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Speaker 1: All right, welcome back.
00:00:00
Speaker 2: Larry Kruger with you and joining us this segment to talk a little bit about the upcoming Niners-Commanders matchup is our favorite guy, Guy Haberman, who will be on the call with Tim Ryan on Monday night.
00:00:11
Speaker 1: Keena Turner's getting inducted.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Into the 49er Hall of Fame. I know there's a lot of old heads like myself. We're very excited about that. And, of course, the Commanders come in and Guy, I really think this is a dangerous game for the 49ers. Not from the standpoint that the Commanders are that good, but I think they're going to get the Commanders A game because of the way last weekend did. There's rumors about Dan Quinn's job security. They have the bye week the week after the 49ers.
00:00:38
Speaker 1: And I just think, I don't know how good the Commanders are. They did beat the Seahawks. But whatever their A game is, the Niners are going to get it on Monday night. I'm pretty sure of that.
00:00:47
Speaker 3: And it's a Monday night game, which I think. you know, helps Washington out. Long flight. We're going to see what they're made of, right? This is a week to either make or break. Like, are you guys going to respond to everything that's been going on around the team and rally around your coach and your quarterback? Or are there already kind of cracks? And last week we saw it and now it's going to fall apart. So it's a big week for them. I mean, you know, they've been through this now for a few years. Like last year was supposed to be a big year for them. And jayden daniels gets hurt and then cliff kingsbury's out and david blau comes in and that's going to be the secret and it's not going well obviously we're you know the margin's really thin between washington coming in off a win and the 49ers coming in off a loss yeah right and if that were the case then i think uh you talking about being you know this being a challenging game and all that stuff would sound like totally everyone go like yeah it's uh it's a must win game and and all that stuff um you know and i guess uh nothing's really a must win game until it's a must win game but it would feel like you did give back some equity, right? If you were to lose this game, now you'd still be three and O in the, in the division. But, um, you know, for me, it's like, I, I, I'm so glad the commanders are wearing the uniforms that look like that franchise is supposed to look. The uniforms got pretty bad for a while. I thought now when you look at the numerals, the W is now the logo on the helmet, but the Jersey and the pants look like my, that's my dad's from Maryland. So like that was his team when I was growing up, you know? And I, They were a great, like my wife was asking me.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: Iconic team, Jack Kent Cook, Joe Gibbs.
00:02:17
Speaker 3: It's funny because them and the Niners didn't play a ton of like big, there weren't like a lot of big playoff matchups right over the years between those two. 83 was the best. So they kind of missed each other in that regard. But for me, I don't know if everyone else feels this way. But for me and my childhood and this franchise, there's something kind of nostalgic about it for sure. And they feel big. They feel big. And we don't get this matchup a lot. So I'm excited about it. And I think it's so easy. And this year's a great example already. It's so easy to go down the schedule and go win, win, win, loss, win. And then it's halftime in the Dolphins game and it's close. Or then it's a two-point game with the Cardinals and it's like, you better make some plays so you don't get to roll out the ball against anybody, particularly like quarterbacks that can move, which Jayden Daniels can do. So, yeah, I'm excited.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: They lost Laramie Tunsell, who is their Trent Williams, and they've been shuffling all year on the line of scrimmage. And I did watch the All-22 of Giants commanders last night and The.
00:03:25
Speaker 1: Giants just blitzed them all day. Just came at them with tons of pressure.
00:03:29
Speaker 3: Corner blitz, got home, right? Carter got home.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: They attacked.
00:03:37
Speaker 2: They got five sacks and they attacked. And then they also gave some run lanes. And Jaden Daniels took those run lanes and ran for over 100 yards. Kyle was very adamant today that Jaden Daniels is not just.
00:03:51
Speaker 1: A runner, that he's a really good player from the pocket. And I asked Kyle, I said, Kyle, you know, I think we're going to get, you know, Washington's A game. You know, I've heard rumors.
00:04:01
Speaker 2: I didn't mention this in the question, but I'm like, I've heard rumors of Dan Quinn getting fired.
00:04:06
Speaker 1: And we know how last week ended and the bye week's coming up. And there's just a lot of pressure on them.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: They were in the NFC Championship game not that long ago, and now they've regressed. And I just think that if they get their doors blown off, and they have to fear that, I'm sure, that.
00:04:20
Speaker 1: It could, this could be it. This could be it. I mean, somebody could pull the plug on the regime.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: I don't know that that's going to happen, but I just said to Kyle, I said, I really think.
00:04:28
Speaker 1: You're going to get their A game. How do you get your guys.
00:04:32
Speaker 2: You know, coming off such an emotional game to kind of get to that level that the commanders, I think the commanders are going to be really amped up for that thing Monday night.
00:04:40
Speaker 1: And he's like, we just got to talk about it. We got to emphasize it. We got to.
00:04:43
Speaker 2: We've got to make sure our guys understand that they are dangerous animals, the wounded animal, right?
00:04:50
Speaker 1: And that's what the commanders are right now. They're kind of wounded.
00:04:52
Speaker 2: They're limping in, but they're desperate. And sometimes desperation makes a team play really well. And he just said, hey, we've got to talk about it.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: We've got to have a really good week of preparation, and we've got to get ready to go.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Buckle it up and get ready to go Monday night. So, I mean, there's no real secrets to any of this, but– it's going to be a challenge for the 49ers coming off of that incredibly emotional win in Seattle last week to match that intensity this week.
00:05:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, I will say it's never like under Shanahan. They don't usually have those sort of letdowns, right? Like they're pretty insulated from that. I think it's probably him. Um, I think for a specific reason, it's him. And then I think it's their personnel. Like they've got veteran guys, um, I thought Kyle said something really interesting in his interview with Matt Maioco a few weeks ago. Matt asked him if there's pressure to come up with new material for the player meetings every week. And he said, yeah, there is pressure, but not really because I just stick to football. Like, it's never fire and brimstone. This week I've got to find something to motivate the guys. I just stick to football. And if you stick to football, there's always going to be something to talk about. And, you know, Shanahan's meetings are kind of things of lore, right, because of how much the players learn from them, offensive, defensive, defensive. And so I think that's probably some of the reason why his players, his teams don't ride an emotional roller coaster because he doesn't present one particular game as let's run through a wall and kill these guys type stuff. Now, that said, you don't have Debo or Dre Greenlaw. Those are two major emotional leaders for the 49ers. The way they play sets a tone. The 49ers overcame two and a half quarters without Greenlaw and then the Debo injury as well to win in Seattle. you know, I thought the 49ers were put to an emotional test last year in Philly at the end of the first half when George Kittle went out with what was clearly a really bad injury, so, you know, I think they're set up well, they've gone through injuries every week now that, you know, losing Debo, I don't know if there's an emotional component to it, there's just a fundamental component, like, I thought after watching the Denver game, oh my god, Debo's open a lot, like, I know a lot of the film guys, J.T. O'Sullivan, they, you know, Debo jogs sometimes. He's not getting the ball. Debo, like, fine. I'm kind of, I meant the point. It's like, oh, I guess, but whatever. Just get him the ball and he'll go make a play. So I do think you just lose, like, you lose two really good players. And I think that's probably, as I'm talking it through, more important than the emotional component of it. Because they got Fred Warner and they got Mike Evans and you know, I think from that standpoint, they'll be fine. And it's one of that football. Like I think it cuts both ways. It probably motivates Washington, but you know, these are bright lights, primetime players that the 49ers have. So I think the fact that it's a Monday night football game probably guards a little bit against an emotional letdown.
00:07:41
Speaker 1: You know, I'm a big JTO Sullivan fan. I love that. I love that quarterback school.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: And I watched the version of the, you know, the look back at Seattle and, you know, I mean, more than anything, I mean, I think it's interesting for the route combinations just to see like what routes Kyle comes up with and Kubiak comes up with and how they pair them together and what they do and what parts of the field and situational football.
00:08:03
Speaker 1: It's all really interesting stuff. But then I also kind of like just watching it kind of let it wash over me and get the overall themes.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: And the theme that I took away from the Seattle game was just obviously Mike Evans was spectacular and he's doing things while he's hurt, which is even more spectacular to me.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: But he made two comments. One was that the Niners really lack some vertical speed right now. And I think that is it is apparent on the film. But then that's the negative.
00:08:30
Speaker 2: The positive is that Brock Purdy off schedule, out of structure is just.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: Really taking it to another level and.
00:08:38
Speaker 2: I thought he was exceptional in the fourth quarter, but really throughout that game, out of structure, extending plays with his legs, keeping his eyes posted downfield, moving just so adeptly in the pocket around a sea of bodies while not really looking at them, just kind of feeling them. You know, are you more amazed by Evans and what you saw, or are you more amazed by Purdy and what you saw?
