Opening comments:
"Injuries; you'll get the status report later, but [CB Kenneth] Acker and [TE Garrett] Celek are still going through the protocol. [RB Carlos] Hyde and [WR Anquan] Boldin, again, they are day-to-day. That's going to be day-to-day. And, [G/T Alex] Boone, yesterday he was with the training room, sore and they did the stretching and put him in the pools and all that. He'll be out there going today, so just trying to make sure we take care of that. I believe that's all I have injury-wise."
Do you have a sense after just a couple of practices of the running backs together, how things are going to shake out on Sundaywith RB Shaun Draughn and RB Pierre Thomas and RB Kendall Gaskins?
"Well, Kendall has obviously been here all the way through and we know who he is and what he's about and the way he works and his intelligence and how good he is at those things. And, he's a bigger, thicker guy. So, he's done very well. And, Pierre Thomas and Draughn, those guys have come in, obviously vets, we've seen them play. Draughn, you've seen play recently and the way they've come in and [running backs coach] Tom Rathman, they're in there with Tom and it's into the night and they are here and they're rolling. They were out there yesterday. I don't think we had any MA's out of those guys. So, they've got the skill, they are both good backs. So, the stuff that they are doing and the way they are conducting themselves is really good, really impressive."
I'm sure Pierre has been training obviously, but he's a guy that hasn't been to training camp and all that. How much in football-shape can he be and ready to play Sunday?
"Hopefully he's not a guy, we're not looking for him to go for 70 plays. But, what he's done here, he's obviously in shape and he's obviously kept himself in very good shape, but football-shape is a different deal. So, it would be concerning to me if I thought he had to take every rep, but as of right now I don't feel like he would have to."
Would you expect all three of those guys to be in uniform and getting some percentage of the snaps on offense?
"I would expect that. But again, I am going to wait and see exactly what is going on with Carlos. We're going to see with him."
If he sits out this game and then comes back say for the Seattle game November 22, that's a full month since he last played. Is that enough time for that fracture--?
"Now you're getting into questions I can't answer. Wouldn't even touch it. I just listen to what I'm told when it comes to the medical side of things. I just trust [vice president of football operations Jeff Ferguson] Fergie and the guys with what they say."
Is the sense that that duration will help him? He'll feel better having sat out a full month.
"Yeah, I mean, there's discussions every day. There's discussions on all of the different scenarios on where he can be and Carlos is obviously a big factor in that too. He's a gritty guy that wants to play ball."
Has Anquan been here all week?
"Yeah."
I know he had some family stuff.
"Yeah. Anquan's here and was on the field all day yesterday. Yeah."
What have you seen out of the quarterbacks in practice, starting with QB Blaine Gabbert?
"I've seen two guys going to work every day, really working hard, good teammates and that's been very good."
It could be that WR Quinton Patton gets a lot of playing time. He and Gabbert spent all of last year together, working on the scout team a lot. Do you see in practice a chemistry, a connection between those two because they have been playing together for so long?
"They're all teammates, you know what I mean? You're talking about the practice squad, or the look teams, but they've all been teammates. So, I see the ball getting spread around to where it's supposed to be. I wouldn't categorize it that way. I think you're looking for, you know, like that's his go-to guy. I haven't seen that. I've seen the ball going where it should go and spread around."
What do you need to see out of your defense against the Falcons?
"Obviously, a big thing that we're, they had three big plays against us last week. You've got an explosive offense coming in here. So, we're putting a lot of emphasis on that. They do have a good running game, a good running back, a really good running back, backs. So, this is a good offense. We have to play consistent. The way I have always termed it is more of a flat line. Be a flat liner, man and play consistently down in and down out and strain through everything. Obviously, we want to limit the explosive plays."
What were your impressions of S Jaquiski Tartt's first start and is he continuing to progress as you'd hoped?
"Yes, he is. He's progressing. I think Jaquiski is a talented, young football player."