you know, I'll try my best to be good at it. So I'm here for them."

On whether he's happy with his game in two years:

"Until I look at the tape it's too early to tell so, we'll see."

On how difficult it is to stand on the sidelines when he knows he has to compete for a job:

"It's not too bad because everyone gets their shot. You know, equal opportunities so, for me, I just got to make the best of the chances I get."

On how big it was for him to have a game like this, given the short time to prove himself:

"For me, it's not too big of a deal. You know, the fact that I got out there, the times that I did, it was awesome. But, you know, this is not my first year, I'm not a rookie. You know, I've been in this league a long time so you can only see a pulling guard so many times before, you know, you really don't even have to be out there to see it."

49ers QB Alex Smith
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On whether today was a step forward for him:

"We've done it all camp, we've done it all off-season, just finally go do it in a game scenario and, you know, and continue to build on that. So I don't think it was anything remarkable. I think everyone just went out and just did a good job and executed. That was kind of the bottom line."

On whether he is feeling more comfortable with more people on the offense with RB Frank Gore and TE Vernon Davis out:

"Yeah I definitely... Those guys are tough to replace you just named, but come season-time, injuries happen, you have to move on. You can't just sit, ‘Poor me. We lost this guy, we lost that guy.' The season moves on. No one cares about that. It's a good test for us with all three of those guys out."

On what made the offense so effective with passes on third down:

"It just kind of ended up coming out like that, especially the one down there at the end though, yeah, in that coverage, (TE) Delanie (Walker) beat his man, the third-and-ten one down in there. I think we scored on the next play. That was definitely him."

On whether he felt like he was throwing the ball well:

"I felt pretty good. I think we only had four possessions in that first half. The first quarter went by quick and all of the sudden it was the second quarter. Like I said, we had some opportunities there. I think the offense as a whole will be kicking ourselves that we really could have done a lot more damage, especially with those last two possessions with such great field position."

On what he thinks about QB Nate Davis:

"Obviously, we'll look at the film tomorrow. Nate's extremely talented. Off the bat, it's easy to see the arm talent out there. He runs around and makes the throws. For Nate, it's going to continue to be him grasping the offense, how much time he puts in, in the film room, in the playbook, the little details.  Obviously he's got the talent. Those are the types of things... Taking a little more command in the huddle and of the offense when he's in there. I think he did some good things tonight and made some good throws."

On whether he thinks young guys like TE Nate Byham and WR Dominique Ziegler will make big contributions this year:

"Yeah absolutely, both of them, without a doubt. I think Nate's a guy that it's good for him to come in and get reps, and get looks, and playing different positions. And to get them now this early in the camp, it's good work for him. Dominique always plays ball. He's a good ball player. He knows all the positions out there. We bounce him around. He does everything and he makes catches. He makes plays. Whenever his number is called, he's ready to go. I think that says a lot about him not only as a player, but a person."

On what an improved QB rating this game versus last game means to him:

"I'm aware of it, that it's there. QB rating is a big deal. I think it's a bigger deal outside of the players. It's more of a fantasy-type thing. The thing I like to be conscious of, as far as me playing evaluating myself, is am I making the right decisions and am I throwing the ball accurately, is it coming out on time, the fundamentals of playing quarterback. That's really what I look at. And it's hard in the preseason because it usually tends to be that it's all great or it's bad because you're only getting a couple chances."

On whether he can pin point anything from the first series versus the other series without looking at the film:

"The third down conversions on the second two. The one we'll have to look at is the mix-up with the young back in there, with (RB) Anthony (Dixon). Thought he was going to come over and pick it up. We'll look at it. That‘s the one I ended up throwing away and I really thought if we picked that up, we would have been rolling. The other one, kind of put into a third-and-long there and didn't end up converting that third down. So we'll look at those. But that was it. The third down conversions were no different on that first drive, we just executed. On those second two, we didn't."

On whether he felt like he had more control this game compared to last:

"I guess I just felt better going out there and reacting. I felt like I moved better today. When you're in OTAs and camp and you have a black jersey on all the time, you sometimes forget that you have to run as a quarterback. I look back at that Indy game, and I see a lot of open holes that I could have taken advantage of. I felt like I had a better day, especially in the pocket."

On how to carry success from this game into next game and the regular season:

"Not looking that far down the line. We go back to work, we're still in camp. I think we still have some two-a-days this week. Really just get ready... Think we have a break tomorrow, but when we go back to work, go back to work. Hopefully we get a couple of guys back and take advantage of that."