00:09:03
Speaker 1: They were both really special last week.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I'm amazed by Evans because I hadn't really watched him up close every week like this, and every week he makes a 70-yard catch to start the game and then goes down to a knee and needs to collect his breath because of how hurt he is. The reality is that the two things are connected, I think, right? Like, it was interesting to hear Kyle today, and I'd be interested how you interpreted it, but There are times, this happened in the Seattle game, a couple of sideline balls out of bounds where you're like, God, it seemed like Brock just predetermined he was going to throw it to Mike Evans on that third down, you know? And then Kyle kind of said that today. Like, there are times where you're not going through the progression. You're just waiting for Mike Evans to get open, which I don't know that I've ever heard Kyle talk that way about a player. Yes, the 49ers lack vertical speed, but I mean, they mostly have lacked vertical speed for a while when it comes to the receiving core, right? Like, they really haven't had ever a stretch the field receiver I mean I guess maybe Emmanuel Sanders and I thought we'd at least see a few go balls to Mike Evans because the beauty is Mike doesn't have to run away from anybody. We haven't, but we know the Niners hit explosive pass plays in other ways, and they've continued to do it this year. I think I was amazed last week before the game. I went back and watched the Week 18 Seattle game from last year and the playoff game. And, you know, I was on the field for the Week 18 game because that was the game Greg was in the booth. Greg was calling that game. And I remember feeling how just out of sync and frenetic. I mean, frenetic's not the right word, but certainly out of sync and off schedule of 49ers offense was. And when I went back and watched the game again, especially from the end zone view, Brock was so much calmer in the pocket than I remembered feeling that it was during the game. And the same thing for the playoff game. Like Brock, he got hit a lot. He made a lot of just creative throws. He moved well creatively in the pocket. But you're right. He's never moved. He's always, he's often moving just to get himself to another position to throw with guys around him. And, you know, the fine line is, only leave when you should leave and stay when you should stay. And that's really hard. Like, there have been a couple times every game where I'm like, oh, Brock probably could have hung around in the pocket a little longer and he left. But for the most part, you know, his ability to move but not, he's like, you said it, it's very subtle. It's moving just to avoid and to throw but not leaving. You know, I think probably a lot of us, if we were a quarterback on the joystick, there'd be no micro-adjustments. It'd be like, go, right? If you're a pilot, it's probably like hard left turns if you're an amateur. And Brock is just so subtle. And he got hit a lot and got hit hard a lot. And it never seemed to affect the next play or the next throw or the next time he was under pressure. So I am... I think that's the part of his game that just... I'm just amazed by repeatedly. And you do wonder... Like, what if Mike Evans played 10 years for Kyle Shanahan? Or what if Mike Evans was in his prime with Brock Purdy? It just, to me, changes everything because he doesn't have to be open. And the two-point conversion Brock threw to him, there have been multiple throws where you're like, how did that ball get to Mike, A? And then, B, how did he catch it? Like, the ball skills, it's crazy. You know, I asked Kyle Shanahan today about the red zone, about the low red zone specifically. And he talked about you've got to be able to play within the pocket and you've got to be able to get out of the pocket. And that's the part that's interesting to me because the Niners are so good in the red zone. They were last year, and they've been excellent this year, scoring touchdowns in the red zone. And it's been a lot of Brock extending a play and creating a little more space or moving the pieces around with his movement. And I think that's what's really cool to see is how the pieces, how the offensive and defensive players move when Brock moves. And so how he almost not just gets away from pressure but creates a new window for to throw to. The Brandon Cooks touchdown was the same thing. He does it over and over again. I'm with you. It probably can be overstated, but to watch it again and again and again, especially against a defense like Seattle's, is really impressive.
00:13:19
Speaker 2: Before we talk about the Niner defense, the Niner offense, the way I.
00:13:22
Speaker 1: See it in this game, you've.
00:13:23
Speaker 2: Got to take care of the football. Commanders have seven or eight takeaways on defense. They They take the ball away. You've got to take care of the football.
00:13:32
Speaker 1: They're going to blitz.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: I think they're the second highest blitz rate team in the league, over 42% or something like that.
00:13:38
Speaker 1: So they're going to blitz.
00:13:39
Speaker 2: The defensive coordinator is a first-year coordinator, but he's going to blitz.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: Quite a bit.
00:13:43
Speaker 2: They have Sonny Stiles and Frankie Louvu in the middle, and that's tremendous speed, right?
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Louvu is so aggressive, so smart. Sonny Stiles came off a game where he had 13 tackles last week. Their pass defense is not great. I think it's 28th or 29th.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: But obviously Kyle's always trying to achieve offensive balance. Might be a big game for Watkins, because with Debo out, I believe he might be the next man up in Debo's spot. I'm kind of looking for a bust-out performance from Watkins, but what do you expect to see from the Niners offensively?
00:14:14
Speaker 1: We know Kyle loves to achieve balance. Do you think.
00:14:18
Speaker 2: They're going to run it heavy on Monday night, or do you think it's it's a pass to set up the run.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: How do you see the matchup nine or O against a commander?
00:14:26
Speaker 3: Well, the 49ers Kyle Shanahan is passing more in, you know, situations where historically he runs than he ever has before. And I even thought last week they could have run the ball more than they did. They didn't really start really exhausted.
00:14:42
Speaker 1: They ran the ball really effectively.
00:14:43
Speaker 3: They ran it effectively. And it didn't, I don't think they had, I think they had back-to-back runs once before that drive at the end of the third quarter that spilled into the fourth quarter. Like they, I definitely thought coming out of that game, there's so many things, both Seattle and San Francisco, where you're like, okay, if you're Seattle, what do you feel good about? What do you feel bad about? If you're the 49ers, what do you feel good about? What do you feel bad about for the next meeting? And I came away thinking, like, gosh, the 49ers left something on the table in the run game against Seattle. So maybe they do a little bit more of that today. I'm really interested to see, or this week, how Connor Colby plays in the past game. You know, I thought he was really good in the run game. I'll defer to you two because I know you study it. and it's as challenging as a pass assignment as you can have. You're not getting judged solely on that. I know there are a lot of pressures, but I'll be interested to see how he plays, and I'm really interested to see Deron Payne as a trade target. Sometimes this happens where who do you trade for? You trade for players you know, or maybe you trade for players who you played and give you a hard time, and you've got the relationship with Adam Peters there. So I'll be interested to see how Deron Payne plays this week. We saw them do a deal last year. Washington did before the deadline with Chicago. I think they did two deals actually last year. They traded away two pass rushes last year. Or was that two years ago? Montez Sweat, yeah. Was that two years ago or last year?
00:16:04
Speaker 1: Montez, I think it was two years ago.
00:16:05
Speaker 3: When was the Chase Young deal? Three years ago or two years ago?
00:16:08
Speaker 1: For the Niners, the Chase Young deal was the Super Bowl year.
00:16:11
Speaker 3: Right.
00:16:11
Speaker 1: So that was 2022, 23.
00:16:12
Speaker 3: I thought him and another....
00:16:16
Speaker 1: Cleen Farrell, maybe?
00:16:17
Speaker 3: I thought Washington traded two guys in the same year. So maybe Sweat was a couple... Anyway.
00:16:22
Speaker 1: I'm losing my.
00:16:22
Speaker 3: But they're trading pass rushers every year.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: Yeah. You're right.
00:16:25
Speaker 3: It was 23 that they got Chase Young.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: But.
00:16:28
Speaker 3: So anyway, that's not exactly what your question was, but... That's all right. Yeah, I'm interested to see that. And I think you're right. Like, Watkins... You know, I know we go back and forth on... John Jennings. I don't know.
00:16:41
Speaker 1: Is he the receiver that they need? I mean, I think they would love to have him, but... I see the receiver they need. Receivers need to complement the other receivers. And it seems like they kind of have the possession receiver. They kind of could use that vertical threat. They kind of could use, as J.T.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: O'Sullivan described, that field-stretching entity that can take the top off, that actually does draw the safety away from the line.
00:17:05
Speaker 1: Of scrimmage and into the gravity player.
00:17:10
Speaker 3: No question that is what they need, and that Juwan Jennings is not what they need. But he's so dependable. Well, I mean, not for the Vikings, apparently. Although he's second in snaps on their receiving board.
00:17:20
Speaker 1: He's playing a lot of snaps. He's just not getting any targets.
00:17:22
Speaker 3: So two things. One, I want to find out if Brock trusts Watkins and Cowan. Because he's not throwing them the ball. Now, you could argue, why would you throw it to anybody other than Mike Evans or Debo or Kittle or Christian? Fine.
00:17:37
Speaker 2: Cooks.
00:17:38
Speaker 3: But, you know, after that miscommunication with Cowan, two weeks ago, he has not seen an attempt. And Watkins hasn't seen one in two weeks. So I'll take it back. Cowling had the first down catch.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Cowling did have one. But if you watch that play, Evans ran off the top.
00:17:51
Speaker 2: Debo drew the safety on the crosser. And Cowling was the absolute.
00:17:55
Speaker 3: And didn't catch a clean.
00:17:56
Speaker 1: Didn't catch a clean, but he was absolutely the right guy to go to. And Brock came out of the back foot and right to him.
00:18:02
Speaker 3: Which is great. So trust, I think, is a factor. The other thing is, what are you going to trade for Jawan Jennings?
00:18:10
Speaker 1: Why would they trade him to you?
00:18:12
Speaker 3: Well, that too, but you're not trading enough for him that they would trade him to you, right? Like the Vikings might say, we're not trading Juwan Jennings to you. And you're like, well, we'll give you a second. They'd be like, okay, fine. But you're not giving them a second. You'd offer them a sixth, maybe? Well, if they're only going to get a sixth, then what do they trade? They could get a sixth or a seventh from somebody else or not do anything, right? So I just, I don't, for a variety of reasons, and You know, I do think it's a bit of a wait. You can't just wait, but guys are coming back.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:18:43
Speaker 3: You know, I think, like, I really hope Stribling is back before the next Seattle game. It feels like that's going to be pretty tight. It may not happen. But I came out of that Seattle game, Larry, thinking, like, God, I think DeSean Stribling would be great for a game with the Seahawks because of his physicality and size and speed.
00:18:59
Speaker 1: You know, if you ask yourself, like, what piece would they need?
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Well, Kyle was asked by Mayoko Monday about, are you going to make a change at the punt returner? And Kyle didn't say no. He said not yet. That's what he said, which I don't know if that's what I would want to hear.
00:19:17
Speaker 1: If I was cowing.
00:19:18
Speaker 2: But I was talking to some Washington people this week, and they said that they think there's a chance that Washington may release Luke McCaffrey.
00:19:26
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:19:27
Speaker 1: That he's the seventh wide receiver there.
00:19:29
Speaker 3: Just like their second kick return guy, right?
00:19:31
Speaker 2: When I walked up to Christian in the locker room today and I said, Christian, how's Luke as a punt returner?
00:19:36
Speaker 1: He's like, he's good. That's what he said. He said, he's good. I said, does he have experience doing it? He's like, yeah, and he likes doing it. I'm like, okay.
00:19:44
Speaker 2: So, you know, more than anything, when you look at how explosive the 49er offense is with Evan.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: And all the weapons, and you're right, they do have guys coming back. I'm starting to.
00:19:53
Speaker 2: Think that their mindset might change as far as punt returner from dynamic, let's bust one, Jacob Cowan can take it to the house, to let's put somebody back there who's going to catch every single punt and so we don't have any turnovers.
00:20:07
Speaker 1: That might be a negative way to look at it.
00:20:09
Speaker 2: Because you're really thinking about trying to avoid negative plays more than making positive plays.
00:20:13
Speaker 1: But I think Luke McCaffrey, if he were.
00:20:16
Speaker 2: Available, might be somebody that they would have interest in as a.
00:20:19
Speaker 1: Return man, last receiver. I don't know. It's just an idea. What do you think?
00:20:24
Speaker 3: They have Xavier Smith, who's a good punt.
00:20:26
Speaker 1: Returner, too. Yeah, another guy with a lot of speed.
00:20:28
Speaker 3: I don't think Cowling– I think Cowling is– I mean, you know, if we're really just taking a step back, I thought he was really good in camp.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: He was their most reliable. That's why they went with him.
00:20:38
Speaker 3: You don't think he's reliable? You think he's just more reliable than Watkins? I mean, he is more reliable than Watkins.
00:20:43
Speaker 2: I think he doesn't have the strength to take the hit and hold on.
00:20:48
Speaker 1: And not because of the play in Seattle.
00:20:51
Speaker 2: Just because of his overall physicality. I think if you hit him really hard, I think the ball is going to come out. So ball control, I don't know if I trust him in that situation. Now, obviously, in Seattle, he should have. Call for the fair catch. I mean, it's just a mental mistake.
00:21:05
Speaker 1: More than anything.
00:21:05
Speaker 3: Or just backed off. I knew before the punt. I looked over. I looked down at him, and he's covering his eyes from the sun.
00:21:10
Speaker 1: You know, right? Like, problem. And it was pretty fierce glare.
00:21:14
Speaker 3: It was strong. Now, that said, I also understand. It's like, I'm going to catch this ball like the 40, 35. Like, I can take this to the other 20, you know? But that's what you don't want is to suddenly become what the Niners used to be on special teams, which is basically like do nothing ever.
00:21:29
Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
00:21:31
Speaker 3: Which is like, you know, now you're on your heels.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:21:34
Speaker 3: And it felt like they were, not that Kyle's never called a fake. But, you know, I don't think you want to totally be on your heels out of fear. But I'm with you. Like, clearly they're open to making it. Someone's got to convince them to do it. Like a player has to make it obvious. And maybe you're right. Maybe somebody around the deadline, maybe it would be McCaffrey. It would be interesting. It would be very interesting.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: It would be very interesting.
00:22:02
Speaker 3: I know you liked him coming out, didn't you?
00:22:03
Speaker 2: I do like him, and I know Christian really wants to play with him, and I.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Think he's a trustworthy player.
00:22:08
Speaker 2: He's not dynamic as far as a runner, but he's reliable, and I think he, as a utility piece, he might be a guy that could be.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: On this roster for the next three years or so.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: I think he could make sense long term. Let's flip the card before we finish up here and talk about the Niners on the defensive side because Jaden Daniels ran for 100 yards last week.
00:22:30
Speaker 1: And what do you think Raheem does here?
00:22:33
Speaker 2: I mean, does Raheem, if you play man coverage and everybody turns their head, he's going to take off and run.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: He also can make plays from the pocket. He's got Terry McLaurin.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: He's got Stefan Diggs. You know, two really, one of the better veteran tandems.
00:22:49
Speaker 1: Of receivers they'll face this year. You've got three backs, Corey, Kroski, Merritt, call me Bill.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: You know, they've got some decent tight ends, Chigokonko.
00:22:58
Speaker 1: It's not a great offensive line. But I do expect them to look sharp. To me, you have to make sure that Jane Daniels If you're going to rush, you rush.
00:23:10
Speaker 2: As one and you keep him hemmed in that pocket. And if you do play some games and move guys around, you don't give him the obvious run lane. Because he won't just burn you for 10 and run out of bounds. He'll burn you for 45 yards and change the field position on you. What do you think the plan is for Raheem? I'm so impressed by Raheem's defense. I can't even tell you.
00:23:31
Speaker 3: I mean, who would have thought this defensive line would look this good without Nick Bosa? It really is amazing. And the secondary is playing the way they're playing. You know, you miss Greenlaw, I think, because of what you're talking about. So maybe it's a Jaden Duggar opportunity, right, to kind of show a little bit of playmaking. I think, you tell me, Duggar's been good.
00:23:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, very good.
00:23:52
Speaker 3: But he hasn't had like that moment where you go, oh, wow, Jaden Duggar is flashing all over the field in this game, which is fine. That's not yet what he needs to do. Maybe Romello. is in a position to have to keep an eye on Jayden Daniels a few times. But being down multiple linebacks, not just Dre Greenlight, down Garrett Wallow as well. And Wallow's a reliable guy. So it feels like maybe it's a Jayden Duggar game. And the other thing is, I hope Upton Stout can be 100% soon. He's listed again with the shoulder. I don't know if that's the play on Cooper Cup on the sideline, if that was affected at all by it at the end of the game the other day. Bothered them enough they didn't get the first down, but that's the biggest concern, I think.
00:24:38
Speaker 1: How surprised are you by the safety play? The Niners fans.
00:24:41
Speaker 2: Were, and many media people, and myself included at times, were like, hey man, they need help with safety. And yet here, Jair Brown has had this career renaissance, and Mustafa, what.
00:24:51
Speaker 1: A game he had last week.
00:24:53
Speaker 2: I talked to Siegel in the locker room today. He'll be back at some point. He was saying that he really felt that JSN dropped that ball at the end of the game because of the hit that Mustafa put on him.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: I asked Siegel, I go, what was your favorite hit of the day?
00:25:08
Speaker 2: He's like, oh, man, I love that Rashid Shaheed hit early in the game.
00:25:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, the drop.
00:25:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, Mustafa just blew people up. He did. Give me your thoughts. I mean, this is... You know, this is a huge turnaround.
00:25:21
Speaker 2: I mean, they're getting really good play out of their defensive backfield across the board, but the safeties were kind of much maligned last year, and not one person I've heard.
00:25:30
Speaker 1: Complain about them this year.
00:25:32
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, it's like Raheem, I didn't expect the coach to do it, and the players were saying it in training camp, but I was very skeptical. Because you hear it all the time when there's a coaching change, or maybe you've been maligned as a position group. You're like, oh, this year it's going to be different. I was like, I'll believe it when I see it. But I guess I got to believe it now. I mean, it's, you know, he has made the players that it's what every coach claims they're going to do, which is like, don't complain about who you wish you had, make the guys you have reach their potential. And, you know, if a player reaches his potential and he's put in a position to succeed and then he's not good enough, then, you know, the, the, That's the truth for everybody to see, but now you've got to kind of believe these guys a little bit more because they're doing exactly what they said they were going to do. Part of it is creating pressure. I think even though the Niners only had the six sacks coming into the game last week, it felt like they were creating more pressure than that. They weren't always getting home, but they were creating a push up front that I'm sure benefits the secondary, benefits the safeties and the corners and all that, but it's... it's hard to say exactly which improvement on the defense has made the biggest impact for this team. Cause there've been so many, I did think coming into the year, just in training camp, the way people were talking, Renato was going to take a step forward and he definitely has. And I, and I think Raheem and, you know, I know Tim Ryan always mentioned Sierra gray a lot and feels like he's making a big impact. But you know, that was a guy that Raheem talked about early on connecting with and, I've talked to Renato a few times. You've talked to Renato, sure.
00:27:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I have. He's a very serious young man.
00:27:18
Speaker 3: He is, but he talks like you would think a number one corner talks.
00:27:24
Speaker 1: He's got tremendous confidence.
00:27:26
Speaker 3: Tremendous confidence. But matter of fact, right? He's not looking for a quote. He's not trying to get a podcast.
00:27:31
Speaker 1: Right.
00:27:32
Speaker 3: Just is how I feel. Like, I've played football since I was three. I know what I'm doing. Like, that's what he told me. Which I thought was a great quote.
00:27:39
Speaker 1: He's very confident. I also love the fact that he... You know, he owned last year.
00:27:44
Speaker 2: I mean, this year when we talked to him in training camp, he's like, I need to be better. I need to be more on my playbook. I need to improve my game. They just told me areas I needed to improve, and I need to be open-minded to that.
00:27:56
Speaker 1: I need to be real with myself. I mean, he was like, I mean, he walked off the podium.
00:28:00
Speaker 2: I was like, this guy is totally accountable. I'm so impressed by him. Let's finish with Raheem Morris.
00:28:07
Speaker 1: I asked Kyle today. any chance you guys get Raheem Morris signed long-term?
00:28:11
Speaker 2: And he's like, I'd like Raheem Morris to be my defensive coordinator as long as I'm coaching.
00:28:16
Speaker 1: That's what he said today. What did you think of that answer? That was pretty dramatic.
00:28:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, he's been a head coach twice. Is he going to get a third shot?
00:28:23
Speaker 1: I think he probably will if this defense keeps playing this way.
00:28:27
Speaker 2: But he made $ 4 million a year on a five-year deal with Atlanta, and then he got dumped in the middle of the deal, and they owed.
00:28:35
Speaker 1: Him like $ 12 million.
00:28:36
Speaker 2: Why not just pay him for– would it really kill this team to just pay him $ 4 million a year for the next five years to be the defensive coordinator?
00:28:43
Speaker 3: No, it wouldn't.
00:28:44
Speaker 1: I think that would be the plan.
00:28:46
Speaker 3: I mean, would he– how much does he want to be the head coach, I guess? Yeah, if you start interviewing for jobs, it pays a lot more than $ 4 million in the NFL, right?
00:28:54
Speaker 2: I mean, could he be for– For Shanahan, what Spaggs has been for Andy Reid, and they could win three rings in the next five years.
00:29:03
Speaker 3: It would be the ideal, but even Spaggs, a couple years ago, was trying to get a head coaching job, and obviously it wasn't happening.
00:29:10
Speaker 1: Kyle kind of said that, by the way. He said, hey, look, I want him here, but he may get a head coaching job. That was basically what he said.
00:29:20
Speaker 3: I mean, it's hard to believe a coach could be, if it just goes on like this all year, or if there's two years of it. It's hard to be that good for that long. And not get a head coaching job. Yeah. Other than Brian Flores, right? Like Brian Flores, like the production in Minnesota, and obviously there's a lot of extra circumstances all around that. Sure. But, like, that's what's keeping Brian Flores from getting a head coaching job, not, well, we don't want a defensive head coach, right? If Brian Flores was, if Raheem puts together the defensive resume that Brian Flores has put together in Minnesota, he's going to be a head coach again.
00:29:52
Speaker 1: Period. You know, it's an impressive year for him. Dude, you're impressive. What was Seattle like? Did you enjoy Seattle? Because, I mean, Tim Ryan's ball out. Was the loudest fallout I think I've ever heard in the history of fallouts. Which one?
00:30:15
Speaker 3: The one in the end zone?
00:30:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, the one in the end zone.
00:30:17
Speaker 3: He called, well, the week before when Debo fumbled on the return, he said, that's the most aggressive fallout of my career.
00:30:24
Speaker 1: Oh, no.
00:30:24
Speaker 3: And then the one in the end zone was also a very aggressive one, which was great. I love Seattle because the booth is excellent. The booth in Seattle. I've never been to New England. Ted Robinson told me the other day the booth in New England is great, too. But in Seattle, you are right next to... The Fox television booth. And for people who don't know, the TV booth is always a prime location. Like the TV booth here at Levi's. I've not been to every stadium, but when I've done it, I've been in it for the preseason. It's pretty clear to me immediately it's probably one of the best booths in the NFL. And I've asked around. Some people say, oh, maybe Dallas. But the booth at Levi's television booth is one of the best booths in the NFL, bar none. No doubt about it. It's one of the best booths anywhere in any stadium in any sport. It's amazing. So that's what I like about Seattle is you're right next to the Fox TV booth and you can see into their booth. And so Tim Ryan is on the left in that booth and there's glass to his left. And on the other side of the glass is Dean Blandino. Because when you get the big Fox show, Blandino travels with them and he's got an Xbox controller and a bowl of M & Ms and Dean is going through the replays. And so like as replays are happening, especially at the end of the game, Tim kind of knocked on the glass and was like, Dean, what's the deal? So that's cool. And the view there is great. You know, there were a lot of Niner fans, but Seattle's loud, and I love that. I always love a home crowd. I prefer to be at home because the crowd is better on your big calls.
00:31:47
Speaker 1: Sure.
00:31:47
Speaker 3: You know, on the road, your big calls, there's no crowd noise.
00:31:50
Speaker 2: Right, right.
00:31:50
Speaker 3: Which is less fun. But it was awesome. I love it there. There's just, you know, I mean... Those big, big, big games, the rivalry games. There's just nothing like the energy of those things.
00:32:03
Speaker 1: It was amazing, man. It was amazing.
00:32:05
Speaker 2: And when the final call came up that the call stood and it was not a first down by Cooper Cup, it sounded a little bit like there were a lot of.
00:32:12
Speaker 1: Niner fans because there was a big roar right there.
00:32:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, there were. I mean, like listening back to some of it that you could hear more than I realized that you could because you could see them. Like you look at the Niner bench and that whole section, there was a lot of red there. Yeah. A lot of red. I mean, clearly Seattle fans can make some money Selling tickets to, well, I guess it was last year, right, that they tried to geofence ticket sales.
00:32:33
Speaker 1: Right, right.
00:32:34
Speaker 3: And that kind of backfired, but no, I love it there. When you land, when the team lands, there's seven or eight buses. As soon as we pull out of the terminal, not the terminal, but off the tarmac, out of the gates, there were Niner fans lining the street.
00:32:49
Speaker 1: Amazing. The faithful.
00:32:50
Speaker 3: And then as you drive, you know, it's a downtown hotel and it's a downtown stadium, so you're just driving through downtown to get to the stadium, and there's people on every corner waving or Flying the bird if they're Seahawks fans. Yeah, it's really cool.
00:33:02
Speaker 1: It's great. All right, man. I appreciate the time. Always great to see you. You're doing a great job. Keep it up.
00:33:07
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:33:08
Speaker 1: Guy Haberman. We have more straight ahead on Niners Nightly on the Sports Leader.
Speaker 1: All right, welcome back.
00:00:00
Speaker 2: Larry Kruger with you and joining us this segment to talk a little bit about the upcoming Niners-Commanders matchup is our favorite guy, Guy Haberman, who will be on the call with Tim Ryan on Monday night.
