49ers vs. Washington transcripts: Jim Harbaugh, players discuss win

Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
Press Conference - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

It obviously wasn't a perfect offensive game, but talk about the way you guys ended it with that drive? Does that make you feel like you guys can do a lot better things to end the season?

"I thought our guys ... valiant effort. [WR] Anquan Boldin with that catch in traffic. Great throw by [QB] Colin [Kaepernick]. Our guys did what they needed to do when they needed to do it. Good teams win those kind of games. Proud of our guys. By any means necessary. That's how we're looking for wins."

That catch you mentioned by Boldin was something. He bounced up. Clark ends up getting hurt. Boldin was obviously fine. Is that just another example of what he can do still at his age?

"Yes. He's a shining star, a stalwart. I mean, who makes those plays? [WR] Michael Crabtree made a couple of those plays earlier in the game. Kept the drive alive. Made a great catch in traffic that nobody makes, except for guys like Anquan Boldin and Michael. Lot of valiant efforts today."

Couple fumbles, some turnovers, what kept the offense in it? What kept their minds in this game? What did you see to be able to put that last drive together?

"We turned the ball over and some teams will hang their heads when that happens. But that's not what this team's about. This team's about each other. They're about the team, the team, the team. Not into criticizing each other. We're not into bad mouthing each other, talking about each other. We're into lifting each other up. Guys just kept playing and fighting. That's what good teams do."

Does Anquan have a verbal role with that too, or is it just by what he does on the field?

"He's at the highest level. He's not a talkative guy, but he talks with his play. But when he does say things, people listen."

On the final drive, the run by RB Frank Gore to get the first down on fourth and then also RB Carlos Hyde's runs in the red zone?

"Thought it was a great run by Frank on the fourth down. We had some penetration in the backfield and Frank sidestepped it and lowered his head and got the first down."

Carlos Hyde's running in the red zone?

"Carlos, I thought he was running it inspired. Had the fumble and he was locked into the mission. You can tell by the way he was running the football."

LB Aldon Smith, there was talk about him having some rust last week his first game back. Didn't seem to be too rusty today. What did you see from him?

"I thought he played outstanding. He really had the speed, had power, came up with the big play on several occasions for us today. And then [DE] Justin Smith, you can see him just see crank it up there. Valiant effort there down the stretch."

It's tough to quantify, but do you think Aldon's presence helps everybody as far as the pass rush goes?

"He's a great player. Yes, I think it helps everybody. Helps us, yes. I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb by saying that."

The roughing call on LB Aaron Lynch, did you get an understanding of whether they said he hit the quarterback in the helmet or maybe it was something when he was getting off the ground, maybe pushed him down? Do you know?

"The referee told me that he had two officials that told him that it was the helmet-to-helmet. Tried to explain, I thought what I saw was [S] Eric Reid had his back shoulder blade is what made contact. And I didn't think that was to the helmet. I thought that was to the chest area - shoulder blade to chest. Those things happen fast."

I noticed before the game your quarterback gave kind of the pregame, fire-up speech. From what you've told us, I think, the players kind of figure out who does that. You must be pleased to see the quarterback step up and do that, I would suspect?

"No, definitely. I love to see the quarterback play the way he plays, the way he competes. That speaks volumes to me and is the most important thing. He's a tremendous competitor at the highest level. Made just so many good throws today over and over again. He played a great game. Had one ill-advised throw the entire game. Bought time in the pocket. Was excellent at the line of scrimmage in the checks. He's a great player. I don't know how everybody else doesn't see it that way. Great with a capital ‘G' at the highest level of great."

It was the first time that the first-team offense scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter this year. Can that serve as a springboard for these last five games and into the playoffs or is it just something that you just look as just happened now, finally?

"It was a great effort. Under a lot of pressure. Team takes the ball and takes it the length of the field and scores the game-winning touchdown. That's big-time stuff. Good team doing what it has to do to win the football game. Defense, I thought they played another outstanding football game. You know there are things and there always is. It's never going to be perfect. We had some penalties, we had some turnovers, et cetera. Most important thing is the way our guys play. They play their hearts out. Valiant effort, individual effort and team effort. What more could you want if you're a coach?

As much as we're talking about the offense, how reassuring is it that the defense seems to do whatever is necessary to at least keep you guys close always and they did again it today?

