Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On the overall game play:
"I think for the second week in a row now we showed what happens when you can go get the football, protect it and run it a little bit. That's what got us the first win last week and of course, that's what I think was the difference today was the turnovers and gaining points off the turnovers. And then of course, staying in the ball game and being able to run the football. That's a good football team we played today. Very disciplined, well coached—a talented team. The difference in the game was capitalizing off turnovers."
On whether they were applying more pressure this week:
"Not necessarily. I think that we were getting adequate pressure on the defensive front. There were a couple punts we manufactured just a little bit more (17) but there were some great spots in that drive. But I thought that, there are some things that we need to get better on. We need to. Got a lot more respect for the guys out on defense. We need to tackle better. We gave up some field position on that last drive."
On what has been the difference the last couple of weeks:
"Well, we're running the football and getting turnovers. Again, lots, defense, getting [CB Courtland Finnegan] back, getting [QB Vincent Young] back. Vinny breaks up that pass and Court… Vinny makes the play and Court does his roll. It's just getting Vinny back and getting those guys to work together. Get a big turnover for us as well."
On Johnson's long TD run being called back:
"It was. I'll have to look at that and there was some. The information that I got from the box was that the heel wasn't down. They were adamant about the heel never touched. They called it from a different look. We'll look at it. It was good for us to overcome. Actually, we ran some time off the clock."
On the offensive lines performance:
"I've never been around a game where you take a lineman and make him a tackle, right tackle for that matter. Have him never played a position in a ball game and have him play the way he did. That's a tremendous compliment to [64] Leroy Harris and the rest of the offensive line and coach."
On [QB] Young's play
"Yeah, Vince he was really applying himself the past couple of weeks and it's paying off. He's just throwing the ball away when he needs to. That big first down to [TE] Bo (Scaife) on the keeper was a huge play…Doing the right thing and having fun and it's good to see him have success."
On the pitch on fourth down:
"We didn't anticipate the alignment. Fortunately for us [RB Chris Johnson] made a couple people miss and he got the ball in the end zone. I'll have to look at that. There might have been a chance for [QB] Vince Young to turn the ball up field and score. We ran the option today and we need to continue to work on that."
On LB Gerald McRath starting instead of LB David Thornton:
"Yeah, I mean what he did in addition to play defense was maintain special teams responsibilities which was difficult. So, you know, we felt [LB] David [Thorton] hadn't practiced all week because his hip was just bothering him. And it was just an opportunity for Gerald to go out and play.
On WR Justin Gage's performance:
"You know he's making catches. I think our entire group has drops, we've scorned but that's behind us now. That was a huge play and we've taken advantage of his size and going over the top of some pretty good defense backs. That was a huge play for us in that drive."
On the encroachment call:
"We'll, we've got to get used to the high count offense. We've got to get used to it. We can't allow that to happen."
On whether QB Vince Young looked more comfortable this week:
"Yes, he was comfortable last week and all week and very much at ease and into the game plan. He's doing a lot more than throwing the football with accuracy. He's making adjustments on the line of scrimmage and the run checks. He's got a good feel for it."
On what a two-game winning streak means to this team:
"Well, it's just nice to get back. These last two weeks were reminiscent of the team that played last year. It's just nice to get people healthy again and just keep playing. We're no different than we've always been. It's just one week at a time and we look forward to the next opponent, just trying to continue to improve."
On whether RT David Stewart was close today:
"Yes, he was. But, this was a decision where you don't want to risk further injury, and he was realistic about it. We felt like he would benefit from this week's rest."
On whether there were any injuries today:
"No. None."
On WR Justin Gage:
"Yes, he came down hard, but he'll be alright."
On struggling on the West Coast:
"We'll be out again. We're coming out at the end of the year, so ask me then after the year."
LB Keith Bulluck
Post Game Quotes–November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On whether the turnovers played a big role in today's game:
"We were big in the turnover game today, I think it was fortunate. You know the first half of the season we weren't getting those bounces and the last two games we have been getting those bounces and making plays on the back end. We were making plays and giving our offense the ball with good field position. We were finishing at turnovers making plays on their own. The 49ers defense is tough. Just watching those guys play. They play fast and they play physical, they get to the ball. I think our offense did a great job."
On whether the defense has been more aggressive the last couple of weeks:
"Yeah we have been more aggressive mentality. We are just playing differently now. We had a bye, we had a week to sit down and do whatever it was and we came back very focused last week and this week as well."
On the play of LB Gerald McRath in his first start:
"We always knew that when he got the opportunity that he was going to be able to make plays. I didn't worry about him one bit. I was happy to see him get out there, he was comfortable. He has practiced with me and Stephen [Tulloch] before so he was comfortable with everything that we do and he was able to go out there and make some plays."
WR Justin Gage
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On the Tennessee Titans victory over the San Francisco 49ers:
"It feels real good. Just getting that win that puts us at two wins on the season and we can build from that but more importantly it makes for a better ride home."
On how much momentum the Tennessee Titans have right now:
"We have two wins and that is a little bit of momentum but we are nowhere near where we want to be. I think every guy in this locker room feels that way and that is where we are striving to go to."
CB Rod Hood
Post-Game Quotes–November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On whether the defense did anything special to pressure the quarterback:
"Well we only thought about running to the ball. Finishing plays and running to the ball and good things will happen. That is what we have been doing here the last couple of weeks. Creating turnovers and give all of our credit to our d-line who was putting great pressure on the quarterback. On the back end that makes it easy for us."
On whether he feels good about the momentum the Titans are gaining:
"I do. Everybody knows that this is a good team. They were 10-0 last year and they had some tough losses the first couple of ball games but everybody believes in this team and knows we have a good team. Now we just have to put it together and get the wins."
DB Chris Hope
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On how important it is to win the turnover battle:
"The first five or six games where we were losing, we weren't creating turnovers on defense and now the roles are reverse. Now the wins are starting to add up."
On DB Cortland Finnegan running an interception back for a touchdown:
"We have all played together now for along time and we are all unselfish. We don't care who makes the play as long as someone makes it. To have a guy score a touchdown like that when we needed it was just a relief."
RB Chris Johnson
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On his long run that was called back:
"Yes, I didn't feel like I stepped out of bounds, but when I looked at the replay, I knew there wasn't significant evidence to show that I did step out of bounds. So, I thought for sure I had a touchdown."
On whether he lobbied his case with the officials:
"I didn't talk to them. I just went back out on the field and tried to get another touchdown."
On whether he thought that his heel actually touched out of bounds:
"I feel like when I run, my heels don't really touch the ground. I always run on my tiptoes. I kind of knew I didn't step out of bounds. Last week, I kind of felt like I stepped out, but this week I knew I stayed in."
On the fourth-and-one touchdown pitch sweep:
"I just had to make a play. I was thinking like Kobe Bryant or LeBron [James], they always make plays. I went in there and made a play."
On whether that was a risky call:
"Just do what the coaches call. We play and let the coaches handle it. We worked on it a lot and we knew that he could keep it and get a first down or a touchdown, or he pitch it and I could get a first down or touchdown. Right now, that kind of makes us family. We feel like a team that they won't be able to stop No. 10 or No. 28."
On whether he prefers to run the one-yard up the gut or take it to the outside:
"I really didn't get hit on the one up gut. I got hit on the one outside, so I prefer the other one."
C Kevin Mawae
Post-Game Quotes–November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On whether G/C Leroy Harris did a great job:
"He did a great job for us. It is not an easy thing to play [the position] Tackle period. Even if you are a Tackle let alone having to bounce all the way out. But he did a great job, he is a great athlete and we knew he matched up well with the guys that he was going to be facing. I think our game plan and what we planned on running anyway helped him. We didn't ask him to do a whole lot. The game plan was pretty simple just go out there and run the ball and the protection didn't last too long. But he did a great job."
On whether the win on the west coast helps the Titans confidence:
"I think it is huge anytime you go on the road and win. It takes a lot of confidence. But to come to the west coast it is a little bit harder. I know our record over the past years hasn't been great on the west coast but I don't think anybody thought about that. I think Jeff handled the schedule for us well and guys responded well. That is just going to add to the confidence that we have already. Hopefully it will bring us another win next week."
On whether the RB Chris Johnson run that was called back was deflating to the team:
"Well it was still a big play. It was our first play out of the box on that series and it was what seventy something yards. I think if we had more cameras on the play for replays it would show that his heel probably didn't touch but it is what it is. The good thing about that drive was that we finished it off and got points on the board at the end of that drive. Chris is a special talent we know that if he touch the ball and gets on the outside he can go all the way every time."
WR Nate Washington
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On the Tennessee Titans second consecutive victory:
"I think we are just happy with this win but nobody in this locker room is complacent. We are going to enjoy this win for the rest of this evening but we know tomorrow we are going to get back to work. That is our mindset right now. Like we said before, we are not going to give up on this season and we still have a long way to go. We are going to continue to keep plucking away and see how it pans out for us."
On RB Chris Johnson:
"Dang that boy is fast. He is an amazing player. It is only so often, in any sport that you get to play with someone that is as talented at their craft. Chris is definitely one of those guys that can give you a game changing play at any moment. Today he just kept plucking away and plucking away. We heard so many things about this being the best run defense in the league but we came out with a goal in our mind and that was to show that we have the best back in the league. "
QB Vince Young
Post-Game Quotes- November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On how important was the defense getting turnovers:
"Our defense was big. That is one thing we always say is if we don't get first downs and things don't go right, believe in our defense, get the ball to our defense and let them make plays. That is what they did today."
On if it was important to protect the football:
"That is the biggest thing coach Heimerdinger's biggest goal is to protect the football and moving the football downfield and being consistent. First things first you always have to protect the ball."
On coming back from being down 20-17:
"We always believe in each other. The defense out there made the plays. When they get the ball back we go out there and make the plays. The excitement everybody has and the confidence everybody has in each other is tremendous right now."
On the 4th and 1 TD run by CJ (Chris Johnson):
"The fans were into it, it was loud. I had to get my eye on my guy who I needed to read, and then after that get the ball to CJ's hands, he is a very talented guy. He makes plays. If you want to get the ball in somebody's hands you give it to CJ."
On feeling a re-birth:
"I don't want to say re-birth, I want to say work. We are just taking one game at a time. We believe in each other and the coaches have the confidence in us and our defense is making big plays, and special teams is doing a great job as well. We are just coming together and just taking it one game at a time."
On his performance:
"We are just going to go out there and play. I am just trying to get the team to get better and better and play with my teammates. I want to earn their confidence back and earn my coach's confidence. So I am just trying to take it one game at a time. It is not all about Vince It's all about all of us, we are doing a great job period."
On what WR Justin Gage's leaping catch looked to you:
"Slow motion. I told him on the sideline 'I didn't know you had ups like that man.' Before we started the game today coach Heimerdinger said somebody is going to have to make a play today and he didn't know who it was going to be and Gage made a play for us. To just see him go out there and make plays with all the stuff he went through with Chicago and go out there and make that play for us it was big for us, and I am proud of him."
On the offensive lines job of protecting him and Leroy Harris' first time playing guard:
"Leroy, AKA Catfish, did a great job today. Knowing that he never played guard he knew that he was going to get some speed rush from the outside. The way he had to kick back and get back to protect, he did a great job today. Definitely the entire offensive line did a great job. I had guys in the right places. Guys made plays, that's what they have been doing from last week into this week, they have been taking care of responsibility. The guys have to be respected for that."
