Although tomorrow is Thanksgiving, the 49ers will be holding practice as normal this week, which means we get the normal injury report and coach press conferences. The most intriguing comment was that we might see Dre Bly starting over Tarell Brown. Brown struggled against the Packers so if he is demoted it's certainly a sign of accountability. Will we get to see an old school matchup between Dre Bly and Torry Holt?
49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)
Did not Participate in Practice
WR Arnaz Battle (ankle)
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
S Mark Roman (illness)
DT Justin Smith (not injury related)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)
Limited Participation in Practice
G David Baas (ankle)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
S Curtis Taylor (knee)
Full Participation in Practice
CB Tarell Brown (knee)
S Reggie Smith (abdomen)
T Adam Snyder (shoulder)
LB Patrick Willis (shoulder)
Jaguars
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Rashean Mathis (groin)
Did not Participate in Practice
RB Maurice Jones-Drew (knee)
WR Mike Sims-Walker (knee)
Coach Singletary's press conference transcript after the jump...
Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk-Thru November 25, 2009
San Francisco 49ers
Opening statements:
"[RB] Mike Robinson, stinger, day-to-day. [G David] Baas, ankle sprain, day-to-day. He is a lot better than we anticipated, but it is day-to-day. [WR Arnaz] Battle, same thing. [S Mark] Roman, rib contusion. Battle has a leg strain. [CB Tarell] Brown, knee contusion, coming along okay. [S] Reggie Smith, ab strain. [CB Marcus] Hudson, back spasm. [TE] Delanie Walker, forearm contusion. [LB] Patrick Willis, trap spasm. Most of those are fine and should not inhibit the game-day situation. There are just a few guys that are day-to-day."
On whether Baas has a high ankle sprain:
"No, I don't think so."
On LB Takeo Spikes' health:
"He is coming along. We are hopeful, but we don't know that yet. It will be a game-time decision, but we are hoping he will be okay. We are hoping for that."
On how many players will be game-time decisions:
"The rest of them are okay. The rest of them, so far so good."
On the importance of this game:
"The later it gets in the season, and when you are in November and December they are all important. I think going forward, the guys know how important it is, the coaches know how important it is. It is just a matter of getting out here and putting it all together, putting all three phases together - offense, defense and special teams. We need to stop killing ourselves. We just have to continue to work at that, continue to get better eliminating little mistakes here and there and we will get better."
On whether he would like the team to have more attitude:
"You know what, I think more so than attitude it is more of a - sometimes when you are in a situation where you put yourself in a hole, sometimes you get your back up against the wall and you kind of start looking around then, ‘Hey you know what? It's all in front of us.' Just settle down, continue to work on our technique, continue to do all the little things that we have to do because it is more about us than it is about anybody else we have played or are playing. As we continue to commit ourselves to eliminating those things that hinder us from putting a winning game together, putting a winning streak together, it will happen. I said it before and I talked to the team about that, it has to come soon. The guys are working hard; they are doing everything you ask them to do. We just have to eliminate some of the little things that come up at the worst opportune time in the game."
On the little things he was talking about that keep going wrong:
"Being a step off here, not being exactly where you are supposed to be on a particular drop and the quarterback finding that little window. Seeing things a little bit quicker and anticipating, getting there quicker, whether it be a linebacker or a DB. Those kinds of things. For me, detail is everything and it is just a matter of guys continuing to focus on those things. Making a call. We are getting in a situation where you are making the call but it is too late and the guy can't respond the way he needs to respond. Stuff like that. Nothing with effort, nothing at all with any of that kind of stuff, which is great. But at the same time, the end result costs you one way or another. We just have to continue working on those little things to play faster and play quicker and just get where we need to be."
On whether one of those things was when CB Tarell Brown missed a tackle against Green Bay that led to a touchdown:
"No, that's a big thing. That's a big thing."
On why the defense has missed so many tackles lately:
"I won't say fatigue. I think this past week, and really when you are in a situation where guys are tackling wide outs in the open field, sometimes that happens. We just have to continue to work on it, continue to get better at it."
On whether CB Nate Clements would be making some of those open-field tackles if he were healthy:
"The whole thing about Nate Clements is a whole other story. It has very little to do with tackling. Nate and I talked about that and discussed that back then and tackling was a small part of that."
On whether he will make any changes in the secondary:
"It is possible. We are just going to look at some things and see how it works out and go from there. We will look at it today and tomorrow and go from there."
On what he has told the defensive backs lately:
"Some of the things that I talked about earlier, it is just a matter of being on the same page consistently, making those little calls. To a secondary that has been playing together a while, you expect it to be quicker, you expect it to be. At times, it is not. We just have to continue as a secondary overall. We just have to continue to work better together and be on the same page, be sharper, be quicker, all those little things. It is not like they are covering the wrong guy. It is not like they are calling the wrong thing. I would just like for it to happen faster, that's all. We just have to play faster."
On whether he told his team he expects five turnovers every game after the Chicago game:
"I think for us as you get into the second half of the season, the Bears game was a combination of a number of things. That's why I don't get all tied into the stats of this team has done this and this team is there. I am always looking at the film and making sure we are where we are supposed to be and we are doing the proper technique because the better the team, the better you have to be on the back end. And if you're not exactly where you need to be, then it's going to catch you at times, and that's where we are. We're all about being exact, being exactly where we need to be. Our margin for error is very small. That's where we are."
On whether CB Dre' Bly will start in place of Brown or if he's looking at other changes:
"It's possible. It's possible."
On whether he means Bly for Brown:
"Yes sir. It's possible."