"Do what you have to do to win the football game, by any means necessary. That's some great play again. Individually, I thought [CB] Chris Culliver's coverage on the short post in the fourth quarter and on the last drive was a great play. Tackled well. [LB] Chris Borland was tackling. Our team was tackling. We didn't get the turnover until the end but that sealed the victory. It's awesome."

Will you have a regular Sunday night tonight or will you be back here working on Seattle?

"No, we're going to be back tonight. Coaches will be back tonight. We're going strong."

Was that a close call on the fourth down? Were you thinking about it with about five minutes left or were you always going to go for it on fourth-and-one?

"From my vantage point, I thought [TE] Vernon [Davis] had the first down and it went to review. Are you talking about that one?"

Yeah.

"That went to review, yeah. I said, ‘We're going for it'. If this comes back that we didn't get it, we'll go for it. And the guys made it right. Just like they did before the half on the play where we got three points on the fourth down. Great catch by Michael Crabtree. Great throw by Colin. It was great."

You guys were struggling to run the ball for the majority of the day. Did that factor in to the decision on fourth down? Did you guys think, ‘OK, we can overcome that,'?

"Yes. Thought we could, yeah."

Can you talk about Aldon's two sacks, dropping into coverage, just his play?

"I thought he looked really sharp. Had a great game. Speed was there, his power. You can see him not just striking, he was moving people. He was getting the edge. He was explosive. Thought he did a fine job."

Closing comments:

"Game ball for Rocco. Pretty fired up about that. You dedicate the game ball to somebody and you win, that's what you're supposed to do, so, we're really happy."

QB Colin Kaepernick
Press Conference - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

Can you describe the pass to WR Anquan Boldin there in the fourth quarter and what it's like to have a receiver who can take a hit like that downfield?

"He's proven time and time again that he's a reliable receiver. He's always a person that's going to make big plays, and he did right there for his team."

Can you explain how it seemed so easy to score early and then not throughout the game until like the fourth?

"We had successful plays on the first drive. We had a play here and there on the other drives that weren't successful and set us back."

This is the first time this season that the first-team offense has scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Is this something that you guys can use as a springboard, confidence wise, these last five games into the playoffs?

"Now is a good time to have it. So, we're going to need more of those moving forward."

What do you think worked this time that hasn't worked before? That fourth quarter drive you needed.

"I think the biggest thing is we made plays. [WR] Anquan [Boldin] made a huge play, got the 15 on top of that. [RB] Carlos [Hyde] was running hard, [RB] Frank [Gore] was running well. Our offensive line did a great job."

When you have a game like this, where it's sort of a struggle, do you learn anything about yourself or about the team? The game obviously, 16 games you're never going to play perfect, and the other team imperfect, every game, but do you find something else in a game like this?

"That this team's going to fight. We're going to fight until the end and do whatever it takes to try to get a win."

We just talked to Anquan and he's always been a leader by his actions, but he's even said he's been a little more vocal in his leadership right now. What are some of the things that he's said to the offense or to you personally during this stretch since the bye week?

"We're going to keep that in house."

You made the pregame address to the group before you came back in after the warmup. How did that come to happen and why'd you decide to do that and what did that mean to you?

"[LB] Pat [Willis] wasn't here today and everyone told me to step up, so I did. To me it's a big honor that your teammates want to hear from you before the game."

Can you share with us what it was about?

"Let's win."

Did you enjoy doing that? Can you see yourself doing that again?

"That will be up to my teammates."

Who is it that tabs you to do that?

"Today it was Bo [LB NaVorro Bowman]."

Three wins in a row now, does this give you guys the momentum you want going into this big Seattle game?

"We're just taking it one game at a time. Trying to make sure we win the next one."

I was talking to FB Bruce Miller, he said he thought the reason the fourth quarter worked this time like it hasn't before it's just been a matter of preciseness, exactness, getting details right. So, on that drive, that last drive what do you think was the most precise, exact thing that happened?

"I think there are things on every play that have to happen for us to be successful. So, you can't say it was one thing on one play."

You've been a big fan of the atmosphere in this stadium, and some people have said maybe it's a little quieter. Did you like the atmosphere today? Do you think it needs to get louder, maybe, for the next game?

"I think it was great."

Can you describe Carlos Hyde's touchdown run and what you saw?

"Had an opening inside, ran through, I think it was, a backer's shoulder and ended up in the end zone. Great run by him, great job by the offensive line."

The sequence at the end of the first half was interesting. Did you figure out what was going to happen there? That play was pretty interesting. Can you describe that whole business there?

"We get the play calls when we get the play calls and we do what we can with them."

Did you like that play call?

"It worked."

No TE Vance McDonald to start the game and TE Derek Carrier gets hurt as well. When you guys are short on tight ends like that, how do you deal with it? How does that affect the offense?

"There's certain things we can't do when we don't have two tight ends, but we work things to make sure we're able to run our offense."

Did you hear that Turlock High beat Pittman High at the Harvest Bowl? I had to ask you.

"I don't believe it."

S Antoine Bethea
Press Conference - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

How did it feel competing against [WR] Pierre Garcon again? You guys swapped jerseys after the game. What goes into exchanging jerseys after a tough game?

"He is a great competitor, a good friend and it was good going against him. He is a hard worker and it is just something I have been doing, swapping jerseys."

You have now won three games in a row. Do you have the momentum you want going into this game against Seattle?

"I think so. We've had some tough wins, some great wins for the team. This is something we can build off of coming up on a short week. A divisional game against a great team coming in here on Thanksgiving, I think this is something we can build on and hopefully continue this streak."

As a defensive back, what do you think about [WR] Anquan [Boldin] making a play like that in the fourth quarter and taking a hit like that, with the other guy going on the ground, while he is still going?

"He has been doing that his whole career so we don't expect any less on what Anquan does. Great players make great plays in crucial times and that is what he did going down in the middle, catching the ball and taking that hit. That is what leaders do and that is what great players do."

What kind of emotional leader is Anquan Boldin for the whole team?

"He doesn't say much. He is the type of guy that shows by his actions at practice every day, working hard, always out there early on the field. When game time comes, he comes out and plays and makes numerous amounts of plays on third downs. He is a great leader for us."

Talk about Anquan's toughness as a wide receiver.

"His toughness as a receiver ranks top two if not the top. I know when we used to play against him, when he catches the ball, you better bite down on your mouthpiece because he is going to bring a thump too. He is a strong player. The scouting report, when we played him last year, said he is not as fast as he once was but somehow, someway he finds a way to get that ball in crucial moments."

Do you see the advantage of having that rotation with the three outside linebackers on a short week with Seattle coming in? Is there new energy with [LB] Aldon [Smith] coming in now?

"Most definitely. As you can see today, our rush was probably at its best. With Aldon being out there for a couple of games and Aaron Lynch being able to get out there and get some playing time, I think this stretch these last couple of games is going to pay big dividends for us. Ahmad [Brooks], Aldon [Smith], Aaron Lynch and even [Dan] Skuta can get in there, can rush the quarterback and do some great things for us."

[RB] Alfred Morris had a big game but their receivers did not. Was that just the way this game played out or is there something you see in the run defense that needs to be improved before you face Marshawn Lynch?

"I think there are some things we need to improve on. One of the things we did well is not letting the receivers beat us deep like [WR] DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. [QB] RGIII [Robert Griffin III] has a strong arm and we know they like to get some deep balls in and as a secondary we just focused on that. At the same time, we were focusing on stopping the run. He had a big game and we need to get that corrected."

Does it ever get frustrating for the defense to keep doing what you are supposed to be doing while your offensive teammates are not being able to put together drives or put the ball in the end zone?

"That's just how the games go. As defensive players, our job is to go out there and stop the opposing team's offense. I'm pretty sure the offense, whatever they need to do, they will go out there and do that. As defensive players, we just have to focus on our job."

You have a lot of young players on your defense, what's you role this week in getting them ready for Thursday's game?

"They are not rookies anymore. They are pros now but I'll just be giving them a little tidbit here and there like to get to bed early, get off your feet, get in the cold tub and try to watch film whenever you can. When Thursday comes, it is go time so they have to be ready."

WR Anquan Boldin
Press Conference - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

We know you've told this team these are one game seasons. How big were the last few drives of this game for this team?

"For us, it was huge, but for the past four weeks, you've just seen guys laying it all out on the line. I think that's what we understand, the sense of urgency that's needed in this latter part of the season. Tough games, but guys are making plays when called upon at the right times."

Take us through your catch at the end of the game. You must have known that you were going to get hit, get hit hard on that play. What are you thinking when the ball's coming to you at that point?

"At that point, just catch the ball and protect yourself. Don't let them get a clean shot on you. Like you said, I knew I was going to get hit going up the seam. I saw the safety cheating to that side before the play even started, so Kap [QB Colin Kaepernick] made a real nice throw, which allowed me to catch the ball and protect myself as much as possible at that point."

You were able to protect yourself because you obviously came up out of that hit better than the guy that hit you. Do you feel like [inaudible]

"Yeah, I think so. My mindset was just, after the hit, score at all costs. So, that's how I was feeling."

What were you thinking as the offense was struggling through this game. Some turnovers, having trouble getting first downs?

"For me, just thinking that at some point, we're going to have to make a play to win the game on offense. Defense played their butts off. I think we played well in spurts, but we shot ourselves in the foot at times. Three turnovers were definitely detrimental to us on offense. Came out the first drive and felt good about what we were doing, moved the ball up the field pretty easily and we ended up scoring. It felt like we got into a rhythm and then just started making mistakes here and there. That's the thing about offense, it takes all 11 guys to do the job. If one guy doesn't do his job, it breaks down. It's unlike defense where one guy can just make a play. So, I know that's something that we have to continue to work on."

You've always been a leader through your actions, but as the offense struggles to maintain a rhythm, have you had to be more vocal or have you taken on more of a role with your offensive teammates in that regard?

"Yes, but I think everybody is at that point now. Like I said, guys understand the sense of urgency that is needed at this point in the season, and we just feel like we are in the playoffs. That's our mindset, and we feel like we have to win at all costs. Every week, there's going to be somebody different making plays. Somebody's going to step up and rise to the occasion, and we have confidence on everybody that's on offense that they're capable of making those plays."

Do you have to go through the concussion protocol?

"No."

You're fine?

"Yes."

Do you feel like you guys can make a few of those adjustments in the next couple days? It's a very short turnaround.

"Yes, I think so, and that's the thing. The mistakes that we're making are very much correctable, so it's not something that's earth-shattering or anything. It's very correctable."

You talk about trying to protect yourself in those situations. You've been in plenty of situations where you can't protect yourself. What do you do, you just go for the ball?

"Yes. At that point, the game's on the line. There's no way that I cannot go for the ball at that point. You're called upon in that moment and your teammates are expecting you to come through for them. It's part of football."

[inaudible] How do you reconcile that in your head? Are you able to compartmentalize that play and not think about it for the rest of your career on plays like the one you did today?

"For me, if I changed the way I play the game, then I don't need to play this game anymore if I'm thinking about a hit that happened five, six, however long it was. If I'm thinking about that, then I really don't need to play this game. I'd rather not be cautious, that's not the way that I play football. I'm an all-out type of guy, and I just see that hit as just a once-in-a-lifetime incident. I've been in that situation hundreds of times, and out of those hundreds of times, it's only happened one time. It's no big deal to me."

Your teammates quote you, especially on the one game season a lot recently. What does that mean to you, and what did you mean? Why did you think you had to say that at that time?

"I thought it was needed. I think somebody needed to say exactly that, where we are and what we need to do, at that point. Everybody knew it, but I think it needed to be expressed verbally. There's no hiding behind anything or anything like that. We know what our job is and we came into the season with one goal, and that was to win a championship. We still feel like we're in a position to do that, although we did put ourselves behind the eight ball, but if we're going to come out of it, the guys that are in the locker room have to make that happen. We can't listen to anything anybody has to say outside. As long as the guys in the locker room believe that, then we're okay."

It looked like Washington Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett had some words for you on the sideline. What was that about?

"I don't know. Guy tried to hit me late on a sideline, and I pushed him off of me, and he had some words for whatever reason. I don't even give that a second thought. He's irrelevant."

For us regular people, what does it feel like to collide with a guy and then watch him be the one hurt?

"I've been in that situation a lot. Honestly, you're just thankful. You thank God that you didn't come out on the other end of that, because I've seen it and I've been a part of it where it goes the other way. We play a dangerous sport, we know that, and it's only by the grace of God that we're able to do the things that we're able to do."

LB Chris Borland
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

RB Alfred Morris is a tough runner and he broke a lot of tackles today. He piled up decent yardage against you guys. Were you surprised by the effort he put forth today?

"No, it was evident on film how good of a back he was. We needed to do a better job, myself in particular, against him. All the credit to him, he's a good player, but we should have played better."

How about your quick turnaround this week? What will you do differently, or will you do anything differently, because you do have a shorter week?