On this being a complete quarterback performance:
"I am still not satisfied and I am pretty sure my coaches are not satisfied. We still have a long road to go. Everything went right today with the victory, we probably shut it as an offense and as a team. At the same time I am going to take it one game at a time and show my coaches that a year off with what I have been doing is concentrating and paying attention."
On your reads being better today:
"I would say I am being more patient. I am taking what the defense gives me. I am not going to force it if it is not there and check the ball down, or use my god given talent by running the ball."
On how confident you were on your second game back:
"I have been confident. I haven't lost the confidence, period. We just got to get our feet wet and keep moving. We just got to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead."
On how important it is to get two straight wins in a row:
"The way we started, it was bad. How we are coming together as a team and the coaching staff and everybody starting to believe and taking it a day at a time. Where it all started for me is at practice, it all started at practice."
49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
Opening Statement:
"Obviously, after the game there's not a whole lot to say about the game. It's very obvious as to what happened. I don't think our guys quit. I think the guys played hard. We didn't play very smart in terms of giving the football away. We have a formula in terms of how we play, how we win games. The number one thing is we cannot turn the ball over, and that's the thing that basically killed us today. I'm sure there are a lot of other things you could come up with as to why we lost. Bottom line is turnovers for us."
On what he told the team after the game:
"Basically, we have to get out of this situation right now where we get a lead, we have to know that we're going to keep that lead, but we're not trying to maintain. We have to continue to gain. We have to finish games. It's as simple as that. When it came down to whatever else I was talking about, it comes down to finishing football games. And that is the thing that we're not doing. We're not finishing football games. If you go back to Minnesota, if you go back to Indianapolis, if you go back to the game today, take your pick, we're not finishing games. We have to finish games."
On whether the interceptions were QB Alex Smith's fault:
"No. I wouldn't say that at all. I thought Alex was playing well today, for the most part. When you get turnovers, obviously you can't say that, but I thought he made some good decisions. We just have to look at the film and kind of come away from it as to where the fault is. It looked to me that he was getting the ball where it needed to go. Whether the receivers could catch the ball or not, I don't know. I don't know if there was contact at the time of the ball getting there, contact before the time of the ball getting there. I don't know. I have to look at the film and see."
On how big of a blow this is to where he wants the take the team:
"Well you know, it's definitely frustrating to be at this point, but we do have eight games left. In my mind, as long as we continue to fight, as long as we continue to play the way we played today, we got a chance, if we take away the stupid stuff where we're killing ourselves. And that's really the bottom line."
On why he spread out the line and used two tight ends:
"You're asking me why I did it? You've been asking me all week why I wouldn't I do it. Now you're asking me why did I do it. You know what? It's as simple as this: we thought it would give us the best chance to win. For the most part, it worked pretty well. Alex has been doing a much better job in practice getting the ball out, finding his receivers, giving us a chance to run the ball as well, open things up. It's a good game plan if we execute it. Obviously, if you turn the ball over three or four times a game, it's not going to happen. We have to eliminate that and, once again, the gun's still pointed at us. We have to make sure that we go out and we play a complete football game without killing ourselves in the process."
On whether Alex handled the ball properly given his history of fumbles:
"You know what, what he did in the past, I'm going to leave it in the past, the whole lot about whatever he did in the past. All I know is what I saw today. I saw a quarterback throwing the ball pretty effectively, for the most part. As far as the fumbles are concerned, once again we have to look at it and we kind of go from there. But, to be honest with you, I have not… I'm a little bit surprised that he hasn't fumbled more. When you get a quarterback that's coming in new and not taken any of the snaps during the year, these are some of the things that you're going to have early on. I thought for the most part that Alex did a good job. I really did."
On whether it's desperation time for the 49ers:
"Desperation is a word I won't use. Preparation is the word I want to use. We just have to prepare better. We have to prepare, we have to game-plan. Coaches are doing a great job of coming up with a game plan to give us a chance to go out and win. Players got to execute. It's as simple as that. That's the thing that we talk about all week. Players have to execute. Number one thing: can't give the ball away. Give them nothing cheap. We're just not there yet. We don't have much time to sit around and contemplate whether we want to do it or not, we have to continue going forward and get it on the run."
