Opening Statement:

"What's up everybody? I thought, we can get rolling here, I thought sometimes I do talk about winning time moments and the importance of that. It's the, for us, I like defensively the two minute at the half or I'm at the end of the game, the four minute drive but today I'd also like to talk really how one play can set it off. And that was [S] Quan Martin. To me on the force fumble and the [CB] Marshon [Lattimore] fumble recovery thought it energized our teams, and every once in a while, you see a play and there it is. That's the one that's something that needed to take place and sometimes we can expect where it's going to happen or who it's from, but often it's even better when it's kind of the perfect person to do that. Because I thought Quan really led all day with his play, with his voice and everyone fed off of that. So, it made a lot of sense that he was the one that I thought really set it off. We ended up scoring on that play after that fumble recovery. I thought that was the one that was the play that set it off for this game, for our team, the energy that it brought and just thought I'd bring that up. Oftentimes that talks so much about winning time moments, and every once in a while, there's just a play that sets off the direction of how the game's going to go for the entire team. And I thought that was the play in this game. So glad to open up to you guys and get started on the day."

On qualities he's noticed in RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt while watching him play:
"I think it's the change of direction. He's got very good vision inside, but he can really put his foot in the ground and break tackles. There's an element of vision and cuts. I can remember even all the way back through training camp there. There it was, there it was, there was another play. And I thought he excels really on the inside plays where now he can see things quickly, make a violent cut and then get north south. So that's what I see from him. I honestly, I love this whole running back room. If I could just share for a moment, like the support and the energy that came from [RB] Chris Rodriguez and [RB] Jeremy McNichols on the sideline. Like, man, these guys back each other like crazy. It's a really cool group."

On Lattimore's game performance:
"Well, I thought just right from the beginning he was involved in the whole thing. I thought technique on point, going through the whole system, the tumble recovery. This is a really talented passing offense with the trio that they have and how they feature them. So, we knew we'd have our work cut out from them. I thought the defensive backs in particular, the communication with the down, with the linebackers, how they would go about it. They worked hard on that this week, against, like I said, a talented offense. And so you could tell they put in the extra into that space."

On what is contributing to the defensive line's consistency against the run game and applying pressure on quarterbacks:
"Yeah, that's the key man and I really think it starts inside with [DT] Daron [Payne] and [DT Javon ] JK [Kinlaw] their presence, their ability to disrupt. Oftentimes you see the big guy that's an anchor and that's an effective thing when he can stay and sit on the double teams. But these are also two guys that can move, and I think their ability to create some havoc in the run game to cross face of blocks to get vertical, those are things that smaller players often you move with. So, to see some of the big guys, those two in particular inside, I think that's been a real impact for us in the run game and yeah, we are leaning in on other guys. I thought [DT Jer'Zhan] Newton was somebody that's, like I see his arrow going up as well, so, but I think it starts at the inside of it all. I really do."

On LB Jordan Magee's game performance:
"You know, we've talked about him long as a special team's player, but in this game we would see some other plays where he would be playing in some different packages. He just played so square behind the ball that that's where he's at his best, he can see it, he can tackle, he can accelerate. Thought he did a good job disrupting on the blitz. I think he missed on his sacks, he was upset about that, but it was really good to get him going. You have heard me talk about him and with [LB] Frankie [Luvu] and [LB] Bobby [Wagner] here, we haven't seen as much. So, I thought it was good design by [Defensive Coordinator] Joe [Whitt Jr.] and the staff to have a package that allowed him to really make his impact felt."

On what made them decide to feature Croskey-Merritt more:
"I think as the gap schemes continued to have some success inside, we leaned right into it, and I thought he had a good week of practice leading into that. And so, because of that we thought this is some time for him to earn some more. So, I think it really came from just him improving in the system and then having a great week to go into it. But that's where, where it led into. It wasn't as intentional as it sounds, but [Running Backs Coach] Anthony [Lynn] I thought also did a good job saying, 'okay, like, this guy's really going' and even after the fumble he was discouraged and disappointed and say, 'Man, nope. Get back. We're going to go fight for this thing again.' I love the way he responded."

On WR Luke McCaffrey's greatest area of growth:
"Yeah, and I thought coming into it, I felt the experience of the route running and all the technique that goes with that first. Coming in from him with his background at quarterback, almost seeing too much, but then he really got into the details at receiver, at the technique, at the specific routes. But there's one thing that separates him. I think that he has, and he can feel it like it is this competitive spirit. In a game, two weeks ago, I saw him catch a touchdown pass and then go down and cover a kick and be in on a tackle. And I think that speaks to like just the competitor he is. So yesterday, had a kickoff return out to the 40, Bill had a long run that I thought he had a fantastic block towards the end on the sideline when he came back out to the right. And then we showed that in the team meeting onto the field post today. So, three different plays, one on teams, one on the blocking, downfield, and one on the pass. And a lot of it wasn't a design, unusual or tricky, it was just honestly just going out and like, just competing. And he really stands himself apart in that way and he's one of our most consistent guys in that department. And it definitely keeps showing itself."

On QB Jayden Daniels protecting himself on runs:
"Yeah, we'd all talked about that. Correct to say the only thing worse than being out is not learning some of the lessons to say, when is this play over? Whether it was throwing the ball away or going down, I got the yards and get down. And so, I thought for me as a coach, that was a good sign to know, that's a super difficult thing to practice, not going to hit him in practice. And so, these are the moments, and this is where we're going to grow and learn from. And so, when do I take my shot? When do I say this play is over? But you're right. I thought for him that was a good sign and a good step in the right direction knowing, alright, I can play the next down, I can play the next down after that."

On the level of optimism on WR Terry McLaurin's return:
"Yeah, we're optimistic and we'll have more information as the week goes on to see where they're at with he and [WR] Noah [Brown] and [T/G] Sam Cosmi and a few other guys that are kind of trending in the right way. We'll make sure we take all the right steps. Just like we do with all the guys. If they're able to, you know, fully express how they play and do the thing, then we're there. And if not, we'll have to keep waiting, but we won't decide yet. But with having an extra day, that never hurts going into it. But as we get a few more days from now, I think I'll have a better sense for if it's able to be done and what it looks like and how they're responding to it."

On utilizing Croskey-Merritt more in the future:
"We'll, keep digging in as we're going to go. I think there's a lot that he can get better. He is going to continue to work. That's the fun part for some of these young players that you just keep going like this. And even unlike the mistakes like a fumble, you say, all right, how are you going to grow? How are you going to learn from this? And so, we do anticipate him growing and even getting better as it goes but he's got great support. I like how the line plays, the tight ends, like in that spot there's some real run action that's taking place. He's got great support here from Anthony and the other back, so we're just going to keep developing him. I'm not putting a limit or a play count on it. We're just going to work our off to help him become the best player that he can. And that doesn't happen in one week. But as we keep working and we keep working like we're just not backing off on that and we think there's a lot of upside and a high ceiling for him."

On if yesterday's game is a message to the team of how he wants them to play:
"We want that to look like that all the time. And sometimes, like yesterday, I took that play of Quan, he was the one that set it off yesterday. But there is an attitude and a speed that we want to play with. Doesn't mean we're always going to play it perfectly or play it just right but there's an intensity about how we play and when we're at our best. There's also a joy that goes with it. I think I saw that with Jayden as well. Here he is smiling as he's going through it, battling, but also this is a crew that, they're connected man. And so, to see these guys want to fight for one another and get it right, that's a really important piece. So, we'll have a work cut out for us, but you're leaning into the right things about our attitude, our effort, the way we play and when we're that connected, we're a problem and we're going to continue to work hard at that and really protect that."

On the offensive line over the last few weeks:
"Yeah, I thought coming in we knew if the run game can improve, there'd be some good run action plays that would come off of it. That's the byproduct of getting some good run plays into it. I like that we're athletic enough that any of the guys can pull, you've seen all of them get on the edge, including [C Tyler] Biadasz who got outside and got a piece of the defensive end on Croskey-Merritt's touchdown run towards the end of the half. And so, having those guys who can get out in space and make blocks, that's a difficult thing but when you do, explosive plays can then happen. Because now you're out in space, you get one block, the runner who can get into that spot. For us, it's not just the line, we think of it as all 11. It's the quarterback carrying out the fake, it's [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.] on a bubble that's not thrown but because we do, the defender has to go. So, as much as we can, it's about the space and can guys play full speed and hauling ass so we can attack the field this way, horizontally, and vertically. And when you can do that, it can make it tough. And so, that's how we play and the more that we can do that, the better."

On how having Daniels back helps the run game:
"I think because of the fact it's all 11 and we pretty much had the same process with [QB] Marcus [Mariota] as well, but it does make you defend the 11th player. It is not just a handoff where a middle-field player or somebody else can now go into. So, carrying out the fakes and staying alive into that spot. We also have some throws that come off of our runs, the RPO's that go with it. So, we're just going to stay in this attacking mode and try to put as much pressure on a defense as we can. But the quarterback in the run game is still a big part of that, even if he's just carrying out a fake knowing that there is a pull element that could happen on some plays. So, we'll stay consistent with that."

