Q. Is there anything different about the team this week? Does it feel different, different focus, different energy level heading into the playoffs?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, I think everyone is just super excited. We get another chance to play. We get a chance to go fight for a Super Bowl.
Obviously we've got a tough opponent, but I think everyone is just locked in and really engaged. You can tell by the meetings this morning. You can tell by our walk-throughs that guys are just focused and locked in. The coaches are doing a great job at making sure all the guys are understanding the assignments and getting the game plan down.
Everyone is ready, getting ready for another tough match-up on Sunday, but a lot of excitement.
Q. Some people are saying that this is a fitting -- I don't want to say end because the season is continuing on, but to the fairy-tale that you've been writing all year, what would you say to them?
GENO SMITH: I would say it's not a fairy-tale. I'd say it's very much reality, and where we are as a team is that we've been working hard. We put a lot of good stuff on tape as a team. I think we've came a long way since the beginning of the season, since training camp and OTAs, and it's all just a result of the hard work and all the repetition that everyone has put in.
For us that's what it's about, sticking to the process, staying focused on the process and making sure that's the main focus and everything else will take care of itself.
Q. What was Sunday night like?
GENO SMITH: It was cool. It was cool. I was at dinner and just hanging out. Just hanging out. My mom and everyone was excited. Everyone reached out to me and just kind of texted and congratulated me and the team on the success and getting into the playoffs.
Everyone was excited, and it was just a normal Sunday night.
Q. You've always believed in yourself and that you were capable of this, but have you allowed yourself a little moment to reflect after everything your career's ups and downs, that you're here, a Pro Bowl quarterback about to start his first playoff game?
GENO SMITH: I think the time for reflection is probably a long ways down the line. I'm so caught up in the moment that I can't really get outside of that.
Obviously I'm grateful and I've always spoken about being grateful for the opportunity, but mainly for me, it's to continue to stick to the process. None of this is possible without all the work we've put in, so just making sure that we're focused on that. I know everyone is going to continue to ask those questions, but I'll just focus on what I can do better and where I can be in the moment and not really outside of that.
Q. What do you feel like you guys have to do differently offensively against these guys this time and the first few games?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, mainly just execute better, mainly on 1st and 2nd down, make sure that we're staying in 3rd and manageable, 3rd and short and medium because we had a bunch of 3rd and longs, and as you can see, that's not where we want to be. When we're in 3rd and manageable, we've done great, and we've been able to execute, move the chains.
For us it's staying efficient on 1st and 2nd down, me in particular getting the ball out, being efficient getting the ball to the guys in the right timing and to the right reads, and then everything else kind of goes from there.
Q. Was there ever a point that you didn't think you'd get to this point in the playoffs, not just this year but in your career?
GENO SMITH: No, I can't say that. Might have been like wishful thinking on my part, but I've always had that thought process that if I did get an opportunity that this is where we should be.
Like I said, it's not about me. It's about the team and everyone else around me and how we are collectively coming together and how we collectively have gotten to the playoffs.
But I don't think we should be getting hyped up right now or acting like this is our end goal because we have another goal in mind, so obviously it starts just one game at a time, one play, one practice at a time, staying focused on, like I said, staying in the moment, but we know that we can't just say, oh, we're happy to be in the playoffs. There's more to it. We've got to stay focused on that.
Q. Your teammates all season have praised your leadership. What are you saying to them this week heading into this new atmosphere of the playoffs?
GENO SMITH: Don't make it different. Don't make it different. Stick to your process. You've been doing this for 18 weeks, even longer than that, 20-something weeks. Don't change your process. Don't make it more than what it is. It's another football game, another opportunity to go out there and compete.
With the guys we have in this locker room, with the coaching staff, with the organization we have, that's what we're all about, competing.
Coach Carroll is going to say the same thing. It's not bigger than what it should be. It's another football game. We get an opportunity to go out there and compete with your brothers and see what we can be after the game.
Q. What you look back on it, how did you feel you played Sunday?
GENO SMITH: It wasn't my best game. I felt good out there. I felt like I was seeing it well, just wasn't my best day. But I think that's where my teammates were able to pick me up, and then when the game was on the line, obviously we were able to get it done.
