Press Pass: Chip Kelly

where where we normally get the kickoffs. But I thought he did a good job of that and then obviously was consistent in the kicks that we asked him to do. Master move with a kicker, not give it it. Just everybody's precautionary, just make sure. We'll see what Cody Satis says. I Again, he obviously played in the game and was good in the game, so we'll just see where he's gonna we'll go from here. So yeah, but we usually

do that, so we usually have workouts on today. So last week we had a couple of guys in the week before we had a couple of guys in, so Kiko went for a second opinion. Now see just just to get a second opinion in terms of what our doctors saw, and then what usually what most players most players here to do good to go good to get a second opinion. So I have no idea why I haven't had any response back from what happened there. So the first opinion that he had a sprained knee possibly

come back to now. It was always it was he had a sprain knee and they were going to evaluate itself. I got nothing on any injuries, so they all go. I meet with the trainer after this, So I know he went out of the game, and we'll see what happens when I get back and meet with Christian doc after this. If you have to use what you're thinking, he seems to be better on the left side. That's not our thinking though, So and we haven't discussed anything

because we don't know what Gardner status is. So game at pointe Coup put out for a little bit, but he came back in. So yeah, so I didn't I didn't get anything after the game about Coups, So what were the offensive second? You know, we just really didn't convert on a couple of those second and third downs. I think sometimes we had success on the first down, but second and third down, um, we were just we were close, but we didn't you know, just didn't convert um.

And it was a different breakdown on various things. A couple drops, you know, I think some of the drops, uh, we need to clean that up because obviously drives can really get extended on some of those Uh, some of those plays where um, we're not getting our hands on the balls. But there was they were kind of varied in in the situation the second half. Yeah, I've been

pleased with really with both Walter and and Malcolm. You know, Malcolm's versatility to be able to come down and play nickel at times in certain looks or to cover slot receivers has been really good for us. But Walt has that ability also. Um, they were interchangeable. It's kind of what we've always wanted to get. But uh, I think both those guys are playing really well right now. Sam Bradford giving you enough right now. Yeah, I think Sam's

doing a good job. You know, again, there were some throws Sam probably wants back, you know, there's a couple in there that he missed. But there's also some drops too that I think that could have really extended some drives for us. So, um, but we're pleased with Sam right now. None of your why we see it was other than Jordan had a cash yesterday. I don't think anyone has more than forty yards huge three games. He is that a concern? Is that just a product of

what I mean? We didn't play very well against the Dallas, so that doesn't I mean, it is what it is, you know, in the in the we obviously moved the ball we thought well in the Falcons game, and then moved the ball well again, um yesterday, So it just depends, you know. Obviously there was a matchup out there with

Rivus and Commardi at the outside spot. So really part of our game plan was to attack the inside and really to get our backs isolated on linebackers, which I thought we did and I thought we were successful at that. We like winning. We don't care who does it or how it contributes to it, as long as you you

come out with the victory. So in terms of where are you lying your quarterback up getting the shotgun versus what the running back like, perhaps if he liked the quarter back Understenter like, for instance, like the manning bolts to shotgun. Do you have to balance that when you're when you're calling place. No, we don't. We don't talk

about that, you see from Hagaware. So so so far, Nelson's that nice job, you know when when his opportunities have come up, we just haven't had a lot of opportunities to get the ball out to him. You know, he ran uh you know we missed him one ton a day and then another on the backside post shout where he did a good job round the routes and was open where we just didn't get the ball to him on on Sunday. But Nelson's done a really nice jobs since. Has been a big quarter fansy game meater and he

sell it. Played forty six snaps, sister, they wasn't parting. Yeah, we ran the ball a little bit more and then that's what we were trying to do against that that luck to try to run the ball a little bit more. But I thought Zach contributed and made some big catches for our sister guy. The way the game kind of on foldy yesterday, he had the big lead in the first half Marches Smith didn't really get in with the defense at all does that What does that say about it?

Does he still really have a future here? Can you say that, Yeah, he does have a future here. I just think each game expresses itself differently on how it is, and um, you know, he was a lot he spent a lot more time in base in base defense in practice last week than nickel stuff, and we were in nickel. You know, they kind of abandoned the run from their standpoints, so we were in nickel and dime almost once we

got up. You know, it got to twenty four nothing and it turned into a nickel in the dime game for us. Defensively, so teams last year, what big case, what gets the flight ends to the bold just coverage and how they're going to defend you. But you know, it's a it's an entirely new defensive coaching staff down there, so um, you know, it's a new defensive style in terms of what they're doing. So I don't h you know, I can't look at last year. We don't we do.

We as a staff won't even look at last year's game just because Joe Barry's a due defensive coordinator and has been there, so you look at their preseason games in the three regular season games. So we drafted Jordan Nicks. You noted that he probably had more exposure to him than than anybody who pre draft process. Was that intentional coincidence? What did you see when um, you know, as you

would take him through that product? Probably coincidence, I would say, um, leaning towards intentional, you know, because obviously he he was someone that caught our eye. But you know, um, when you sit out and meet with him at the combine and then your your coaches come back and say, hey,

we had a really good meeting with him. We think we really need to you know, the boy, he's pretty sharp from a football standpoint, and you know that that leads to you know, you want to dig a little bit deeper and find out a little bit more about him. But um, you know, right from the jump when we first started the interview process, just when you meet him and talk football with him, it's just he's a very

very intelligent football player. And and it showed and when we we got a chance to sit down and talk with him, and then it showed right when we got here in OTAs and then in mini camp, and you know, he's one of those guys and it's a compliment when we say he never acted like a rookie. He's he's got a maturity to him, and he's got and he's got a real good football mind in terms of being able to pick things up and diagnose things. So, um, you know, I probably a combination of both, to be

honest with you guys. Obviously I know the lead. Obviously it's something to do with that, But was there something that you guys saw it, like, Yeah, it's what they do. I mean, they're an empty They're one of their biggest deals is that they're an empty you know, probably more

than any team we play. You know, they let Fitz he sit back there and he's obviously really intelligent and diagnosing and what they're doing, but they spend a lot of they spend more time in empty than any team we've played in the uh, you know, the last two years and then this year. I don't know what's coming up down the road from some people, but you know, that's part of that was part of the game plan. Obviously, Um,

you know, didn't get Ivory. You know, obviously they're probably a little bit different team with him, um in the game, and uh, maybe some more twenty one personnel. But it's

really I think we react to what they do. So when we see what goes in the game for them, you know, defensively, we send in what what what what we have And it's the same thing for you know, Todd sent in, he sees what's going in the game for us, and he sends in, you know, if we have two tight ends in the game, we're probably gonna get more base. If we have one tight end or no tight ends in the game, we're gonna get Nickel

or dime so Yan. But yesterday, regardless of the health the DeMarco Murray, does he deserve the bulk of the carries next week? They have no idea. I mean, that's not a concern for any of us, so we don't really think about it. I have two guys go down on Saturday, so he may be one of them going down, so he won't get any carry. So with the way he plays, is he better for the way this offense

is playing right now? No, de Marco fits him perfectly with what we're doing, and Ryan fits him perfectly with what we're doing, And so it doesn't sprowlsy, you know. So I hope, if God willing and the Pope can bless us again. All three of them will be available to us on Sunday against the Redskins. Seems like Ryan Matthews gets around the edge a little quicker. Okay, that's Howard Eskin's opinion many incorrect observation. I think I think he played really well on Sunday. That's a very good

observation on your part. After content, it should contact, breaking tack and how how do you do there? He did a good job. He's a physical runner, he does he does a nice job at the ball in his hands and um can break contact at the line of scrimmage. And you know sometimes when there's not a real huge hole there that you know anybody can get through, I think, and it's even you know there's an arm tackle or

something like that. You know, he's a he's a big physical runner and uh obviously runs behind his paths really well. It did a nice job after contact, just changes up the point of attack. You know, you're putting two tackles on one side and then you have a tight end on the other, So your passing strength is on one side, but your run strength is on another side. When you look at the offense, you had good good one, good half second half in Atlantic, he had good first half.

