PETE CARROLL: Well, it's exciting to be going here and still playing football. Our guys are really tuned into it as they should be and we all deserve to be. It's a terrific matchup. You play a team that's this good in your division and with this much familiarity, this is really a chess match in a lot of ways for the coaches. It's just ball for the players. But a lot of respect for who we are playing and how they have done in their season and the guys they have on their team, and what they have accomplished. Being division champs is a big deal around here.
So we understand that. We'll let you know about some of these guys, when you ask your questions and all, some guys we can't help with you yet. We're feeling pretty good. We have guys that have played the spots and guys that have done some good things for us and so we are going to go down there raring to go.
Q. When you're underdogs, as you seem to be, do you embrace that --
PETE CARROLL: Underdogs --
Q. Is that something you like --
PETE CARROLL: I have no idea what those numbers or points, or anything -- I don't care about that. By the end of the week, there will be enough clamor about it so we'll hear what everybody is thinking and all that but that really doesn't have any -- doesn't play a factor in this.
Q. Given the way this 49ers defense plays ad potential weather condition what gives you optimism about the run game?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, queer going to need it. Both teams are going to run the football and we need it and we need to run it well and take care of the ball, too, is part of it. If they are talking cyclone-like or whatever the weather is, I can't believe northern California is getting hit like this but it's going to really come down to taking care of the football.
Q. What do you see as the 49ers' identity?
PETE CARROLL: It starts with their defense. It has for a number of years. Got a great group over there. Goes right to the guys up front and Freddie running the whole show. Their style of play and their success, the No. 1 defense in the NFL and all that, that's the way I see it. I don't know how they see it but that's how I see it.
Q. Are they similar to the Harbaugh teams from the early 2010s?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. But they have their own -- I mean, I don't see it that way, no. They are good. They are a good team. I think they are Kyle's team totally. He's got his logo all over this thing, style of play, emphasis, consistency and all of that stuff, and the players that they choose to play with and all that. So it's really unique to them.
Q. What stood out about Brock when you saw him a month ago?
PETE CARROLL: He's capable. It's not too big for him. Doesn't seem like he has the rookie learning curve to deal with. He obviously is getting coached really well but he's taken to it, and he's utilizing the guys around him. He's got a terrific cast around him. He's playing that point guard position really to a great extent that it's all part of why he's been successful and he's got great guys around him. He's doing it and still getting it ton.
Q. You mention turnovers. When you play a team this good, how important is it to be clean across the board?
PETE CARROLL: There's no doubt. That's how it goes. Look at the ballgame last night, got to be a explosive out. Plus-three, that's all you need to get that kind of win. The ball will be the whole issue.
Q. Samuel won't play in week 15, how does he change the options they have?
PETE CARROLL: He's a great player and he's multi faceted. We have played him enough. We have watched him grow up and become the real threat that he is. He can do everything. He's a fantastic player with the ball in his hands. They certainly know that and they do a good job of getting it to him.
Q. You played Alexander Johnson some, the linebacker in the other game, how do you feel about that?
PETE CARROLL: Liked him. I thought both guys did well. We wanted to make sure we could keep Tanner involved in special teams and all that and get a chance to see Alexander. He hasn't play football in a long time but he's a hard, tough, thick guy that did his part. I thought he did a nice job first time out.
Q. He's got a 124-tackle season under his belt in Denver before. Do you see that experience come through with him?
PETE CARROLL: 30-something starts, too. He's played a lot of football, and it was part of the thinking with all that was at stake and Tanner starting his first game, really, and just thought it would be good to have that kind of experience and come often berth and it would be important again this week.
Q. Cody finished the season 30-some tackles, first year as a starter and now taking over a different role what have you seen over him especially in the latter part of the season?
PETE CARROLL: If you remember, there was a time, I think after the bye and we were talking about it and he just felt like he took a step back, looked at the whole season, reevaluated what was going on and how he was playing and thought he saw some things that he can do better and he has done better.
He's just been more accurate with his fits and more precise about taking blocks on in the right manner and using the technique that applies and fits. He really has improved. He's done a really nice job.
Q. Seemed like he had a pretty good game Sunday in particular.
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, he was all over the place. He did a good job. Not as many tackles as sometimes, I think he had seven or something like that. Still it was a really effective game and was where he needed to be and made the calls for the most part and helped the guys out and played the play-caller and did a good job.
Q. A play early in the game -- is that where he's at his best, do you think?
PETE CARROLL: He was just in coverage, man-to-man coverage on the play. The one I'm thinking about, the tackle on the sidelines, that was -- you know, did he everything right. He was in the disguise. He knew his assignment. He popped out of it knowing exactly what he was vulnerable to and kept the play to be like a one yard play on third and three or something like that. It was a great tackle.
Q. Is he seeing the game different? Is it a maturation?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, he took advantage. I think that's how he would explain it is he sees it a little differently once he took the break. Sometimes it takes the whole off-season but for him it took one week which was really cool. He would tell you that the game is clearer to him now and he's able to understand and it's not all, first-time mystery that it is for young guys sometimes. He's really become more accurate with all of the stuff he has to do.
Q. How challenging of a play was that third down play to come from where he came?
PETE CARROLL: That one in particular? It was, yeah. He had to do it exactly right. He held his disguise. He did what he needed to do and he knew right was -- he was vulnerable to it and he had to jump to it to get it done. It was a perfect play.
Q. The sack -- are you able to use him a lot more now later in the year?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, we were able to do everything in the package now. Like you said, past the halfway point or some, maybe a little beyond that, we realized he's coming into it. It's just about trusting him that he's been through enough experiences so that he could make the right choices and decisions. He's got so much to do and there's so much going on in that spot that it just takes awhile. He'll continually get better at playing the nickel spot.
Q. How is Ryan Neal doing?
PETE CARROLL: He's feeling much better. He's not going to work today. We'll just see how it is tomorrow.
Q. With Tyler Lockett, you've talked before about maybe having more freedom this year to read coverages and react maybe a little bit more than he has in the past, do you think that's maybe allowed him to kind of take his game to another level?
PETE CARROLL: Well, I think he took his game to another level a long time ago and look at the consistency that he's demonstrated over the years. But what he's saying is he's feeling better about his stuff that he's doing. He's more confident and he's more aware and he's seeing more than ever. I don't think he's that much different than he's been other than how he feels and he's more confident about that, which is awesome to know. He's really such a tremendously poised competitor in the games, can talk about everything. We call all -- help the coaches understand and helping jail let me know and the other receivers. He's just amazing all that he offers us.
Q. You talk about this being a chess match for the coaches, does it require a different level of about the play -- in the week 15 game, the way they used McCaffrey, just the different things they can dial up?
PETE CARROLL: They are such a good team and they are so well-schemed that they really do tax the opponent. They do it in many ways, and that was that week. There will be something else this time around that we have to deal with, and so we know that and anticipate it. Sometimes they get us and sometimes we get them.
But I say that about the chess match thing because I have so much respect for what Kyle does, their whole style of play and all that they have developed over the years. It's going to be a good challenge.
Q. When you think back to the Thursday night game, what do you take away from that matchup?
PETE CARROLL: We had two huge plays. They scored 21 points in the game and two of them, one is 50-something and the other one, the screen over the middle, that we could have easily made that -- without those plays if we had executed right. See what happens. Might have been a different game.
Q. One of the things to practice this week --
PETE CARROLL: Not today.
Q. How was Gabe playing the whole game?
PETE CARROLL: How did Gabe play? Yeah, he came out -- came out quite well. He looks good today. He's ready to practice and all that kind of stuff, so that's a good sign. He got through it. Abe as well, you didn't ask him about but I was fired up he came back and through it and feels good about it.
Q. What's the most challenging aspect of their defense?
PETE CARROLL: They don't fool you. They just line up and they are running their scheme. They have some things that they do. They pressure rarely but effectively. It's just the fact that they are so consistent at what they do. You have to beat them and you have to block them. You have to make them miss you because they are going to be in the right spots and they are going to execute really well. The linebackers, the experience that they have in concert with the guys up front, it makes them really accurately right where they are supposed to be consistently and it's stuff. You have to really do well to get anything on them.
Q. Daryl was talking after the game about the influence Bruce has had on him and some things he's learned. Outside of what Bruce has given you on the field, what has he brought to the position group in terms of experience?
PETE CARROLL: I think it's kind of what you might hope it to be from an experienced guy coming back who has been around the block and all; that he has the willingness to help others and to talk about it and share his story and all that. He realizes that he's the older guy now and he remembers, I've heard him say it and he remembers when he was the younger guy and he was looking up and guys were helping him along and this was a different stage of his career, more obvious to him now coming back here I think than the last couple stops. He's giving us -- he's competing in that way and giving us everything he's got. He's made himself available, whether he knows these guys very well or not, he's trying to help them and it's a big positive for us.
Q. What makes Bosa such a matchup nightmare?
PETE CARROLL: Extraordinary athlete, one. He's got great feel. Probably his best asset is his motor that he just keeps bringing it and he plays so hard and so aggressively. You put that together; he's a monster of a guy to deal with.
Q. You mentioned this a little bit yesterday, but did you message this week and the playoff week in a specific way for your young guys?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah. Yeah, I did.