On whether he was happy with the defensive effort overall:
"No. Anytime a team is going to take the ball down and score at a critical time, you're never happy. I mean if I said I was happy with that, then you need to replace me really quickly."
On what he thinks about being a couple of games behind the Cardinals:
"I don't care about the Cardinals. I care nothing about the Cardinals. I care nothing about anything else that's happening in the NFL. I don't care about that. The only thing I care about is this football team realizing that we can win games if we do not kill ourselves. It's as simple as that. I don't care about the Cardinals. Done."
On his assessment of the offensive line play today:
"You know what, the past two weeks I think they played well. I really did."
On whether the team can still achieve its goals:
"Absolutely. Absolutely."
CB Dre´ Bly
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On Titans QB Vince Young:
"Playing a scrambling quarterback, a guy who can run the ball and throw it, he is more of a threat and he played well today. We did have a chance to win the game, but we weren't able to pull away with it. It is frustrating, but like I said, we have to go back to the drawing board and regroup. We have a fast one next week and we just have to get ready for that game."
On the play of the defensive line:
"When you are playing against a guy who is as athletic as he is, for the most part, without watching film, they got pressure. But he is going to make plays. I can't really criticize anybody because we were all playing hard and flying around and trying to make plays. It just didn't go in our favor when we needed keys stops."
On Tennessee's explosive plays:
"We know [RB Chris] Johnson, he has been a threat all year. He has been doing it ever since he has been in the league. He is probably one of the fastest backs, if not the fastest in the league. The one thing he has done well, he can run inside and outside. We knew we had to close creases fast because he has the ability to take it the distance. Luckily, that big one was called back, but he is a fast guy and he can do a lot of great things when he has the football. He really made some plays today. We were really flying around defensively and were trying to make plays, but I have to tip my hat to those guys, they made more plays than we did which led to a victory for them."
WR Michael Crabtree
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On his assessment of the 49ers offense:
"I'm just doing my job. I'm just doing what I can control and what this team gives me."
On what he thought of the team's offensive performance:
"I think that we played alright but there's always room to get better."
On playing his first game at Candlestick Park:
"I love the fans. They gave me a lot of support and they gave the team a lot of support. Candlestick has so much history and I'm just happy to be out here."
On throwing some hard blocks on Tennessee's DB's:
"Yeah, I was just out there playing football doing all the things that I acquired [over the years]."
On what he feels the offense needs to work on for the rest of the season:
"We need to work on a lot of things. I'm not a coach so I can't really point it out. I'm a role player; I do my job and whatever coach has for me."
On the turnovers in today's game against Tennessee:
"There are turnovers in every football game, that's part of football. So we just have to suck it up and go back to the woodwork, work on some things at practice, and come back ready for the next game."
TE Vernon Davis
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On how he feels about the team right now:
"I feel good about the team. We have a lot of time, this isn't the end of the world. We just have to keep getting better in practice and learn how to finish games."
On what the team needs to do different to finish games strong:
"It all starts in practice. You practice how you play. Just get it corrected and don't look back. We need to keep our head straight and keep moving."
On the turnovers:
"We just have to pay attention to everything around us. We have to do what we were taught to do, which is protect the ball and make plays. Sometimes as a player you forget the little things, and we just have to do those little things."* *
RB Frank Gore
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On what happened to his right eye during the game:
"Somebody poked me in the eye under the pile."
On whether his eye injury affected his vision during the game:
"I was alright. But I wanted to win. I'll do anything to win. I told my boys that I'm going to stay out there and fight with them and that's what I did."
On what he can do as a team leader to help this team get ready for the next game:
"We just have to stop killing ourselves. The teams aren't beating us we're just beating ourselves. Once we take care of that, then we will move forward."
On what he thought of the game plan today and how it opened up for him:
"Yes, it was. We were moving the ball up and down the field. We just can't hurt ourselves. Anybody can hurt themselves in the NFL with turnovers and it's tough to win and that's what happened today. We had a great game plan and we showed that we can move the ball. We just hurt ourselves."
On whether there is a sense of desperation on the team after losing four straight games:
"A lot of our guys in our locker room know that we can play. We know what we can do on the field. It just comes down to two or three plays that really hurt us. The need for two to three plays is real big and it cost us the game. That's what's been happening the last couple of weeks and we've got to fix it. We have to fix it if we want to go forward and win."
LB Parys Haralson
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On whether the team can still accomplish its goals:
"We don't have any quit in us. We are just going to pull it together and get ready for Thursday. We aren't giving up on anything. We still feel that we can get accomplished what we want accomplished. That's what we are shooting for."
On whether it is good to play again so soon:
"You always want to play again. Once this game is over, you hate that it happened, but now we have a game coming up and you have to prepare for this one. You have to have a short-term memory when you're in this business. We have to put this one behind us and prepare for Thursday."
On how close he was to stopping Titans RB Chris Johnson on fourth-and-goal:
"I really won't know until I see it on film. I thought he was closer to the sideline than apparently he was and I left my feet too early. It is a play I have to make."
C Eric Heitmann
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On the turnovers:
"Of course I didn't get a really good look at it. What can you say except that it's unfortunate. You've definitely got to do everything you can to minimize turnovers in a game. Certainly, we had four. Certainly, four is too many. Everybody on offense plays a role. We've got to look at the film and do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen again."
WR Josh Morgan
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On whether the team can still accomplish what it wants to accomplish:
"We can accomplish anything we want. Like we say every week, we just have to finish."
On losing the game on late turnovers:
"I think it is demoralizing with every loss you have. It's already hard enough to win without turnovers at the end of the game, the turnovers just make it harder on yourself. That is something we just have to correct as a team. It's not anybody's fault. The defense gets paid too, they make plays and they just had a good day."
On being 3-5 midway through the season:
"We just have to win all our games now. That doesn't put a crimp in anything. We're still out here playing football."
QB Alex Smith
Post-Game Quotes – November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On how much responsibility he feels for the turnovers:
"I'm the guy back there making the decisions, and when you look at all four of them, the three picks and the one fumble when I was going to throw, it's tough to overcome that. No matter the game, or who you're playing or the opponent, it's tough to overcome."
On whether there were a couple of tough bounces:
"It kind of comes with the job. It does. When you evaluate the film or tomorrow when I go and evaluate my play, really look at what can you control, did you make the right decision, could you have thrown a better ball – things like that are really what you look at. The fumble, when I was throwing, I still haven't seen the replay of that. I kind of want to see what that looks like on film, if I could have done anything different."
On what was the most challenging aspect of the game:
"They give a lot of different looks on defense. They play a lot of different coverages. It's not like you're going out there and seeing three defenses. You're going to see an assortment of pressures and coverages and all kinds of stuff, things that are very unorthodox, things that not a lot of other teams do. Very unique. That was probably the biggest thing."
On the two interceptions to WR Josh Morgan:"
"The one over to the left, the safety rolled down and jumped the ball and made a play there. I'll look at that on film as well, if maybe I could have done something different – maybe a throw away there just to keep the ball. The second one was a comeback. It was the first play of the drive – try to get us going. It was a bang-bang play and somehow that ball gets popped up and gets taken back."
On whether this was a step back for him:
"The biggest thing is we can win those games. I think the biggest thing, like I said, when we come in tomorrow and look at the film, really evaluate my play. Really look at that. What could I have done differently? It's hard to tell just walking off the field and just reviewing it in my mind. You only see parts of what's going on out there. I think, obviously, there are some things I'd like to have over. That comes with any game, but I don't know at this point. It's probably too early to tell if I think it's a regression or not."
On how important his film study will be during this short week:
"I don't know if that's necessarily me, I guess. I think that's maybe more of some things, what are we doing as a whole? Coming around, turning around and playing on Thursday, there's probably not going to be a lot of time for that, not a ton of time to game plan. We're just going to roll it out there and play a little bit. Obviously, we'll have some new stuff in, and they will too. On such short notice, there won't be a lot of that."
On whether the short week is an advantage:
"It'll be nice in the sense that you won't have a lot of time to dwell on it. You have to turn around and go tomorrow. Tomorrow will be Chicago film, and we'll be going."
On whether he likes the two-tight end, single back formation:
"I think the mix helps, especially in the first half when we're mixing it up, and they're in the third quarter mixing it up and it's still a game. They're in the fourth quarter at the end and you're really in two-minute mode, make-a-play mode. Before that, when the game's even and you're really giving multiple things for the defense to think about. I think it's nice, especially with some of the runs we had out of the gun, I think looked good today. I think those are all things that can help us."
On how he would assess the state of the team after a 3-1 start followed by four straight losses:
"Anytime you lose four games in a row, that's tough. These guys put in so much work. We put in so much time. Especially to have a couple of close ones, last week to have a close one, to come in at half time and be up and be unable to finish games in the second half is hard but part of the deal. It's a long season. We have got to keep working, keep going. You can't feel sorry for yourself. You've got to learn from it. You can't dwell on it and get better. This is a long season. You've got to keep working. You definitely can't get down about it."
On whether the team can still accomplish what it wants to accomplish being two games back of the Cardinals:
"I think so. I think the biggest thing is we just need to focus on us, focus on Chicago. That's it. Not worry about the Arizona Cardinals or what they're doing or the rest of the division or anything else like that. We have a single focus, and that's get a win. Get a win on Thursday. Study this a little bit tomorrow and go over it and then on to Chicago. Then, that's it. There's no time to dwell on anything."
On WR Jason Hill:
"It was nice to have him out there. He and I got a lot of work together the first six weeks of the season, working out there on scout team together. I've got a lot of trust in Jason, and it showed up out there today. He's just one of those guys who just continues to keep working and working hard and waiting for his chance. I thought he did a nice job today."
On the touchdown to Hill in the back of the end zone:
"We were in the two-minute mode and down in the red zone. The call we were in, we were in the two-by-two and called a play, and I scrambled out to the right and he made a great play of first, sucking the DB up and then turning and running deep and made a nice play on the ball. That stuff's all important, scramble rules. Those things all can make the difference in a game."
On why the team has struggled recently:
"You could probably point to a lot of things. For whatever reason though, you've got to get over that hump. That's something that we need to do."
LB Patrick Willis
Post-Game Quotes - November 8, 2009
San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans
On how the defense played today:
"It is hard for me because I know coming into this year we wanted the defense to be the forefront of this team. We told ourselves that despite what happens on the offensive side, we have to show up every game. They're making steps, and there is no reason for us to make it even harder for them when they are already trying so hard. We have to do better in our defense getting off the field and doing things necessary to give them more opportunities."
On the big plays by Titans RB Chris Johnson:
"You can't take anything from the guy. The kid is fast and he can run. There were a couple of times in there, actually I don't know. I don't want to say anything until I watch film as to the reason why he got loose. I just know that he can run. If you give him what he is looking for, which is the edge, he can turn and run like there is no tomorrow."
On the mindset of the team:
"We are still going to stay positive and we are still going to be for each other. Nobody is going to point their finger at one side of the ball, not at special teams, not at coaches. We are just going to continue to work, continue to fight as a team. We still have a lot of football left. It's not over until we play our last game. We are still playing to go to the playoffs. We just have to turn it around before it is too late instead of putting it in other people's hands. There is still a lot of football left. We know that November and December is when you make that push. Unfortunately today we didn't get it done, but we have a short week coming back on Thursday to play a good football team as well. It is a test for us to see how we respond."
