Los Angeles Rams - 20, San Francisco 49ers - 17
KYLE SHANAHAN: All right, guys. Injuries from the game: We had Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles had a knee and didn't return; and Greenlaw, calf, did not return. Go ahead.
Q. Can you put your feelings right now into words, just how you feel and what was it like in the locker room just now?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Guys were hurting. Obviously, I think everyone can guess how we feel. I'm so proud of those guys. I love this team.
Every year is a different team and this is as cool of a team as I've ever been a part of. And came up short today, and that's a part of sports and a part of life, and you got to deal with it.
So those guys are hurting now. But they'll rebound and we'll be stronger for it.
Q. What about it are you so proud of this team? What about it?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Just the character of everybody, just the people. You know, it's -- we keep saying it over and over, but we do really like each other in there.
And just the personalities, how we fight for each other. The style that we played with the whole year. I mean, that's something that I'm very proud of as a coach.
Because you can say anything you want, but if you don't have the right people, it doesn't really matter. And those guys do things the right way and I wish I had another game with them.
Q. Kyle, those last two offensive series, was there trouble getting the plays in or it just seemed like everything was a little of off-timed. Was there an issue that was happening?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Yeah, the one we just didn't get the snap off. I don't think Alex could hear or there was something. He ended up making a signal, and I -- when he made the signal, he didn't know how little time was on the clock.
Another one, we didn't have a messed up substitution. We subbed right, but the guy ended up going out to the wrong side. And so, we had guys on the wrong side.
Q. Was there a delay?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Yeah, that's what ended up happening.
Q. Kyle, on the fourth down, you tried to throw them off. How close were you to going for that? What was the thought process?
KYLE SHANAHAN: We were never thinking about going for that. We were just -- you know, thought the game was exactly the game we wanted up to the second and one.
The second and one, been thinking about that for a long time. And then the third two, that next play. We were just trying to draw them off. We knew we were going to punt. We weren't going to go for it there at midfield on fourth and two.
And then the play right after that, just the chance to get the pick. Those three plays in a row that we had our opportunities, and we didn't come through on those three plays. And after that, it kind of changed into a game we didn't like as much.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE SHANAHAN: We just didn't want to. We were up three points and didn't think it was the right here decision.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE SHANAHAN: No, I mean, just -- those are just some timing. The games go through the -- all plays affect a game. But I just know how it was before those two downs and where we were at and having the lead.
And I thought we were moving down the field pretty good to get to second and one. And it didn't feel like they were going to stop us and came up short there, lost a yard. And they blew it up on short yardage on third and two.
So those are two huge plays that -- we almost got a chance to get it right back and we missed that pick, and those guys got going and got in that rhythm.
Q. Trent was a big story line heading into the game. Was that, in fact, a high ankle sprain? It seemed like he was able to play a full game.
KYLE SHANAHAN: Yeah, there's -- I mean, Trent's unbelievable. I mean, there's so many different components of a high ankle sprain.
That's why I can't just answer your guys' questions on whether it or isn't. It's the kind that gave him the chance to play. It was tough for him.
But he worked his ass off all work around the clock rehabbing. I saw him hurting out there a little bit. But from what I saw, he played his ass off today and he was one of the main reasons we were at this point.
Q. On that last interception, do you mind Jimmy throwing -- he just kind of had to get rid of the ball there or do you want him to do something else?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I don't think he could have done anything else. You know, on the first down he went to the right spot. We got the ball tipped. I think 91.
On the second down, they manned everyone up and he tried to throw it away to the flat and, unfortunately, we lost three yards on it.
Third and 13, it just looked like Aaron got in there fast and tried to break away, and tried not to take a sack to make it fourth and 20 or whatever it would have been.
And that happens. You get in a situation there and those guys are going to tee off and I thought we had a great chance of not getting into that situation. But credit to them and that's why they're still playing.