Q. Do you anticipate that they will feel any additional pressure this week?
PETE CARROLL: I do think that they could -- yeah, I do feel that anybody can, you know. But if you deal with it, and you put it in the right place, you give them a mentality how to handle it, we have a chance to not let that be a factor against us. Some of it's great. Some of the juice that it brings, it's freaking awesome to play in these games and it's all good, positive stuff. By you need to make sure you handle it and channel it properly to help you and it doesn't become a distraction.
Q. It was mentioned about Shelby Harris, his first playoff game this week, what has he brought?
PETE CARROLL: He's brought an experienced player. He's an experienced player and the experiences he's had, he's grown from and he can talk about it, style of play and style of other teams and settings, and when you go to another place like he's been a couple times, Kansas City, he had a good feeling for how that was going to go. He has been willing, like Bruce has been willing to share and be open about it and it's been helpful for us.
Q. The simplicity of San Francisco's defense, how does that manifest how they cover DK and Tyler versus some of the other defenses?
PETE CARROLL: That's a good question, they have their ways. They pretty much make you beat their defense. They have enough variety in their scheme that allows them to have some answers to do stuff but they are pretty much going to play what they play and they are going to rely on the rush be to the factor is kind of how they do it. Not as exotic as some other teams but they have their ways.
Q. You called -- or praised the point guard model, but beyond what the volume of pass attempts per game does that mean, playing the role of point guard?
PETE CARROLL: Not overtrying. He doesn't try to carry the load all on his own shoulders. He has gt guys that can make plays for him. Their offense is structured to get the ball in the guys' hands and they are really quick with their throws. Ball gets on the perimeter a lot, quickly, to give guys a chance to catch and run.
They are a really effective catch-and-run team. You look at their yards age after catch, they are as effective as anybody has ever been. For a couple years, they have been really good at it. Good players and good scheme puts them in those situations and it doesn't change with the quarterback changes. That stat and that factor has remained, so that's system and that's coaching.
Q. Is there anybody on IR that can comeback this week?
PETE CARROLL: D's is going to be out there -- he was out there in the walk through today and great to see him back.
Q. Damien Lewis and D.J. Dallas?
PETE CARROLL: D.J. is not going to go today.
Q. Thigh?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah.
Q. What did you see in the 26 snaps --
PETE CARROLL: He's doing good things, making positive plays. Athletically and smart-wise, he's really come along. Like to tell you after first half of the season, he's been playing as a rookie that we can count on him to be a regular starter and he can play with the starting group in any situation right now, whether it's the rushing stuff or playing outside backer he can do it. Had great speed rush in the game last week and then a second effort to get him a sack and he factored in some other edge plays really nicely. He's doing really well.
Q. What do you think of Abrams performance here Sunday?
PETE CARROLL: He's doing a nice job. He's learning the stuff and communicating and taking advantage of the scheme and the system and all that. He's a good competitor to have on the field. He's really feisty and fiery and all that and plays tough and brings a good juice.
Q. How do you measure the Bruce Irving effect?
PETE CARROLL: I don't know. I don't know how to do that necessarily other than it would add confidence and he would feel more in command of things because he's got big brother to lean on over there and ask questions of and all that, and settle his mind. I would think we can see that he's playing better and more effective but it looks like his confidence is growing. That might be the biggest factor that would be obvious.
Q. Did D.J. need to answer --
PETE CARROLL: No --
Q. What could he add if he's able to get back this week?
PETE CARROLL: He's an explosive player. He's got a lot of firepower, as he's always had. He's been out for quite a while, it would be a lot to get him back this week but first have to see him in practice. Haven't seen him in months, but seems like six weeks or something.
Q. To be where you want to be at the end of the year, what would you say have to be the one or two most important factors or things that have to happen?
PETE CARROLL: Yeah, we are going to have to really play really connected football. We are going to could have to do it all. We are going to have to run the football, we are going to have to take care of the ball, we are going to have to eliminate the big plays on the defensive side and give our guys a chance to rush the passers so we can see the pass rush we have been seeing the past month or so and throughout the season.
We have to play off one another and have a great deal of confidence in what Jason is going to do and what Mike is going to do in the kicking game. Those guys are on it.
Our kicking game is really solid and that's going to need to maintain. Godwin has given us some good firepower on returns and still getting some stuff out of D.J. So all of those factors, if you were going to measure us on the DVOA scale from this point forward, we need to be on top of that thing, so that means everything has to function. And so we are capable of doing that, so take care of one week and go to the next one.
Q. The jump that Darrell and Voya (ph) has the way your defense has flipped a switch down the stretch --
PETE CARROLL: It's certainly been a factor. We had a lot of hits on the quarterback. We had 24 or 25 pressures last week and all of it led to good stuff. I don't know, we probably had eight or nine sacks in the last couple weeks, so they are a big factor but it all fits together but man we need those guys on the edge, we always do.
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