00:00:11
Speaker 1: Keena Turner's getting inducted.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Into the 49er Hall of Fame. I know there's a lot of old heads like myself. We're very excited about that. And, of course, the Commanders come in and Guy, I really think this is a dangerous game for the 49ers. Not from the standpoint that the Commanders are that good, but I think they're going to get the Commanders A game because of the way last weekend did. There's rumors about Dan Quinn's job security. They have the bye week the week after the 49ers.
00:00:38
Speaker 1: And I just think, I don't know how good the Commanders are. They did beat the Seahawks. But whatever their A game is, the Niners are going to get it on Monday night. I'm pretty sure of that.
00:00:47
Speaker 3: And it's a Monday night game, which I think. you know, helps Washington out. Long flight. We're going to see what they're made of, right? This is a week to either make or break. Like, are you guys going to respond to everything that's been going on around the team and rally around your coach and your quarterback? Or are there already kind of cracks? And last week we saw it and now it's going to fall apart. So it's a big week for them. I mean, you know, they've been through this now for a few years. Like last year was supposed to be a big year for them. And jayden daniels gets hurt and then cliff kingsbury's out and david blau comes in and that's going to be the secret and it's not going well obviously we're you know the margin's really thin between washington coming in off a win and the 49ers coming in off a loss yeah right and if that were the case then i think uh you talking about being you know this being a challenging game and all that stuff would sound like totally everyone go like yeah it's uh it's a must win game and and all that stuff um you know and i guess uh nothing's really a must win game until it's a must win game but it would feel like you did give back some equity, right? If you were to lose this game, now you'd still be three and O in the, in the division. But, um, you know, for me, it's like, I, I, I'm so glad the commanders are wearing the uniforms that look like that franchise is supposed to look. The uniforms got pretty bad for a while. I thought now when you look at the numerals, the W is now the logo on the helmet, but the Jersey and the pants look like my, that's my dad's from Maryland. So like that was his team when I was growing up, you know? And I, They were a great, like my wife was asking me.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: Iconic team, Jack Kent Cook, Joe Gibbs.
00:02:17
Speaker 3: It's funny because them and the Niners didn't play a ton of like big, there weren't like a lot of big playoff matchups right over the years between those two. 83 was the best. So they kind of missed each other in that regard. But for me, I don't know if everyone else feels this way. But for me and my childhood and this franchise, there's something kind of nostalgic about it for sure. And they feel big. They feel big. And we don't get this matchup a lot. So I'm excited about it. And I think it's so easy. And this year's a great example already. It's so easy to go down the schedule and go win, win, win, loss, win. And then it's halftime in the Dolphins game and it's close. Or then it's a two-point game with the Cardinals and it's like, you better make some plays so you don't get to roll out the ball against anybody, particularly like quarterbacks that can move, which Jayden Daniels can do. So, yeah, I'm excited.
00:03:14
Speaker 2: They lost Laramie Tunsell, who is their Trent Williams, and they've been shuffling all year on the line of scrimmage. And I did watch the All-22 of Giants commanders last night and The.
00:03:25
Speaker 1: Giants just blitzed them all day. Just came at them with tons of pressure.
00:03:29
Speaker 3: Corner blitz, got home, right? Carter got home.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: They attacked.
00:03:37
Speaker 2: They got five sacks and they attacked. And then they also gave some run lanes. And Jaden Daniels took those run lanes and ran for over 100 yards. Kyle was very adamant today that Jaden Daniels is not just.
00:03:51
Speaker 1: A runner, that he's a really good player from the pocket. And I asked Kyle, I said, Kyle, you know, I think we're going to get, you know, Washington's A game. You know, I've heard rumors.
00:04:01
Speaker 2: I didn't mention this in the question, but I'm like, I've heard rumors of Dan Quinn getting fired.
00:04:06
Speaker 1: And we know how last week ended and the bye week's coming up. And there's just a lot of pressure on them.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: They were in the NFC Championship game not that long ago, and now they've regressed. And I just think that if they get their doors blown off, and they have to fear that, I'm sure, that.
00:04:20
Speaker 1: It could, this could be it. This could be it. I mean, somebody could pull the plug on the regime.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: I don't know that that's going to happen, but I just said to Kyle, I said, I really think.
00:04:28
Speaker 1: You're going to get their A game. How do you get your guys.
00:04:32
Speaker 2: You know, coming off such an emotional game to kind of get to that level that the commanders, I think the commanders are going to be really amped up for that thing Monday night.
00:04:40
Speaker 1: And he's like, we just got to talk about it. We got to emphasize it. We got to.
00:04:43
Speaker 2: We've got to make sure our guys understand that they are dangerous animals, the wounded animal, right?
00:04:50
Speaker 1: And that's what the commanders are right now. They're kind of wounded.
00:04:52
Speaker 2: They're limping in, but they're desperate. And sometimes desperation makes a team play really well. And he just said, hey, we've got to talk about it.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: We've got to have a really good week of preparation, and we've got to get ready to go.
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Buckle it up and get ready to go Monday night. So, I mean, there's no real secrets to any of this, but– it's going to be a challenge for the 49ers coming off of that incredibly emotional win in Seattle last week to match that intensity this week.
00:05:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, I will say it's never like under Shanahan. They don't usually have those sort of letdowns, right? Like they're pretty insulated from that. I think it's probably him. Um, I think for a specific reason, it's him. And then I think it's their personnel. Like they've got veteran guys, um, I thought Kyle said something really interesting in his interview with Matt Maioco a few weeks ago. Matt asked him if there's pressure to come up with new material for the player meetings every week. And he said, yeah, there is pressure, but not really because I just stick to football. Like, it's never fire and brimstone. This week I've got to find something to motivate the guys. I just stick to football. And if you stick to football, there's always going to be something to talk about. And, you know, Shanahan's meetings are kind of things of lore, right, because of how much the players learn from them, offensive, defensive, defensive. And so I think that's probably some of the reason why his players, his teams don't ride an emotional roller coaster because he doesn't present one particular game as let's run through a wall and kill these guys type stuff. Now, that said, you don't have Debo or Dre Greenlaw. Those are two major emotional leaders for the 49ers. The way they play sets a tone. The 49ers overcame two and a half quarters without Greenlaw and then the Debo injury as well to win in Seattle. you know, I thought the 49ers were put to an emotional test last year in Philly at the end of the first half when George Kittle went out with what was clearly a really bad injury, so, you know, I think they're set up well, they've gone through injuries every week now that, you know, losing Debo, I don't know if there's an emotional component to it, there's just a fundamental component, like, I thought after watching the Denver game, oh my god, Debo's open a lot, like, I know a lot of the film guys, J.T. O'Sullivan, they, you know, Debo jogs sometimes. He's not getting the ball. Debo, like, fine. I'm kind of, I meant the point. It's like, oh, I guess, but whatever. Just get him the ball and he'll go make a play. So I do think you just lose, like, you lose two really good players. And I think that's probably, as I'm talking it through, more important than the emotional component of it. Because they got Fred Warner and they got Mike Evans and you know, I think from that standpoint, they'll be fine. And it's one of that football. Like I think it cuts both ways. It probably motivates Washington, but you know, these are bright lights, primetime players that the 49ers have. So I think the fact that it's a Monday night football game probably guards a little bit against an emotional letdown.
00:07:41
Speaker 1: You know, I'm a big JTO Sullivan fan. I love that. I love that quarterback school.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: And I watched the version of the, you know, the look back at Seattle and, you know, I mean, more than anything, I mean, I think it's interesting for the route combinations just to see like what routes Kyle comes up with and Kubiak comes up with and how they pair them together and what they do and what parts of the field and situational football.
00:08:03
Speaker 1: It's all really interesting stuff. But then I also kind of like just watching it kind of let it wash over me and get the overall themes.
00:08:10
Speaker 2: And the theme that I took away from the Seattle game was just obviously Mike Evans was spectacular and he's doing things while he's hurt, which is even more spectacular to me.
00:08:20
Speaker 1: But he made two comments. One was that the Niners really lack some vertical speed right now. And I think that is it is apparent on the film. But then that's the negative.
00:08:30
Speaker 2: The positive is that Brock Purdy off schedule, out of structure is just.
00:08:36
Speaker 1: Really taking it to another level and.
00:08:38
Speaker 2: I thought he was exceptional in the fourth quarter, but really throughout that game, out of structure, extending plays with his legs, keeping his eyes posted downfield, moving just so adeptly in the pocket around a sea of bodies while not really looking at them, just kind of feeling them. You know, are you more amazed by Evans and what you saw, or are you more amazed by Purdy and what you saw?
00:09:03
Speaker 1: They were both really special last week.