I think I can play a lot better. I know I can play a lot better. It just comes down to execution, really just executing and staying focused.
Q. The match-ups against the 49ers resulted in the lowest rushing totals of the season. What's different now compared to those games?
GENO SMITH: I think when you look back at those games. I think we got behind early in the first one, and then the second one we had some guys injured. A couple guys were injured and we were down a few guys. But for the most part we were just behind the sticks a lot. We were behind the chains and we were in 2nd and longs and 3rd and longs and that's not a recipe for winning football for us.
Just making sure that we're efficient. The run game and pass game has got to be efficient and that will help us stay on the field longer to have more rush attempts and to be more effective in the run game.
Q. Anything unique about how the 49ers have covered DK compared to how other teams have covered him?
GENO SMITH: The uniqueness with that, they Rolodex their coverages. They run a bunch of different coverages. They're not going to allow me or our coordinator or our team to see the same coverage because we've been great at finding ways to attack those coverages, so they're going to mix the looks. They're going to make it as hard as possible. They're one of the if not the best defense in football.
DeMeco Ryans has done a great job of getting those guys ready to play, and they're always firing off the ball. We can expect that. We can expect them to be aggressive and to press us and to challenge us, and so that's exactly what we want. We know it's coming, and we've got to be ready for it.
Q. Without giving away too much of the game plan, what gives you confidence that this game will be different, particularly getting the ball in DK's hands?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, I think obviously it comes down to how we play. Nothing I say up here is going to get it done, but one thing I am confident in is DK and in Shane and our ability to find ways to get him the football.
For me, it's just going out there and making my reads and throwing the football, trusting the guys around me. Every week Shane comes up with a great plan, and for us as players, we've got to make sure we go bring it to life and execute.
Q. Did you know you were the only quarterback in the NFL to take every single snap this year?
GENO SMITH: I did see that somewhere, yeah.
Q. Do you have a thought on that or do you take pride in that at all?
GENO SMITH: I do. I do. Obviously I want to be available for every snap. Obviously if you get in a blowout or you're winning the backup comes in, but me being available for every snap was one of my goals, my main goal, and so I feel good about that.
Q. When you lost your breath a little bit on the sideline hit, was there a chance you weren't coming back in?
GENO SMITH: No, no chance. No chance. I just needed a second to kind of regroup and get my wind back, and guys gave me some space, gave me enough time to get right, and I was able to get right back out there, so that was cool.
Q. Outside of this organization people have their opinions about this team. For you and your teammates what did you think this team could be when you stepped on the field for training camp?
GENO SMITH: I knew we had a chance way back in training camp, really back in OTAs. I think we were close to 100 percent in attendance, and guys were really working. It felt like a college atmosphere in the weight room and on the field when we were just running sprints. So much competition and everyone is just fighting for a job.
Obviously with the talent we have, we can play with anybody, but I think our camaraderie and everything like that was built during that time in OTAs, and I think that's what allowed us to have a chance.
We just continue to build on that, and we've been getting better each week. We've got a lot of young guys playing, and they've been getting reps and becoming vets overnight. Just having a chance with these guys and to compete with these guys, I always feel like we have a chance to be great.
Q. On that note of young guys getting better, Ken Walker has got 10 plus rushes of 20 yards or more. What can you say about his acceleration?
GENO SMITH: It's what we've said all year. Ken is a special back. He has unique traits. His explosiveness, his vision. He's got the clutch factor. You watch all those games where the game is close. It seems like he gets better.
He's strong. He's a physical back. To not be the biggest guy, he's extremely physical.
As you've seen, he's been getting better and better each week. He's going to only continue to improve because that's the way he is. When you have a guy like him back there, for me it's like I've got to be ready at all times because he'll cut it back and then I become a lead blocker, and it's pretty cool when he does that. I just enjoy seeing him run and have fun out there and getting our offensive line going, allowing those guys to take over games. It's really cool.
Q. Speaking of you blocking, talk about how you kind of got in the way. What's the key --
GENO SMITH: Exactly that, just getting in the way. That's it. Not trying to make too much contact, just get in the way, and Ken will do the rest.
Q. (Indiscernible) over the past few weeks particularly with ball hawking. What's it like going up against him in practice? What stands out about him?
GENO SMITH: Super intelligent, just his understanding of the game. He knows where the ball is going the majority of the time, and so he's always around the ball. This guy knows the game. He's rangy. He's one of those rare safeties who can cover sideline to sideline, hash to hash, and if the ball is in his vicinity, he's going to get it. He's got great ball skills. He's got hands like a wide out. I'm pretty sure he says that all the time, he's in the locker room telling guys he's got better hands than them. He's just one of those players. We played against each other in college, and I was impressed then. I've said that before; he's just always been that great of a player and one of the few guys who can do what he does.
Q. You haven't had a chance to play in a playoff game yet, but what did you take away from 2018 with the Chargers and you guys making it and going through a couple of those games and being a part of a playoff experience?
GENO SMITH: You know, I've had an experience here, as well, but I think just being a part of that, you realize how important it is to obviously win in the regular season, but man, the playoffs, there's only a few teams playing still. Other guys, about half the league is either headed for vacation or on vacation.
If you really love the game, you want to be in the playoffs. Those are the biggest stages. That's where the games seem to be the most fun because you know it's do or die.
My remembrance from those times were just how much fun it was to be in the locker room with the guys and how we enjoyed each other and continuing to play, and then knowing that the game is on the line every single snap when you get out there.
Q. What separates Tyler among other receivers you've played with in your career, and what has he meant to you?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, Tyler, I talk about him all the time, just for a real estate agent, I think he's doing a great job at playing wide receiver.
You talk about toughness, this season he's shown that. Not the biggest guy, not going to intimidate anybody physically, but if you line up against him, you'll know exactly who he is and what he can do.
I've seen him time and time again give guys pure hell out there, just the best of the best. That's what he is, one of the -- in my opinion, one of the best receivers in the game.
For him to be such a selfless individual, never really making it about himself, I think sometimes that hurts him because he doesn't get the recognition he deserves, but he is one of the best.
Q. You talked about getting the ball out fast whether it's to Tyler or DK. Does Bosa speed that up for you this week?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, and he's a great guy. He's a great player. They have a bunch of guys on their front seven. But I trust my guys. I really trust my guys. I know they're going to come ready to play as they always have, and I'm going to sit back there with a firm back foot and count on those guys to do what they do because I know what they're capable of and I know when we play right, we can beat anybody.
Q. Does the weather there this weekend and the rain that's projected make the run game an even more added emphasis this week?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, I would think so. Obviously the weather, you can't control that, but whatever the case is, we've got to adjust and be ready. We'll know exactly what it is when we get out there on Saturday.
For the most part, it's just doing what we are capable of doing, which is I feel great throwing in the rain, the snow, doesn't matter to me, but if we've got to run the ball, then we've got the guys to do it.
Whatever the case is, whatever we have to do, we've just got to win, find a way to win.
Q. Were you pretty excited to have Bellore's number get called for a carry there?
GENO SMITH: Yeah. Bellore, it's funny, I got drafted to the Jets, he was on the Jets and he was a fullback, and then he went to linebacker and he's kind of been back and forth. But he's that type of player. He can do it all out there. We're lucky to have a guy like that.
Q. I have to ask, where were you going when you false started as a wide receiver?
GENO SMITH: The problem was -- I'll talk about that because it's not funny because I cost us a penalty, but I kind of tried to fix my feet at the last second, was kind of talking trash and then kind of lost my balance. I've got to get better at that.
Q. You were talking trash and changing feet at the same time?
GENO SMITH: Yeah, yeah, and it didn't work out. It was Ramsey. It was the match-up we were looking for, me on Ramsey (laughter), and unfortunately it didn't work out that way, but we'll come back to it.
Q. What route were you going to give him there?
GENO SMITH: I was about to sauce him up, but I can't let you guys know everything, but I was going to give him a nice little route.
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