Q. When you guys went ahead by 10 with George's touchdown, was there an emphasis told to everybody not to let up?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Yeah, we emphasize that every second. Guys didn't let up, we just -- they made a hell of a play on short yardage and got an opportunity to get it back and they didn't get many opportunities after that.
Q. Did the fourth quarter -- was it more about the plays they made or the plays your team was not able to make?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Both. I mean, that's football. When they make a good play, that's congratulations to them. And when we don't, I still believe we can. But that is a good team.
You know, we gave them a number of opportunities, they gave us a number of opportunities. And I told you guys the ones I thought we missed that I thought were the difference. And you give those guys too many, and eventually they're going to make them.
After that missed pick, that opportunity we had, just hitting Odell down the sidelines, they got a cover two hole big, and then getting Kupp on those third downs on those choice routes. And that's what they've been doing all year.
Slow them down for a while, and I thought we had them on the ropes. But you still got to make the plays, we got to get it done. And we were a little short on that.
Q. What was it with your run game? It was only 50 yards on the ground.
KYLE SHANAHAN: No. I mean, same as usual how they always play it. You know, we didn't do as good on third down than I thought we did the last two times earlier this year.
They held the ball so well in the first half and they did unbelievable on first downs. So that was similar to the last time we played them.
But in order to get that run game going with how they're playing, I thought we were going to have to do better on third down.
Q. (No microphone.)
KYLE SHANAHAN: I haven't got a chance to talk to him. But I did to everybody. Tartt has done a lot of good things. I thought he was one of the best players on the field last week against Green Bay.
I love him being on our team since I've been here. And I know he's disappointed in that drop that he had, but there's a lot of other plays in the game. And I'm very happy that Tartt's on our team this year.
Q. Do you feel like they won the battle in the trenches in that fourth quarter?
KYLE SHANAHAN: They stopped us on second and one, third and two. So they won those two plays.
Q. If this is Jimmy's last game at quarterback, what can you say what he's done for the 49ers?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I love Jimmy. I'm not going to sit here and make a farewell statement or anything right now. That's the last stuff on my mind.
But Jimmy has battled his ass off. He battled today. And he did some unbelievable things today and I love coaching Jimmy.
Q. What did you say to your friend Sean McVay and are you -- despite being very upset, are you happy that he advances?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I mean, no, I'm not happy. But, yeah, I respect the hell out of those guys. Raheem's a good friend -- I mean -- sorry, Sean is a good friend and Raheem's a very good friend. And I'm definitely not happy that they beat us. But those guys always pull for a win, that has nothing to do with the '9ers.
Q. Kyle, what was the message to the team?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Just the same I said to you guys. I was extremely proud of the guys. And no one wants to hear anything right now. We know what the situation is and we're hurting.
You put yourself out there and you expect to come through. I think everyone in that locker room expected to win the game all the way to the end. And you got to grieve that a little bit.
But we'll grieve it and I truly always believe, you know, you get stronger from all good things and all tough things. And we got some strong guys in that room. And I think this will make us stronger.
Q. Kyle, what's next for you guys? How long do you focus on this game and what are you trying to embrace next?
KYLE SHANAHAN: I mean, I'll start thinking about that on the plane, setting up our exit meetings, stuff like that. Seeing what the combine is going to be. Plan an offseason schedule.
I don't -- I've literally done zero of that stuff and didn't plan on thinking about it until a couple weeks from now. So when I'm done with this, I'll probably start thinking about it.
Q. The end of a season is never feeling good, but having gone through some other ones, does this feel different because you were three-five, because you were counted out many times, because of all the other things that went on differently this season?
KYLE SHANAHAN: Not totally. I mean, they're all -- I mean, the NFL seasons are -- I mean, they're always emotional, always tough. And it's just a grind for everybody. I'm a lot more proud of us this year.
I was proud of us, too, last year. I wasn't proud of our record, but I was proud of a lot of things that we went through and persevered through. And, you know, you can evaluate it all and try to find a way to come back and be better.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports