Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick press conference transcripts - December 12, 2012

Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
Press Conference - December 12, 2012
San Francisco 49ers

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When you look at the Patriots on film, is it a daunting task when they're playing they way they are at this time of year?

"Definitely a big challenge and a big task. That's what we're preparing for right now."

Patriots QB Tom Brady and the Patriots don't give up a lot of sacks. To what do you attribute that pass protection? Is he good at avoiding sacks himself?

"Yes, there are volumes of evidence on that. Getting the ball out of his hand, understands protections and blitzes as good as anybody there is in football."

You've said QB Colin Kaepernick has special skills which are unique and you've also said you haven't dramatically changed the offense. I'm just curious, why wouldn't you significantly alter the offense to accommodate his special skills?

"I wouldn't get too tied up with words, dramatic or significant. There are definitely things that we're doing that tailor the offense to his skillset."

Have you either recently or in the past talked to your brother about preparing for the Patriots?

"Yeah, we've talked a little bit."

What were his insights?

"Wasn't real extensive, but he's preparing for his own games."

The Patriots are kind of the gold standard and have been for the last decade. Have you looked a lot at what Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has done or borrowed from him? How much have you looked at what he's done and the way he runs things as a coach?

"I think we have done some of that. And like a lot of people in the league, you look at things that have worked and there are certain things about his program, his team that you want to be about, you want to emulate."

Anything you could specify?

"Quite a number of things. On field, off field, some of their draft strategies."

On Monday you alluded to his ability or their ability to dramatically alter their schemes from week-to-week, you don't know really what to expect. How hard is that to do, if I was interpreting what you said correctly?

"It's a difficult challenge, it's a task. It's one that we're not unfamiliar to. There's quite a few teams in the league that do the same thing, have a high volume of defense or offense or special teams, and will give you a new look, something that you haven't seen. And you prepare for it the best you can."

Coach Belichick called WR Randy Moss the smartest receiver that he'd ever coached. I was just wondering, how much, having a guy like that, does that help both for you as a coach and for the other receivers on the team?

"We talked alot about it over the last nine, 10 months. He's very smart, one of the best to play the game at that position. He's a real joy to be around. Asks great questions. I think it shows up there most of all and then the things he shares with the other receivers and quarterbacks. You see him talking to running backs. It's pretty neat."

Do you see other receivers asking him a lot of questions too?

"Yeah, no question about it."

You guys suspended RB Brandon Jacobs on Monday. What was the reasoning behind suspending him?

"The league has a process when you suspend a player that you go through. So you're really not in a position to be talking about that. We'll let that work its way through the system. In terms of why or how we felt, our actions can speak for themselves there."

Most times there's a reason, conduct detrimental to the team. Does it fall under that category?

"Let me stay away from categorizing anything, let it go through the process. It works, there's a process that you work through. Not really at liberty to talk about it."

Did you address the team about this, a matter of what you want out of your guys in the locker room and how to behave and act?

"That message is a daily one. How we do things, is we talk about it every single day in some form or fashion. There was no team meeting that took place this week."

The team oriented philosophy that you've always preached over the last couple of years, that's obviously something Belichick hammered in early in his career with the Patriots. Is that something that you learned from and borrowed as well, of how the Patriots embrace the team aspect?

"I don't know that. No, I haven't observed that or familiar with that part of their team."

With the suspension you have an open roster spot. Have you filled that yet?

"Yes, [LB] Eric Bakhtiari was added back to the team and we have not filled the 53^rd spot."

Will you by the end of the week?

"We may or we may not."

How have you tailored the offense to Kaepernick's skill-set? Is that where the diamond formation comes in?

"It's one formation that was in before, when [QB] Alex [Smith] was playing as well. There have been some plays, just some plays, some scheme that they both do a good job with, but Kap in particular."

How have you seen the team embrace the switch to Kaepernick and how he's been supported?

"Fine."

Considering who you're playing, the top ranked offense, how much production do think you'll need more from your offense than a typical Sunday, if in fact, this game goes in that direction as an offensive shootout?

"What we'll need, we'll need more than what the Patriots score."

How hard is that Patriots WR Wes Welker - CB Carlos Rogers matchup?

"Tremendous receiver, but Carlos is up for it. He's equipped for it. Again, it's more of a team defense and how they play together, than just one guy versus one guy."

Will you potentially need to be rotating in your defensive linemen as possibly a response to the no-huddle? It seemed like the Texans got really gassed.

"Yeah that's a possibility. The Patriots do a real good job with their tempo. Could be no-huddle, could be huddle. They have different, varying speeds of their tempo and they do a great job with that."