00:09:06
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I'm amazed by Evans because I hadn't really watched him up close every week like this, and every week he makes a 70-yard catch to start the game and then goes down to a knee and needs to collect his breath because of how hurt he is. The reality is that the two things are connected, I think, right? Like, it was interesting to hear Kyle today, and I'd be interested how you interpreted it, but There are times, this happened in the Seattle game, a couple of sideline balls out of bounds where you're like, God, it seemed like Brock just predetermined he was going to throw it to Mike Evans on that third down, you know? And then Kyle kind of said that today. Like, there are times where you're not going through the progression. You're just waiting for Mike Evans to get open, which I don't know that I've ever heard Kyle talk that way about a player. Yes, the 49ers lack vertical speed, but I mean, they mostly have lacked vertical speed for a while when it comes to the receiving core, right? Like, they really haven't had ever a stretch the field receiver I mean I guess maybe Emmanuel Sanders and I thought we'd at least see a few go balls to Mike Evans because the beauty is Mike doesn't have to run away from anybody. We haven't, but we know the Niners hit explosive pass plays in other ways, and they've continued to do it this year. I think I was amazed last week before the game. I went back and watched the Week 18 Seattle game from last year and the playoff game. And, you know, I was on the field for the Week 18 game because that was the game Greg was in the booth. Greg was calling that game. And I remember feeling how just out of sync and frenetic. I mean, frenetic's not the right word, but certainly out of sync and off schedule of 49ers offense was. And when I went back and watched the game again, especially from the end zone view, Brock was so much calmer in the pocket than I remembered feeling that it was during the game. And the same thing for the playoff game. Like Brock, he got hit a lot. He made a lot of just creative throws. He moved well creatively in the pocket. But you're right. He's never moved. He's always, he's often moving just to get himself to another position to throw with guys around him. And, you know, the fine line is, only leave when you should leave and stay when you should stay. And that's really hard. Like, there have been a couple times every game where I'm like, oh, Brock probably could have hung around in the pocket a little longer and he left. But for the most part, you know, his ability to move but not, he's like, you said it, it's very subtle. It's moving just to avoid and to throw but not leaving. You know, I think probably a lot of us, if we were a quarterback on the joystick, there'd be no micro-adjustments. It'd be like, go, right? If you're a pilot, it's probably like hard left turns if you're an amateur. And Brock is just so subtle. And he got hit a lot and got hit hard a lot. And it never seemed to affect the next play or the next throw or the next time he was under pressure. So I am... I think that's the part of his game that just... I'm just amazed by repeatedly. And you do wonder... Like, what if Mike Evans played 10 years for Kyle Shanahan? Or what if Mike Evans was in his prime with Brock Purdy? It just, to me, changes everything because he doesn't have to be open. And the two-point conversion Brock threw to him, there have been multiple throws where you're like, how did that ball get to Mike, A? And then, B, how did he catch it? Like, the ball skills, it's crazy. You know, I asked Kyle Shanahan today about the red zone, about the low red zone specifically. And he talked about you've got to be able to play within the pocket and you've got to be able to get out of the pocket. And that's the part that's interesting to me because the Niners are so good in the red zone. They were last year, and they've been excellent this year, scoring touchdowns in the red zone. And it's been a lot of Brock extending a play and creating a little more space or moving the pieces around with his movement. And I think that's what's really cool to see is how the pieces, how the offensive and defensive players move when Brock moves. And so how he almost not just gets away from pressure but creates a new window for to throw to. The Brandon Cooks touchdown was the same thing. He does it over and over again. I'm with you. It probably can be overstated, but to watch it again and again and again, especially against a defense like Seattle's, is really impressive.
00:13:19
Speaker 2: Before we talk about the Niner defense, the Niner offense, the way I.
00:13:22
Speaker 1: See it in this game, you've.
00:13:23
Speaker 2: Got to take care of the football. Commanders have seven or eight takeaways on defense. They They take the ball away. You've got to take care of the football.
00:13:32
Speaker 1: They're going to blitz.
00:13:33
Speaker 2: I think they're the second highest blitz rate team in the league, over 42% or something like that.
00:13:38
Speaker 1: So they're going to blitz.
00:13:39
Speaker 2: The defensive coordinator is a first-year coordinator, but he's going to blitz.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: Quite a bit.
00:13:43
Speaker 2: They have Sonny Stiles and Frankie Louvu in the middle, and that's tremendous speed, right?
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Louvu is so aggressive, so smart. Sonny Stiles came off a game where he had 13 tackles last week. Their pass defense is not great. I think it's 28th or 29th.
00:13:57
Speaker 2: But obviously Kyle's always trying to achieve offensive balance. Might be a big game for Watkins, because with Debo out, I believe he might be the next man up in Debo's spot. I'm kind of looking for a bust-out performance from Watkins, but what do you expect to see from the Niners offensively?
00:14:14
Speaker 1: We know Kyle loves to achieve balance. Do you think.
00:14:18
Speaker 2: They're going to run it heavy on Monday night, or do you think it's it's a pass to set up the run.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: How do you see the matchup nine or O against a commander?
00:14:26
Speaker 3: Well, the 49ers Kyle Shanahan is passing more in, you know, situations where historically he runs than he ever has before. And I even thought last week they could have run the ball more than they did. They didn't really start really exhausted.
00:14:42
Speaker 1: They ran the ball really effectively.
00:14:43
Speaker 3: They ran it effectively. And it didn't, I don't think they had, I think they had back-to-back runs once before that drive at the end of the third quarter that spilled into the fourth quarter. Like they, I definitely thought coming out of that game, there's so many things, both Seattle and San Francisco, where you're like, okay, if you're Seattle, what do you feel good about? What do you feel bad about? If you're the 49ers, what do you feel good about? What do you feel bad about for the next meeting? And I came away thinking, like, gosh, the 49ers left something on the table in the run game against Seattle. So maybe they do a little bit more of that today. I'm really interested to see, or this week, how Connor Colby plays in the past game. You know, I thought he was really good in the run game. I'll defer to you two because I know you study it. and it's as challenging as a pass assignment as you can have. You're not getting judged solely on that. I know there are a lot of pressures, but I'll be interested to see how he plays, and I'm really interested to see Deron Payne as a trade target. Sometimes this happens where who do you trade for? You trade for players you know, or maybe you trade for players who you played and give you a hard time, and you've got the relationship with Adam Peters there. So I'll be interested to see how Deron Payne plays this week. We saw them do a deal last year. Washington did before the deadline with Chicago. I think they did two deals actually last year. They traded away two pass rushes last year. Or was that two years ago? Montez Sweat, yeah. Was that two years ago or last year?
00:16:04
Speaker 1: Montez, I think it was two years ago.
00:16:05
Speaker 3: When was the Chase Young deal? Three years ago or two years ago?
00:16:08
Speaker 1: For the Niners, the Chase Young deal was the Super Bowl year.
00:16:11
Speaker 3: Right.
00:16:11
Speaker 1: So that was 2022, 23.
00:16:12
Speaker 3: I thought him and another....
00:16:16
Speaker 1: Cleen Farrell, maybe?
00:16:17
Speaker 3: I thought Washington traded two guys in the same year. So maybe Sweat was a couple... Anyway.
00:16:22
Speaker 1: I'm losing my.
00:16:22
Speaker 3: But they're trading pass rushers every year.
00:16:24
Speaker 1: Yeah. You're right.
00:16:25
Speaker 3: It was 23 that they got Chase Young.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: But.
00:16:28
Speaker 3: So anyway, that's not exactly what your question was, but... That's all right. Yeah, I'm interested to see that. And I think you're right. Like, Watkins... You know, I know we go back and forth on... John Jennings. I don't know.
00:16:41
Speaker 1: Is he the receiver that they need? I mean, I think they would love to have him, but... I see the receiver they need. Receivers need to complement the other receivers. And it seems like they kind of have the possession receiver. They kind of could use that vertical threat. They kind of could use, as J.T.
00:16:58
Speaker 2: O'Sullivan described, that field-stretching entity that can take the top off, that actually does draw the safety away from the line.
00:17:05
Speaker 1: Of scrimmage and into the gravity player.
00:17:10
Speaker 3: No question that is what they need, and that Juwan Jennings is not what they need. But he's so dependable. Well, I mean, not for the Vikings, apparently. Although he's second in snaps on their receiving board.
00:17:20
Speaker 1: He's playing a lot of snaps. He's just not getting any targets.
00:17:22
Speaker 3: So two things. One, I want to find out if Brock trusts Watkins and Cowan. Because he's not throwing them the ball. Now, you could argue, why would you throw it to anybody other than Mike Evans or Debo or Kittle or Christian? Fine.
00:17:37
Speaker 2: Cooks.