On how much the first drive helped confidence-wise:

"I think it was great. That's not a bad defense you're going up against, probably one of the best secondaries in football. I think they're number one against the run in the NFL the last three years. It was nice to really execute and I think we did a lot of different things to get it down there. I think it was good for the offense as a whole to just kind of get that done. I think we've done it. We've had a great offense. We've had a good camp. It's just a matter of doing it, taking it to this level and then obviously the next test is taking it to the regular season."

RB Brian Westbrook
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On when he knew he wasn't going to play tonight:

"I knew I wasn't going to play, I talked to our coach he said I wasn't going to play."

On whether him not playing was due to the fact that he hadn't absorbed enough of the offense:

"No, I mean I don't know, you have to ask coach."

On whether he is looking forward to playing the next game:

"Whatever role coach has me in, I'm looking forward to playing that next game. Whether he has me playing or not, if he doesn't have me playing, I'll be ready for that, if he does, I'll be ready for that as well.

LB Matt Wilhelm
Post-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On looking up at the end of the third quarter with only three points on the board and overall job of the defense:

"I think it really felt good, I think obviously coming out like gang-busters the way we did, it added a little bit of excitement to it knowing what happened last year against them, and obviously with [QB] Brett [Favre] being back it added a lot of the PR aspect of it. So we definitely just wanted to come out and set the tone, and I think the first group did a great job in doing so, forced a sack. It felt like they never really got comfortable and we just kind of had our way with them."

On the Vikings being a good offensive team and how even when QB Tavaris Jackson came in how they were still able to continue their momentum:

"Absolutely, you know (Defensive Coordinator) Coach Manusky said we're going to use these first two weeks, three weeks of training camp to really focus on us and that's really what we're doing. You know a few times, [QB] Jackson broke the pocket and broke down but that really just goes to show how well our coverage is of taking care of things on the back end. You know he sneaks out, gets a first down here or there, but overall I think the coaches are going to be happy. You know I think the one thing they're going to dwell on is finishing. You know second or third string guys, who are competing for a job need to go out there and perform, perform at a high level, you know luckily we were able to hang on and bring home a victory."

On the Raiders next week and some of the things they want to work at this week in practice:

"Absolutely, you know I think the Raiders, we're going to see a different Raider team. You know with [QB] Jason Campbell at quarterback, I think they're high on themselves, they feel like they've turned over a new leaf and they're headed in a great direction and so it will be a great test for us, they're obviously a great physical football team as we pride ourselves with the same, so we look for the Battle of the Bay to be a very interesting matchup."

LB Patrick Willis
Post-Game - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On sacking Brett Favre:

"It felt. It felt good. You know, because last year, people joked about me, been joking about it since last year. When he went down the field, and I was kind of trying to run the pile and he blocked me and knocked me down. So, to be able to get after him today felt good."

On his blitz early:

"It's football man. I mean that's, that's how our defense is judged. We go out, we are not just approaching - it's just preseason. We're going out to get better. It was a play that coach called. He called it. We ran it."

On it being a statement call:

"No, I don't think it was. I think it was just, I mean, I think it was part of his call, part of his defense. He felt like calling it, and so I guess he wanted to see how it would come out, and it turned out well."

On talking to QB Brett Favre after the sack:

"No, I didn't say anything to him. I just got up. I've always been a fan of like you've been there before."

On hearing the crowd on the sack:

"I did. I did a little bit. Like I said, I mean it was really big. The first preseason game back, and I guess a lot of people thought he shouldn't have played and all this kind of stuff. To me, I was happy to be out there. So, it just felt good competing again."

On Favre not playing another series:

"Yes, I don't know. He's a wise old vet. So, I guess he was like, ‘You know what? It's a little too much for me right now coming back.' Who knows? Maybe we will see him again soon, in a little bit."

On his first preseason game:

"It was. It felt really nice to be out there. You go all week, you know in training camp, you go hard and then its game time. You know that last game I didn't get an opportunity to go out there, be in the limelight and didn't participate. And in this game they let me go a little bit, and it felt good."

On owing Favre because of his block on him last year:

"No, I didn't think about so much, like that. Like I said, it was just the call that coach called. We just ran it, and it just happened. It happened to work the way it worked out. It was a coincidence you know, I guess."

IN-GAME QUOTES

WR Ted Ginn Jr
In-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On the pass that he had thrown to him:

"You know what, Jimmy Raye called a good play and we went out and executed. You know [QB] Nate Davis came in and made a great play, I think he had some pressure on him, he got away from the pressure and just made a great play. He trusted in me to be there, you know I was there, and we just connected, me to you."