On how he would analyze the long pass play to WR Greg Jennings:
"I think there were two things happening there. When you see the play on film, Tarell Brown was behind the guy, chasing him, and I think [S] Dashon Goldson was seeing both of those things and anticipating that Tarell Brown was going to hit him and he had one shot to get him, and either you take it and take the risk of taking Tarell Brown out as well. So, you didn't. So yes, it was a bad angle, but I think that was the biggest reason for it. You had your own player in that same window."
On what he wants to see from QB Alex Smith and the offense this Sunday:
"All I want to see in our offense is just execution, just consistency in the execution. At some point in time, they'll have to put that together. I think they're getting better each week. I think Alex is getting better each week. I think the receivers - we just have to continue to work together, get the timing down. I think that something very special could be in the making in terms of getting everybody on the same page on offense, whether it be [WR Michael] Crabtree, whether it be [WR Jason] Hill, whether it be [WR Josh] Morgan. I think the guys are beginning to click a bit. The more we can be consistent, the more we can execute, I think that can be a good thing here in the second half of the season."
On whether the touchdown catch Crabtree made was indicative of the reason for drafting him:
"Absolutely. I think more so than anything else, when you saw him in college he was like a man amongst boys making plays. You're hoping that transfers at the next level. This game is certainly not too big for him. He is a rookie. He is working his tail off. He is doing some little things that he has got to get better at. But, I think everything that he's been able to do thus far has been really good. I know we are very excited to have him. When you have a guy like that, it takes your whole offense to another level."
On whether he will make any other personnel changes this week:
"At this time, we're just kind of looking at some things. I don't want to make any quick decisions, rash judgments. We're just kind of looking at some things."
On his thoughts on the Thanksgiving holiday and his traditions:
"Just try and get everything done that we need to get done here in terms of keeping the focus on performing well this Sunday and trying to come away with a win. And at the same time, taking that day to enjoy your family, finding the balance between the two. That's really it. I'm going to enjoy my family and encourage everybody else to do the same."
On whether he carves the turkey every year:
"I carve the turkey. I mess it up pretty much. My wife is still gracious enough to let me do it every year. Yes, I do. The biggest part I do is we just have a good time. It's my day to serve and try to get my wife to sit down somewhere. That's what that day is all about for me."
On LB Matt Wilhelm's performance in the Green Bay game:
"Well I'll put it this way, it's a work in progress. He got in there and he made some improvement based on what he's done before and some of the techniques that we teach. He tried to use those. Matt, he really is a work in progress. I think he can play the game. I think he can be a good linebacker. How good? I just think it's going to take some time. Going forward, we'll see how good he can become."
QB Alex Smith
Post Walk-Thru - November 25, 2009
San Francisco 49ers
On having any plans for thanksgiving:
"Just staying at home and the in-laws are coming over so we are going to do thanksgiving dinner at our house."
On who does the cooking in preparation for thanksgiving dinner:
"My wife, I really don't have time to do much or really help out."
On his opinion on the state of the offense as a whole:
"Probably like most scenarios: some good, some bad, some in between. I think that, looking back, consistency is the key. We've lacked consistency in our execution, that's the one area that I really see."
On the difference in his offensive performance being under center rather than taking snaps in a shotgun formation:
"I don't know. I don't know the numbers. I guess, just imaging what they're like, it could be the concepts that we're doing that are different. We tend to do more play action pass when we're under center, taking shots maybe, I don't know. I don't necessarily think that whether the gun or under center has to do with it as much."
On throwing one pass under center in the second half of the game against Green Bay for an interception:
"Really? I didn't know that. I guess when I look at that, in that one example, I don't see the correlation there. I understand that's what the statistics say but that was a unique deal. I think back on what happened and the decision that I was making, and it was a unique thing specific to that play and not necessarily me being under center."
On whether the offense is still looking for a solid identity with him starting at quarterback:
"In a sense of figuring it out - yeah. I think it's because we've lacked consistency. I think it's because of that reason. At times when we're going and executing and doing what we need to do, we look good and at times we don't and I think that's because when you are struggling, you've got change what you're doing sometimes. So yeah, all of a sudden, if we're struggling doing one thing and we're changing it up, it appears that maybe we're looking, but I think that's the nature of this game. Good defenses are going to take away what they want one dimensionally. If the defense wants to overload the box and stop the run they can do that. You have to be able to adjust and throw the ball. That's what good offenses do, you have to be able to do that. I think that, especially when you come up and face good defenses, you can't always impose your will, you have to be able to adjust. Be balanced, be multi-dimensional."
On whether it's frustrating to figure out what a defense is doing and making adjustments:
"It frustrates me in a sense because I don't think that it's just the adjustment, it's us executing. That's the biggest thing, too. We have to go out and execute it, to take a half of a football like we did last week, yeah it is frustrating. We've got to get going. That's on all of us."
On scouting Jacksonville's defense:
"They are similar to a couple of the teams that we've played in the sense that they have 3-4 personnel going in and out of running the 3-4 and then 4 down. Then you're going to get different looks up front, so you definitely have to be sharp with the protection and the run game and where we're going. So, I think they're similar to teams that we've played in the last few weeks."
On whether he views Jacksonville being a sacking team on defense:
"That's not something that I particularly look at. I think that it's more when you look that personnel, if you play a team with a defensive end that's really causing a lot of problems is that something that you maybe have to adjust your game plan to. My job is to get out there and disperse the ball. You have to adjust to pressure and things they do like that. I'm not really thinking about d-linemen."
On his reasons why no passes were thrown downfield in the first half of the game at Green Bay:
"I think that there were limited opportunities. We only had a limited number of opportunities in the first half. I think just a combination of things, a combination of maybe not getting it off or it wasn't there."