00:17:38
Speaker 3: But, you know, after that miscommunication with Cowan, two weeks ago, he has not seen an attempt. And Watkins hasn't seen one in two weeks. So I'll take it back. Cowling had the first down catch.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: Cowling did have one. But if you watch that play, Evans ran off the top.
00:17:51
Speaker 2: Debo drew the safety on the crosser. And Cowling was the absolute.
00:17:55
Speaker 3: And didn't catch a clean.
00:17:56
Speaker 1: Didn't catch a clean, but he was absolutely the right guy to go to. And Brock came out of the back foot and right to him.
00:18:02
Speaker 3: Which is great. So trust, I think, is a factor. The other thing is, what are you going to trade for Jawan Jennings?
00:18:10
Speaker 1: Why would they trade him to you?
00:18:12
Speaker 3: Well, that too, but you're not trading enough for him that they would trade him to you, right? Like the Vikings might say, we're not trading Juwan Jennings to you. And you're like, well, we'll give you a second. They'd be like, okay, fine. But you're not giving them a second. You'd offer them a sixth, maybe? Well, if they're only going to get a sixth, then what do they trade? They could get a sixth or a seventh from somebody else or not do anything, right? So I just, I don't, for a variety of reasons, and You know, I do think it's a bit of a wait. You can't just wait, but guys are coming back.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:18:43
Speaker 3: You know, I think, like, I really hope Stribling is back before the next Seattle game. It feels like that's going to be pretty tight. It may not happen. But I came out of that Seattle game, Larry, thinking, like, God, I think DeSean Stribling would be great for a game with the Seahawks because of his physicality and size and speed.
00:18:59
Speaker 1: You know, if you ask yourself, like, what piece would they need?
00:19:03
Speaker 2: Well, Kyle was asked by Mayoko Monday about, are you going to make a change at the punt returner? And Kyle didn't say no. He said not yet. That's what he said, which I don't know if that's what I would want to hear.
00:19:17
Speaker 1: If I was cowing.
00:19:18
Speaker 2: But I was talking to some Washington people this week, and they said that they think there's a chance that Washington may release Luke McCaffrey.
00:19:26
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:19:27
Speaker 1: That he's the seventh wide receiver there.
00:19:29
Speaker 3: Just like their second kick return guy, right?
00:19:31
Speaker 2: When I walked up to Christian in the locker room today and I said, Christian, how's Luke as a punt returner?
00:19:36
Speaker 1: He's like, he's good. That's what he said. He said, he's good. I said, does he have experience doing it? He's like, yeah, and he likes doing it. I'm like, okay.
00:19:44
Speaker 2: So, you know, more than anything, when you look at how explosive the 49er offense is with Evan.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: And all the weapons, and you're right, they do have guys coming back. I'm starting to.
00:19:53
Speaker 2: Think that their mindset might change as far as punt returner from dynamic, let's bust one, Jacob Cowan can take it to the house, to let's put somebody back there who's going to catch every single punt and so we don't have any turnovers.
00:20:07
Speaker 1: That might be a negative way to look at it.
00:20:09
Speaker 2: Because you're really thinking about trying to avoid negative plays more than making positive plays.
00:20:13
Speaker 1: But I think Luke McCaffrey, if he were.
00:20:16
Speaker 2: Available, might be somebody that they would have interest in as a.
00:20:19
Speaker 1: Return man, last receiver. I don't know. It's just an idea. What do you think?
00:20:24
Speaker 3: They have Xavier Smith, who's a good punt.
00:20:26
Speaker 1: Returner, too. Yeah, another guy with a lot of speed.
00:20:28
Speaker 3: I don't think Cowling– I think Cowling is– I mean, you know, if we're really just taking a step back, I thought he was really good in camp.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: He was their most reliable. That's why they went with him.
00:20:38
Speaker 3: You don't think he's reliable? You think he's just more reliable than Watkins? I mean, he is more reliable than Watkins.
00:20:43
Speaker 2: I think he doesn't have the strength to take the hit and hold on.
00:20:48
Speaker 1: And not because of the play in Seattle.
00:20:51
Speaker 2: Just because of his overall physicality. I think if you hit him really hard, I think the ball is going to come out. So ball control, I don't know if I trust him in that situation. Now, obviously, in Seattle, he should have. Call for the fair catch. I mean, it's just a mental mistake.
00:21:05
Speaker 1: More than anything.
00:21:05
Speaker 3: Or just backed off. I knew before the punt. I looked over. I looked down at him, and he's covering his eyes from the sun.
00:21:10
Speaker 1: You know, right? Like, problem. And it was pretty fierce glare.
00:21:14
Speaker 3: It was strong. Now, that said, I also understand. It's like, I'm going to catch this ball like the 40, 35. Like, I can take this to the other 20, you know? But that's what you don't want is to suddenly become what the Niners used to be on special teams, which is basically like do nothing ever.
00:21:29
Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.
00:21:31
Speaker 3: Which is like, you know, now you're on your heels.
00:21:33
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:21:34
Speaker 3: And it felt like they were, not that Kyle's never called a fake. But, you know, I don't think you want to totally be on your heels out of fear. But I'm with you. Like, clearly they're open to making it. Someone's got to convince them to do it. Like a player has to make it obvious. And maybe you're right. Maybe somebody around the deadline, maybe it would be McCaffrey. It would be interesting. It would be very interesting.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: It would be very interesting.
00:22:02
Speaker 3: I know you liked him coming out, didn't you?
00:22:03
Speaker 2: I do like him, and I know Christian really wants to play with him, and I.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Think he's a trustworthy player.
00:22:08
Speaker 2: He's not dynamic as far as a runner, but he's reliable, and I think he, as a utility piece, he might be a guy that could be.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: On this roster for the next three years or so.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: I think he could make sense long term. Let's flip the card before we finish up here and talk about the Niners on the defensive side because Jaden Daniels ran for 100 yards last week.
00:22:30
Speaker 1: And what do you think Raheem does here?
00:22:33
Speaker 2: I mean, does Raheem, if you play man coverage and everybody turns their head, he's going to take off and run.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: He also can make plays from the pocket. He's got Terry McLaurin.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: He's got Stefan Diggs. You know, two really, one of the better veteran tandems.
00:22:49
Speaker 1: Of receivers they'll face this year. You've got three backs, Corey, Kroski, Merritt, call me Bill.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: You know, they've got some decent tight ends, Chigokonko.
00:22:58
Speaker 1: It's not a great offensive line. But I do expect them to look sharp. To me, you have to make sure that Jane Daniels If you're going to rush, you rush.
00:23:10
Speaker 2: As one and you keep him hemmed in that pocket. And if you do play some games and move guys around, you don't give him the obvious run lane. Because he won't just burn you for 10 and run out of bounds. He'll burn you for 45 yards and change the field position on you. What do you think the plan is for Raheem? I'm so impressed by Raheem's defense. I can't even tell you.
00:23:31
Speaker 3: I mean, who would have thought this defensive line would look this good without Nick Bosa? It really is amazing. And the secondary is playing the way they're playing. You know, you miss Greenlaw, I think, because of what you're talking about. So maybe it's a Jaden Duggar opportunity, right, to kind of show a little bit of playmaking. I think, you tell me, Duggar's been good.
00:23:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, very good.
00:23:52
Speaker 3: But he hasn't had like that moment where you go, oh, wow, Jaden Duggar is flashing all over the field in this game, which is fine. That's not yet what he needs to do. Maybe Romello. is in a position to have to keep an eye on Jayden Daniels a few times. But being down multiple linebacks, not just Dre Greenlight, down Garrett Wallow as well. And Wallow's a reliable guy. So it feels like maybe it's a Jayden Duggar game. And the other thing is, I hope Upton Stout can be 100% soon. He's listed again with the shoulder. I don't know if that's the play on Cooper Cup on the sideline, if that was affected at all by it at the end of the game the other day. Bothered them enough they didn't get the first down, but that's the biggest concern, I think.
00:24:38
Speaker 1: How surprised are you by the safety play? The Niners fans.
00:24:41
Speaker 2: Were, and many media people, and myself included at times, were like, hey man, they need help with safety. And yet here, Jair Brown has had this career renaissance, and Mustafa, what.
00:24:51
Speaker 1: A game he had last week.
00:24:53
Speaker 2: I talked to Siegel in the locker room today. He'll be back at some point. He was saying that he really felt that JSN dropped that ball at the end of the game because of the hit that Mustafa put on him.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: I asked Siegel, I go, what was your favorite hit of the day?
00:25:08
Speaker 2: He's like, oh, man, I love that Rashid Shaheed hit early in the game.
00:25:13
Speaker 3: Yeah, the drop.