On his play during the first half and how he thought the offense was going:

"I think we did good, we moved the ball, we got a couple stops, but you know its football. As long as we get to go back as the team, play hard, and keep working at it will be good."

LB Manny Lawson
In-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On his thoughts on the performance today:

"Well you know with every performance every day you can always look at something to get better on. I think we started off a little slow but we picked it up and as long as we keep on doing, to keep on trying to improve, to keep on trying to get better we'll be good."

On how hard it is to contain RB Adrian Peterson out there:

"Man that's a guy that you never know what he's going to do because he's not just a power back he's not just a speed back, he's both combined so not only do you have protect the edge but you also have to worry about when he does the lead draw or you know, you don't want to be that guy that's on his ESPN highlight film getting run over, so he's quite an athlete."

On the assessment of his first two games, how he's been playing, and if he's feeling fresh and feeling good:

"I still have a lot of improvement to do. You know camp has its toll on the body, but other than that I can't let anything stop me. You know we all have a goal in mind. I mean I have to hold my end of the bargain though."

On whether the unit has skipped a beat because of all the new faces:

"Oh no, not at all. We pretty much still have all the same guys out there. We know each other, we know how well each other plays and we know what each other's doing so there's a lot of times that a play is called that we already know what each other is doing. So having years behind us, having the same guys on the same defense, you know  that helps us out a lot."

On how DT Ricky Jean Francois is doing:

"Man, he's been trying to fill some big shoes, but he's been doing one hell of a job. Taking on double teams, holding the middle, and letting our middle guys run free. I mean especially coming in as a young guy, man, I'm looking for big things from him. Now we can take the handcuffs off and you know stop giving him baby steps and let him out there and play."

On his feeling with LB Patrick Willis back there next to him for the first time this year:

"It was good. I miss that enthusiasm, that extra enthusiasm on the field, that extra hype that's on the field. I mean not having him out there you know that something's missing."

QB Alex Smith
In-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On going 5-6 on the first drive:­

"We were moving the chains and getting a bunch of third-down conversions and just took it down the field methodically. We were in the wind in the passing game but didn't let it bother us, didn't let is phase us. We just came out against the number one rush defense in the NFL and marched it down the field. It's what we always talk about, starting fast, something we didn't do a lot last year and something we worked harder on. It was nice to see it come through here and come into play."

On the protection up front:

"It was great, awesome. It was a big test for our guys tonight. That front seven of theirs is as good as it gets in the NFL. I thought our offensive line did a great job all night running those guys by, giving me lanes to throw and lanes to step up in. It was solid up in front of me and as you can see I had some time to move around there."

On the communication between him and the offensive line:

"It was great, I thought it was on. The one, I think it was on the third or fourth drive we had a little breakdown, but the line was on it. They were seeing what I was seeing. It was the one I ended up throwing away. We should have been good to go there. I say as a whole those guys were very good."

On converting on third and long:

"We were able to convert. I think it was a credit to the guys upfront on third down. That's when their defensive line was pinning their ears back. They protected me. The guys outside were getting open."

On his connection with TE Delanie Walker:

"I feel good with Delanie. He's such a unique football player. He can do so much. He's a guy that obviously I've been with for a long time now. I feel really good when he's out there."

On how he feels going into next week:

"I thought obviously that first drive was good. I was really disappointed, I think our third or fourth drive we had some really good field position our defense and special teams gave us and I thought we should have walked away with some points, at least some field goals there. We didn't and I think we can look back on that and see we left a lot of stuff on the field those two drives.

Patrick Willis
In-Game Quotes - August 22, 2010
San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings

On the first action of the season and how it felt out there:

"Oh you know it felt good to be back out there under the lime-light so where it counts. I mean it felt good to be out there with my teammates."

On how his body felt:

"Oh I felt good man, I felt good. I've been practicing every day. So obviously you know a game is a little bit different, but when I practice I practice game-like speed anyways so you know when you get out here it's just a carryover so it felt good to get back out here."

On whether that was an ideal first drive for you guys making that stop:

"It was, I mean we still got work to do, but we're going to get it done, we've got time, and we're going to make it happen."

On how it felt to get RB Adrian Peterson a couple times out there:

"[RB] Adrian Peterson, he's a heck of a running back , He's one of them guys that you always have to bring your best against and compete. And you know for me every day, regardless of who it is, I'm going to try and bring my best. But with him you know he one of the best running backs in the league so you always have to be on your P's and Q's with him."