Is that fairly unique, what they're doing with the no-huddle? Or do you see that a fair amount?

"It's very good. They've got a good system for it and they do a real good job with it. Can't think of another team that's better at it."

With TE/DT Demarcus Dobbs being down, is DT Ricky Jean Francois going to play more end than nose tackle than he has before?

"That's a possibility."

And will FB/DT Will Tukuafu play nose tackle? Has he played nose tackle in the past?

"Again, that's something that we could possibly do. Will could also play end."

QB Colin Kaepernick
Press Conference - December 12, 2012
San Francisco 49ers

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Colin, as you start to study the Patriots, what kind of challenges do they present to you?

"They're going to give you a lot of different looks on defense."

And how much does that help you in this whole process of developing as a quarterback?

"You just have to be prepared for it. You have to be ready for their disguises and different coverage's, different fronts they're going to give you."

How many more or less different looks do they give you than any other team you've faced?

"I can't put a number on it, a lot of different looks."

How much are you looking forward to this challenge, matching up against QB Tom Brady and their vaunted offense, to show maybe what you guys can do on offense too?

"It'll be a great challenge for us. It's a great opportunity to go out and show what we're capable of."

Are some of those looks new to you, looks you haven't seen?

"Not looks we haven't seen, just looks we have to be prepared for."

From watching Tom Brady just growing up, what have you tried to take from his game or what do you appreciate most about watching Brady?

"What he does mentally with the game. He knows exactly what he wants to do versus every look a defense is going to give him."

Talk about your excitement for this game, it's a big game. This is a game that everybody watches and it's got to be pretty exciting for you as a player to be on that stage?

"Yeah, it's very exciting to be out there. Just want to go out and perform well."

It's supposed to be raining, cold rain, on Sunday night. I imagine you've played in some bad weather games at Nevada. What's the worst weather that you've played in as a starter?

"Probably the Boise State game. It was about 20 degrees at kickoff."

What is it about this offense the past two games with several players said the rhythm has changed, meaning not in-and-out of the huddle as quickly, not getting to the line as quickly. How has that fallen off and how do you get back to that, to make sure that the quick pace in tempo is there?

"We just have to practice it."

Why did it fall off the last two games?

"I'm not sure. It's just something we have to get back to."

How does that affect you guys? Is it just a plotting thing, is it slower? How does that affect you guys?

"It's just less time at the line of scrimmage to see the defense."

Colin, now that you've settled into opposite roles with QB Alex Smith now can you share with us how he's supported you and helped you with this transition?

"He's been great. He's helped me with everything I've asked, even on the sideline he's going over looks with me making sure I'm seeing everything."

Colin, being a teammate with WR Randy Moss, what's struck you about the way he goes about his business?

"He's a true professional. He's going to do whatever it takes to make sure he's ready to play on Sunday."

Do you feel like you guys have developed a nice rapport on and off the field?

"Yeah, [WR] Randy's [Moss] a great guy, he's a great teammate. He's someone that everybody should try to be like as far as in the locker room and how they are as a teammate."

There was a clip on one of the shows, I think the Saints game, where it captured an interaction of you and him, and he was encouraging you. Does that happen quite a bit? Does he talk to you a lot between series?

"Yeah, Randy's always been great. He's always going to tell me what he's seeing with the defense. We just have a good relationship."

When he's on the field, does that change the defense? Are they accounting for his speed when he's out there?

"You would have to ask the defense."

Well, you're looking at the defense what do you think?

"Whether they're going to roll coverage to him or play a different coverage is really going to be dependent on how they feel about him."

It seems like you've been targeting WR Michael Crabtree the most out of any receiver, what about him makes you feel comfortable throwing him the ball?

"He's open. So, you're going to throw the ball to the guy that's open."

Colin, if this game gets into a shootout how prepared do you think this offense is for that, your offense?

"It's something we have to be prepared for every week, especially this week."

When you're preparing mentally to tackle head coach Bill Belichick's defense, do you try to get into his psyche and what he might try to do against you?

"No, I'm not going to try to get into someone else's psyche. I'm going to go out there and play football like we have been and just study film."

Talk through their defense a little bit, what is it you've seen? What is it that you're looking for, especially talking about flow and getting up to the line more quickly, what is it you're trying to diagnose there?

"Just trying to see what the defense is going to do pre-snap. Like I said, they give you a lot of different looks, a lot of different fronts. You just have to be ready for it."

So, have you changed your preparation at all this week?

"No."

No extra film time or anything like that?

"The same preparation I've been doing since the beginning of the season."

Feel a little more comfortable with the offense since you've been in it starting the last few games?

"I've been comfortable with the offense this whole season."