What did you think about the defense as a whole, And it seemed like you guys can throw the live scrimmage and stop the run pretty quickly, even though they they kept trying.
Yeah, no, I'm really proud of how we came out with energy and Fred making that play early kind of set the tone. But yeah, if we could stop the run like that, we'll obviously clean up more things and we'll have a lot more rush ups in the future.
Guys, but against the run particularly, you've been five top seven.
What what drive?
Well, that's just our main focus every year because if you can make teams one dimensional, it's it's huge. And uh, it's always a number one focus every single year, especially with our d line scheme and the way we play our linebackers. So so yeah, we take a lot of pride in it. And last year we weren't as good as we needed to be, so we had to improve. How many yards was it tonight? You know I stopped it.
It was it was like thirty one late quarterly fourth before those last two drives.
So under one hundred for sure.
I think it makes his team to outside influences and talk. I mean, you have you know, you held out Last year, you guys hit the ground running and find you get two holdouts. This year, stuff's going on deep. Maybe it's kind of a bad vibe this year, and you come out and play like this.
Yeah. I mean, our our ownership really takes care of us, and you have to when you have really good players, and we have really good players at every position. And when guys aren't there, I mean, we have their back. We know that when they get back, they're going to work their butts off, so so it doesn't change when they when they're not here, we're working, and when they come, we're working. So it's a good day.
I said that you guys are just really sketching the service of what the potential of this defensive line could do. How did you feel out there with that?
I agree? Yeah, I think having him on the other side is going to open up a lot of things for for all the guys rushing and and Malik played an awesome game in the run and and he's he's a great vet to have and he me and him are gonna are gonna work really well together on the left there.
Yeah, what is it about the changes? I mean, because obviously you lost record was such a main stay here and you got a couple of injuries with Drey and your it sounds like you're you're topping and comfortable with the new new faces.
I guess yeah. No, that's a testament to Kyle and John and all the scouts finding guys who fit us and fit our culture. And you really have no choice when you come into this building to uh not play with great effort and play Niner football. And I think tonight it was the epitome of a Niner win.
Like to have Nick Werdenson out there in his first game in defensive coordinator, and how do you think he's kind of changed the defense?
He hasn't changed much. We have a few things that we really didn't get to that are a little different, but I think just keeping it simple, doing what we do best and it works out usually.
A few referenced these guys earlier, But what specifically about Colins and Floyd makes them fit this? Why are they good matches?
Well, Floyd is just a ball of energy and he could run. And people think he's a smaller, skinnier guy that can't play the run, but he could. He's explosive as heck, so he could really play the run like we need him to. And obviously he could rush his speed, rush his uh, he's he's proved it throughout his career. And then Malik just a beast in the run game, big big guy, and if he could do that all year, then we're gonna to be in good shape.
Coincidence that he had last Aaron's last sack and then got his first sack this.
Year, yeah, no, he's he's uh. He gets to the quarterback and we're gonna need him to here.
I mean, because you weren't here during training camp, it didn't seem like as fast as a start. Do you feel like this is a more cohesive group because everybody was here through training camp?
Yeah, I mean you definitely build some cohesiveness. And like you said, we're just scratching the surface. We're gonna have a lot a lot of fun games. I think. Thank you