Jim Harbaugh talks Trindon Holliday, Cardinals QB, fan response to players nearing the end

Trindon Holliday, as a return man, would you expect him to be handling some kicks Sunday?

"Yes."

He came and worked out several weeks ago. Did you get an opportunity to watch him and how impressive was he during that workout he had here?

"He had a good workout. We had talked to [WR] Trindon [Holliday] a little bit in the offseason, too, about signing, signing on. He went to another team. Excited to watch him. Hopefully, he creates a spark and for him, personally, shows that he can get the job done as he has done in the past."

What was the atmosphere like at practice knowing that this is kind of the finality is approaching of this season?

"It's been good. Been focused. Everybody had a good Christmas, which is unique in pro football to have Christmas Day off. There's no Christmas vacations in pro football. It was good to have the day off and guys came back, good energy and had a good practice today."

Anybody have any wise words to say after practice today?

"Yeah, [WR] Michael Crabtree broke us down today."

Anything message wise you can paraphrase?

"This is our last game, let's go win it."

This is the last game of the season in the new stadium. I know the results haven't been as good as probably you wanted, but what's been your feeling about playing in the stadium this year, this new stadium? What impressions are you left with?

"Good impressions. I think it's a fabulous stadium. Watching it be built from the dirt to the final product and to be able to play in it, all good. All good impressions."

What about the grass? How has that been this season after the rough beginning you had?

"It's been adequate. You followed that story the entire season. There's been some new fields laid down. [Head groundskeeper] Matt Greiner and his staff, nobody works harder to make it right than Matt and his guys do. They have done a phenomenal job. They've had to troubleshoot. They've had different events, et cetera. It's been up to NFL standards every time we've gone out there to play, and that's all you can ask."

Some fields can get worse, obviously, as you get into winter. What was it like on Saturday against the Chargers? Has it maintained nicely these last few games?

"Like I said, the guys have done a great job, and it's an NFL-standard field."

The Cardinals, I guess, were changing back their quarterback. They were going to their fourth-stringer, now they're back to their third-stringer. Does that just give you a little pause to think about that QB Colin Kaepernick's been so durable ever since he entered the starting lineup?

"It speaks volumes to the kind of talent that he has and durability and toughness. Yeah. I was really proud of, I think maybe one year, that I was able to play all the games. And I felt like that was a big accomplishment when I did it. Now, here he has done it again. I think it's one of those things, for any player, when they play and start all the games, play all the games. In his case, to haven't been out for a snap that speaks volumes. Something to be very proud of."

With G/T Alex Boone, is that knee injury something that's going to need surgery or what's his condition?

"It's got some Meniscus, so it'll be most likely a procedure there. But, don't think it will be extensive knee surgery."

You look at just the IR numbers for you guys this season. Is there anything that you can kind of pinpoint? Do you have any theories on why there were so many guys who sustained injuries through the course of the season?

"Not really. Nothing real concrete or solid."

Can I offer a possibility? That playing those high-impact games for three straight postseasons, do you think that's had any cumulative effect on some of the players?

"It could be. It could be a cycle, it could be a lot of different things. I don't really have anything concrete. Some guys were injured that didn't play in those three consecutive postseason games as well. So, hard to speculate on that one. I don't have anything concrete."

Who comes in for Boone in this upcoming game?

"[G] Joe Looney."

Why wasn't he active last week?

"[G/C] Dillon Farrell, we wanted Dillon to play some tight end, to be in the position to be an extra tight end. That was the main reason and Dillon is a backup center as well, so that was our thinking."

So, it wasn't necessarily that Dillon leaped him on the depth chart?

"Correct."

Just more of a game plan type of situation?

"Yeah. We were thin at tight end and we had to have that plan in place."

Earlier this week you covered about what may or may not happen on Monday. We don't need to go over that again. But, just to clarify one thing, you have no intention of resigning after this game do you, this job?

"The same, we plowed that ground very thoroughly."

So, is that a yes or no?

"What will happen, will happen. What will not happen, won't happen."

So, there's no yes or no answer to my question, is that what you're saying?

"Correct."

How's S Eric Reid doing?

"He's doing good. He practiced today, but it doesn't look like he's going to make the ball game."

So, it's S Craig Dahl in that situation? And then is it S L.J. McCray who's now the next safety into the game?

"Yes."

Both spots?

"Yes."

How's he done this year? Another rookie that's played a lot of snaps for you guys.

"He's progressed. Seen him in the last couple of ball games making plays and making tackles and he's come a long way and continues that growth, so it's been good."

We just talked to T Anthony Davis in the locker room and he's voiced some displeasure with offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Twitter and he certainly didn't back down from his comments in the locker room. Have you spoken to him or is that any kind of concern at this stage in the season of what Anthony has verbalized?

"Is it a concern? It's misguided. I'm not going to comment any further on it than that."

What will you enjoy most about coaching this game Sunday?

"The most? I'm going to enjoy the players that I really enjoy being around. I'm going to enjoy the coaches. Going to have a lot of fun coaching this ball game and want to win it. I want our team to have the good feeling of winning, feel good about ourselves."

A lot of different stories have popped up about you and some really interesting ones. I wonder if you could verify this one that I believe was at your bachelor party. You were having a paintball game, situation, and in order to win, you targeted a child, a 10-year-old child, in order to get the most points. Is that accurate?

"There's some accuracy there. But it wasn't paintball. It wasn't paintball. It's just another one of those half-truths. Just a half-truth. It was laser tag."

That's on me. I believe it was reported accurately and I disseminated that incorrectly. If I may ask -- ?

"That seemed part of the game."

Well, isn't that a little...It seems like kind of a cheap way to win, right? Or no?

"I'm just saying there is some accuracy there to the story and some not. Some half-truths there."

There are a lot of uncertainties with this game on Sunday as far as some of the veteran guys who have really had great careers and for instance, RB Frank Gore, isn't under contract, DT Justin Smith has at least led people to believe that this could be it. How would you like the 49ers fan base who show up to the game Sunday to respond to those players in particular with the specter that this could be the final time they put on a 49ers uniform?

"Well, I think the fans will...They know. They appreciate and they have always been so very supportive of somebody's best effort. Somebody gives it their very best and it's always been appreciated by our fans and by our fan base, and not just here at the stadium, but everywhere we go. They're there early, they're there throughout the ballgame, they're there after the ballgame. This is a fan base that is very appreciative and I know how they'll respond to guys like Frank Gore, that you mentioned, and all of our players. And how the players should respond this last game of the ballgame of the season is go out there and show and prove that there's another year of football. You as a football player can play for a whole another year. That's what you want to show, that's what you want to prove, whether you're a veteran player or a very young player or somewhere in between or some player that maybe thinks that they've got that locked up. You never know. So, it's a great opportunity to go out there and show and prove that yes, you do have another year of football in you and to be played."

You brought up the fan support. It has been noted here in the stadium like after halftime, the club-seating areas tend to be empty because I guess the people are in there. Have you even noticed that? Are you too busy coaching the game? What's your reaction to that? That it is noticeable some of the areas are empty after the halftime.

"I'm sure there are some very nice amenities inside the stadium that you'd expect fans to take advantage of, but they're back very quickly after the halftime and the atmosphere's been outstanding and supportive."