"You just have to do as much as you can, physically, to get ready and also mentally. Just get on film, probably tonight. It's just a compressed week, so everything you can."

You have two games against Seattle in the next three weeks. Have you cheated ahead and watched any film of them coming into this one, or is this all just starting right now?

"I think you're too busy with the team you're playing that week, preparing for them. I think the coaches did over the bye week, but us players, I speak for myself and a few others, just prepare for each team each week."

You've been as productive as any backer in football over the last month, with 11 more tackles than anybody else in pro football coming into this one in your last three games. Are you getting comfortable and more adjusted to the speed of the game?

"I think so. The D-line is playing great, [LB] Mike Wilhoite's done an awesome job bringing me along, as well as NaVorro [LB NaVorro Bowman] and Pat [LB Patrick Willis]. I still have a lot of room to improve, but I'm feeling more comfortable, absolutely."

Physically, it's a much longer season than the college season. How are you feeling physically?

"I'm fine, we played 14 games at Wisconsin almost every year, so I'm used to it."

LB Ahmad Brooks
Postgame Quotes - November 2, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams

You're on a three-game winning streak. Is it good to just win them, or do you look at it as maybe we should have won them easier?

"We always look back at what we could have done better. We could've won by more points, we could've played better defense, but a win is a win. That's what counts. That's what matters."

How about for you personally Ahmad? I don't want to say a redemption week but a rebound week.

"Last week I was selfish, this week I was selfless."

You had a chance for a touchdown, but you got down to seal the win. You had that in your mind all the way?

"No, I was actually trying to get a touchdown, but one of my teammates, I think it was [DE] Ray [McDonald] told me to ‘get down, get down' so I went down."

CB Perrish Cox
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

The past couple of quarterbacks looked pretty bad against you guys and a lot of fans or commentators watching are going to say, "Man these quarterbacks aren't playing well." I'm sure that's part of it, but how much credit do you give your defense for making them look bad?

"Everything. That's our whole motto regardless of what we've got going on. Win, lose or draw, we want to come out on top and have a good game. As a whole, we just want to stick together and come out with a victory."

Watching film coming into this game, did you get the sense that Washington QB Robert Griffin III is a guy who can still move around a bit but not the threat with his feet that he used to be?

"No. Personally I take nothing away from the quarterback at all. We're going to come in and play them like he's playing his best. Coming into this game we knew they were going to try to go deep and we wanted to take care of the deep ball. But, we also depend on our D-linemen to get home for us which we did tonight."

Do you like how you guys are playing coming into the Seattle game?

"I love how we're playing. We just won three straight and hopefully we can keep that going. Defensive wise, we just want to keep on putting the numbers out there like we are."

Do you feel like that matchup will bring the best out of this team?

"Every year we know it's going to be a fight. It's going to be a fight to the end. Like I said, as long as we keep playing like we're playing now our confidence is always there and we're going to go into that game with a lot of confidence."

TE Vernon Davis
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

They say the good teams somehow find a way to win when things are against them.   

"You're right. That's one thing I like about this team and I applaud them for their efforts to keep going when it gets tough. They just keep going and together we're able to just keep moving and get it done, like we did today."

How challenging is it to get ready for another game, especially against the Seahawks when you guys have limited rest?    

"It's a short week but we've been down this road before. We just have to change our mindset and get ready for Seattle."

You looked a little stronger and fresher today. Did you have a little more bounce in your step? I know you've been battling with some things.   

"Yeah, I felt really good today. I felt great."

This offense had started out like a hurricane and then disappeared for a while, and then was great late. It seems to be a rollercoaster ride with this offense.   

"We've struggled a little bit but I wouldn't really look at the game and say that it was a rollercoaster. I'll just say that we came out, we played hard, we fought. We fought as hard as we possibly could, and just like all the other games that we've won, we stayed in there, kept fighting, and we pulled it off."

RB Frank Gore
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

What did you guys do on that last drive compared to the beginning of the game, to move the ball?

"We just had to dig deep and make things work. During the second half we didn't really put things together but when we needed something to happen, we did."

How big of a win was this with the Seattle game coming up on Thursday?

"It's big, real big. It was a "must-win" to keep us going and we've got to get ready for Thursday."

RB Carlos Hyde
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

Does he talk to you during the game and help you out and tell you things, RB Frank Gore?

"Yeah, we communicate back and forth certain plays that we run that he might run also. We communicate on that how the defense is filling up on that play so that if either one of us gets back in we can execute better."