00:25:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, Mustafa just blew people up. He did. Give me your thoughts. I mean, this is... You know, this is a huge turnaround.
00:25:21
Speaker 2: I mean, they're getting really good play out of their defensive backfield across the board, but the safeties were kind of much maligned last year, and not one person I've heard.
00:25:30
Speaker 1: Complain about them this year.
00:25:32
Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, it's like Raheem, I didn't expect the coach to do it, and the players were saying it in training camp, but I was very skeptical. Because you hear it all the time when there's a coaching change, or maybe you've been maligned as a position group. You're like, oh, this year it's going to be different. I was like, I'll believe it when I see it. But I guess I got to believe it now. I mean, it's, you know, he has made the players that it's what every coach claims they're going to do, which is like, don't complain about who you wish you had, make the guys you have reach their potential. And, you know, if a player reaches his potential and he's put in a position to succeed and then he's not good enough, then, you know, the, the, That's the truth for everybody to see, but now you've got to kind of believe these guys a little bit more because they're doing exactly what they said they were going to do. Part of it is creating pressure. I think even though the Niners only had the six sacks coming into the game last week, it felt like they were creating more pressure than that. They weren't always getting home, but they were creating a push up front that I'm sure benefits the secondary, benefits the safeties and the corners and all that, but it's... it's hard to say exactly which improvement on the defense has made the biggest impact for this team. Cause there've been so many, I did think coming into the year, just in training camp, the way people were talking, Renato was going to take a step forward and he definitely has. And I, and I think Raheem and, you know, I know Tim Ryan always mentioned Sierra gray a lot and feels like he's making a big impact. But you know, that was a guy that Raheem talked about early on connecting with and, I've talked to Renato a few times. You've talked to Renato, sure.
00:27:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, I have. He's a very serious young man.
00:27:18
Speaker 3: He is, but he talks like you would think a number one corner talks.
00:27:24
Speaker 1: He's got tremendous confidence.
00:27:26
Speaker 3: Tremendous confidence. But matter of fact, right? He's not looking for a quote. He's not trying to get a podcast.
00:27:31
Speaker 1: Right.
00:27:32
Speaker 3: Just is how I feel. Like, I've played football since I was three. I know what I'm doing. Like, that's what he told me. Which I thought was a great quote.
00:27:39
Speaker 1: He's very confident. I also love the fact that he... You know, he owned last year.
00:27:44
Speaker 2: I mean, this year when we talked to him in training camp, he's like, I need to be better. I need to be more on my playbook. I need to improve my game. They just told me areas I needed to improve, and I need to be open-minded to that.
00:27:56
Speaker 1: I need to be real with myself. I mean, he was like, I mean, he walked off the podium.
00:28:00
Speaker 2: I was like, this guy is totally accountable. I'm so impressed by him. Let's finish with Raheem Morris.
00:28:07
Speaker 1: I asked Kyle today. any chance you guys get Raheem Morris signed long-term?
00:28:11
Speaker 2: And he's like, I'd like Raheem Morris to be my defensive coordinator as long as I'm coaching.
00:28:16
Speaker 1: That's what he said today. What did you think of that answer? That was pretty dramatic.
00:28:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, he's been a head coach twice. Is he going to get a third shot?
00:28:23
Speaker 1: I think he probably will if this defense keeps playing this way.
00:28:27
Speaker 2: But he made $ 4 million a year on a five-year deal with Atlanta, and then he got dumped in the middle of the deal, and they owed.
00:28:35
Speaker 1: Him like $ 12 million.
00:28:36
Speaker 2: Why not just pay him for– would it really kill this team to just pay him $ 4 million a year for the next five years to be the defensive coordinator?
00:28:43
Speaker 3: No, it wouldn't.
00:28:44
Speaker 1: I think that would be the plan.
00:28:46
Speaker 3: I mean, would he– how much does he want to be the head coach, I guess? Yeah, if you start interviewing for jobs, it pays a lot more than $ 4 million in the NFL, right?
00:28:54
Speaker 2: I mean, could he be for– For Shanahan, what Spaggs has been for Andy Reid, and they could win three rings in the next five years.
00:29:03
Speaker 3: It would be the ideal, but even Spaggs, a couple years ago, was trying to get a head coaching job, and obviously it wasn't happening.
00:29:10
Speaker 1: Kyle kind of said that, by the way. He said, hey, look, I want him here, but he may get a head coaching job. That was basically what he said.
00:29:20
Speaker 3: I mean, it's hard to believe a coach could be, if it just goes on like this all year, or if there's two years of it. It's hard to be that good for that long. And not get a head coaching job. Yeah. Other than Brian Flores, right? Like Brian Flores, like the production in Minnesota, and obviously there's a lot of extra circumstances all around that. Sure. But, like, that's what's keeping Brian Flores from getting a head coaching job, not, well, we don't want a defensive head coach, right? If Brian Flores was, if Raheem puts together the defensive resume that Brian Flores has put together in Minnesota, he's going to be a head coach again.
00:29:52
Speaker 1: Period. You know, it's an impressive year for him. Dude, you're impressive. What was Seattle like? Did you enjoy Seattle? Because, I mean, Tim Ryan's ball out. Was the loudest fallout I think I've ever heard in the history of fallouts. Which one?
00:30:15
Speaker 3: The one in the end zone?
00:30:15
Speaker 1: Yeah, the one in the end zone.
00:30:17
Speaker 3: He called, well, the week before when Debo fumbled on the return, he said, that's the most aggressive fallout of my career.
00:30:24
Speaker 1: Oh, no.
00:30:24
Speaker 3: And then the one in the end zone was also a very aggressive one, which was great. I love Seattle because the booth is excellent. The booth in Seattle. I've never been to New England. Ted Robinson told me the other day the booth in New England is great, too. But in Seattle, you are right next to... The Fox television booth. And for people who don't know, the TV booth is always a prime location. Like the TV booth here at Levi's. I've not been to every stadium, but when I've done it, I've been in it for the preseason. It's pretty clear to me immediately it's probably one of the best booths in the NFL. And I've asked around. Some people say, oh, maybe Dallas. But the booth at Levi's television booth is one of the best booths in the NFL, bar none. No doubt about it. It's one of the best booths anywhere in any stadium in any sport. It's amazing. So that's what I like about Seattle is you're right next to the Fox TV booth and you can see into their booth. And so Tim Ryan is on the left in that booth and there's glass to his left. And on the other side of the glass is Dean Blandino. Because when you get the big Fox show, Blandino travels with them and he's got an Xbox controller and a bowl of M & Ms and Dean is going through the replays. And so like as replays are happening, especially at the end of the game, Tim kind of knocked on the glass and was like, Dean, what's the deal? So that's cool. And the view there is great. You know, there were a lot of Niner fans, but Seattle's loud, and I love that. I always love a home crowd. I prefer to be at home because the crowd is better on your big calls.
00:31:47
Speaker 1: Sure.
00:31:47
Speaker 3: You know, on the road, your big calls, there's no crowd noise.
00:31:50
Speaker 2: Right, right.
00:31:50
Speaker 3: Which is less fun. But it was awesome. I love it there. There's just, you know, I mean... Those big, big, big games, the rivalry games. There's just nothing like the energy of those things.
00:32:03
Speaker 1: It was amazing, man. It was amazing.
00:32:05
Speaker 2: And when the final call came up that the call stood and it was not a first down by Cooper Cup, it sounded a little bit like there were a lot of.
00:32:12
Speaker 1: Niner fans because there was a big roar right there.
00:32:14
Speaker 3: Yeah, there were. I mean, like listening back to some of it that you could hear more than I realized that you could because you could see them. Like you look at the Niner bench and that whole section, there was a lot of red there. Yeah. A lot of red. I mean, clearly Seattle fans can make some money Selling tickets to, well, I guess it was last year, right, that they tried to geofence ticket sales.
00:32:33
Speaker 1: Right, right.
00:32:34
Speaker 3: And that kind of backfired, but no, I love it there. When you land, when the team lands, there's seven or eight buses. As soon as we pull out of the terminal, not the terminal, but off the tarmac, out of the gates, there were Niner fans lining the street.
00:32:49
Speaker 1: Amazing. The faithful.
00:32:50
Speaker 3: And then as you drive, you know, it's a downtown hotel and it's a downtown stadium, so you're just driving through downtown to get to the stadium, and there's people on every corner waving or Flying the bird if they're Seahawks fans. Yeah, it's really cool.
00:33:02
Speaker 1: It's great. All right, man. I appreciate the time. Always great to see you. You're doing a great job. Keep it up.
00:33:07
Speaker 3: Thank you.
00:33:08
Speaker 1: Guy Haberman. We have more straight ahead on Niners Nightly on the Sports Leader.