*On if the defense hit a second gear in terms of tackling and trusting each other: *"I think probably the last one. I think that came from communication. I heard it in practice during the week, extra emphasis onto that. We even did some different things. As opposed to using crowd noise, I did it just the opposite. So, when they came to the line of scrimmage, there was no sound. So, I wanted to hear them communicate verbally, non-verbally, to make sure they could talk ahead of the call. And so, I thought that was a good sign to see that carry over from practice into the game. And as coaches, you've heard the ones you get, which you emphasize. And so, we were emphasizing that hard and that's what I saw going into it."

On if the team practiced anything specific last week to help produce more turnovers:
"We certainly practice it a lot, but what did happen in practice, there were more chances at the ball. And I saw them being more aggressive toward that, Thursday and Friday in both of those to go. And so, it doesn't surprise me that Mike was right in the middle of it. I thought he had his best tackling game. He had one on a kickoff, he fit in the run well, but he's got great hands. And so, for him it wasn't the over trying, it's be in the right spot and you can make all the plays and I thought that was a good example of that in the red zone where he sat, he waited, Johnny [DT Jer'Zhan Newton] got a good tip on it, but he had vision on the QB so he wasn't guessing to go right or left. He really just nailed it. And I thought that was a real one, big deal in the game because that led into what turned out to be a four-minute drive at the end. And that's the complimentary football that we're looking for. When a turnover takes place, can we go capitalize off it?"

*On if Samuel Sr.'s play has been surprising given the attention defenses are giving him: *"Well, I guess I would disagree with you on [him being the only receiver defenses are worried about]. But I would say that he is one of our league's best competitors and maybe the byproduct of him moving around so much in training camp. He was outside, he was inside, he played different spots. I think that training added to him because now he's comfortable at all the spots and he is also in a different system than he was at in San Francisco and the way they featured him was excellent there and showed all the plays. And so, anytime a guy goes to a new spot, there's new wrinkles and things that would happen. It would've been the same if he had been coming from DC to San Francisco and so that's normal. And so, finding different things that players can do, it's a big piece of it, but one thing I know, there's a competitive edge to him and it just reveals itself on game day. It is so much fun to see. And so, I love the energy and the toughness that he brings to the team and yeah, we're going to try to put him in as many spots as we can to make his impact and he's always down for that."

On McCaffrey and WR Jaylin Lane's snap counts:
"Well, I'd say some of it's a little bit different of how we feature them, their roles on special teams as well make an impact. Both of them are our starting returners, so we won't use them on every snap, but we're going to certainly try to feature them as best we can. But yeah, I wouldn't look at it too far, think of it in totality, the whole game of how we feature the guys and that's how we're go about it. But we're certainly pleased with their development and how they're playing. So, I thought the third and 16 catch for Jaylin and the long pass that went to Luke was a big one, but there were a number of plays for both of them that also showed up, maybe not on the stat sheet, the block by Luke and some other ones in terms of how we would go attack. You feel Jaylin's speed whether he is at slot, whether he is returning. So, we're going to continue to try to put them in their spaces where they can do their thing."

On Wagner's importance to the defense:
"Well, I think there's a tackling presence. When you're playing linebacker, you're right in the middle of it all and you're going to be involved in as many plays that involve tackling, not just in the tackle box, but outside of it. And so, I like the instincts he has and a little bit like playing quarterback there's alignment's, adjustments to move somebody to put somebody into a different spot. There were times yesterday it was going quickly that he always has the green light. 'Hey, you make the call,' where it's not waiting for [Defensive Coordinator] Joe [Whitt Jr.] to go if they're going quickly. And so, as long as he knows the personnel, he's got that kind of instincts that he can take that on as well when the times are appropriate."

On an example of collaborative decision-making during a game:
"Sure, might be after a series, when something comes up I'll ask a player, 'Hey, against this look, let's go to this against this person, let's go to that.' And so, as the game goes, then you hear them start talking more, 'Watch for this, look for this player, expect this route.' And so, so often in the beginning of the games, you're gathering the information and then during the game you see the guys, whether they're on the sideline, looking at the iPad, looking at formations. If you and I were playing the same position, I would share the same and then you would do it back to me when we're not in at the same time. So, that would be the best example of, hey, these are some things that are come up, that's just what I saw, so they can pass it on to the next person that sees it."