T Joe Staley refers to you as a one-cut runner, in other words not a lot of dancing around. Would you call yourself that?

"Yeah. I don't try to do any, that's what I call a skyback the guy who dances around. I'm not a skyback. I just try to get my pads north and south and get to the end zone."

As a young guy, have you been indoctrinated pretty good yet on what this Seattle rivalry means and how intense it is here?

"No, but I know about rivalries. I played against the team up north. But, I don't think anything would amount up to that game. I know about rivalry games. I know this is a huge game coming up for us. This is a conference game so we definitely need this one. We're about to get ready for it."

FB Bruce Miller
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

What were the most precise and exact moments of that game-winning drive?

"I think that throw. That throw to [WR Anquan] Boldin was pretty exact. It was right where it had to be to give him a chance to catch it, take the hit, and then hold onto it. That was huge, but even more so in the run game, we had opportunities. I feel like we left yards out on the field. We've just got to keep working. Keep working as a unit and we'll get better."

What made the touchdown run work?

"The guys up front, especially at the center position, did a great job of creating a lane and letting him [RB Carlos Hyde] get going downhill. When he does that he's pretty tough to bring down. I know he took a hit but he shook it off and got into the end zone. Just a good job by the guys up front and a good job by Carlos getting his pads downhill."

Do you think that was a surprise call?

"I think we had a few positive plays there. I know Anquan had another catch down there in the red zone that put us in a manageable second down, then Carlos punched it in. That's what we've got to do. We've got to make plays when they're there. Today, especially late in the game, we made them."

LB Aldon Smith
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

The two games you've been back - do you feel like you're coming in to such a great situation with the defense?

"Yeah, things are going really good. Everybody's playing really good ball. It's just good being back and everybody's just doing their thing and making plays out there."

Good practice with RB [Alfred] Morris today because you've got [Seattle RB] Marshawn Lynch coming up. What are your thoughts on him? He's a big guy to bring down.

"We've done it before; we'll have to do the same thing we usually do. We'll make plays and go out there, wrap up, and tackle."

Take us through your two sacks today.

"Just working, just making plays. We do a good job of working together. I got a good push from the guy inside, so I was able to go around and make a tackle. I was able to make a move and then make another one."

Do you feel like you're going into the next game fresh and not dealing with as many issues as other players are at this point in the season?

"I don't have as many hits on my body as the guys who have been playing. So hopefully that comes into play on Thursday."

T Joe Staley
Postgame Quotes - November 23, 2014
San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington

This is the first unit's first fourth quarter touchdown this year. What do you think made it work today versus other times when you weren't able to?

"Big plays, that's really what it was. [WR] Anquan [Boldin] came up big, made a big play."

What were the precise parts of the game-winning drive?

"It was really just big plays. Anquan had that huge catch. A couple big plays and then the big fourth down conversion. Just guys making plays is really what it is and what it comes down to every single game. For some reason we're not doing that in the middle of the game."

How about the blocking schemes on the fourth down play and the touchdown play?

"For the fourth down, what was that a power play to the right? I'm on the backside there so I'm not really doing much, but I think [G Alex] Boone had a really good block. When we call power, we expect to get a first down every time. The touchdown was a good call, they were doing a lot of stuff as far as bringing safeties down so we ran an inside zone concept. It was a read concept and I think the backside block between Boone and [C] Marcus [Martin] was what opened that hole up there. [RB] Carlos [Hyde] is such a downhill runner, he took it in."

Was there a strong feeling on offense, especially the line, of ‘let's go for this' once they took the first down away from [TE] Vernon [Davis]?

"I didn't see anyone going off the field or looking anyways. That was like the last drive and that was what we were looking for. Yeah, I don't think there was any hesitation."

Does [RB] Carlos Hyde give you another element on offense?

"Yeah, he's a really solid back. He's a guy who's really learning and he's got one of the best running backs ever to learn from. He does a great job when he's in there of running downhill, being physical, being a one-cut runner, and he's definitely an asset to this football team."

What are your thoughts on getting ready quickly for the Thanksgiving game against Seattle?

"Yeah, it's going to be an exciting game. We've been playing Thursday night games every season so it's nothing new, we know how to prepare. It's all about recovery from this game and moving forward. We'll get in tomorrow, watch film, put this one to bed, and move on to Seattle. It's a big game."