Um yesterday, I mean, do what has to happen. What's the biggest thing has to happen? To play sixty good minutes on offense? He consisted, do the whole game. I don't want to be a wise guy, but I would say we need to play a good first half and a good second half. I mean, we just it's consistency in terms of things that we do right in the first half. We got to carry that over into the second half. And it's the same thing. Or if you start slowly and then turn it on on the second half,

you just need to be more consistent over time. Why do you think you guys haven't been able to put together a full game. Well, I think again it's inconsistency, you know, and it's not one specific thing. It could be a miss blocked by an offensive linement. So on first and ten we now turn into second and fourteen,

so now you're behind the stakes. Or on third down we have a great conversion, but we throw it and drop it, you know, so then we don't continue and stay on the drive, stay on the field for that and usually with this group, you get one first down that leads to more for US downs. It's really those opening you know, those opening first three plays and within there there can't be any inconsistency in those three plays

when Sam is off target. And there's a couple of times in that game where you look like he was throwing behind receivers. Is that something technical that you're seeing, Yeah, just setting his feet. No. I think on some of those he had time to set his feet, but was just off target with the throw. So that's just to you know, kind of a fundamental thing. But then there's

some other times. You know, he made an unbelievable throw on the gut flushed and his zero blitz and hit Jordan on the on the crosser that got it down to the half inch yard line, and then um then Sprows he ran and in for a touchdown. And then the one where they brought his zero blitz again and he scrambles out of the pocket and hit sprowsing on a wheel row right in his hands, or you know, two outstanding throws. So it's just again the same thing

I just said. There's just has to be a little bit with everybody on the offensive side of the bow. There has to be just more consistency in terms of what we're doing and more controlled environment during the preseason and training camp. So what happens once it gets into the game, or what has happened if it's the same? I mean you look at the Packers game. He took three or four shots with unblocked eyes in his face

and put the ball on on players. So, um, it's it's it all comes back to with everybody fundamentals, um, in terms of what you're doing. And sometimes Sam reacts better when there's distress. You know, some of his best throws or when he's moving you know, and and uh, people are coming on him and he has to do something to get out of things. But he's still consistent with his his arm action and where he's putting the football, so you know with earth and when he naturally rolled

to his right him yeah it was a scramble. Yeah, So how do you bounce that? What are he's doing a team? Like? Is he have more success out out of the pocket than he used in the pocket or is that just the product all? No? I mean the ball he throwed to Matthews for a touchdown was a great throw. They was in the pocket, So I mean, I you can't look at two. You got to look at the whole entirety of how the game goes on.

Because he had two when he was flushed out of the pocket, you don't say, wow, we need to get him out of the pocket all the time. You know, re the best tracks player and you guys in around what is he doing just every day? I mean, there's one speed with Darren. It doesn't matter. Every time he catches a punny scores a touchdown, and then when he goes out on the field, every time he gets blocked

up pretty good, he's going to score a touchdown. I mean, there's there's a very consistent going back to what we talked about, there's a consistent approach to darren sproles and I've talked to our players about it. We pointed out all the time as coaches, I've never been around a guy, and I've been around a lot of guys that practices as consistently as hard as Darren does every single day.

In walkthrough, We're done telling him to slow down and walk through, because he's going to slow down and walk through. He goes full speed and early. You're trying, Hey, you gotta do this don't matter. You know, if we have a walk through punt, he's going to catch a punt and run sixty yards with it and try to score a touchdown. And the guys we have to stop, to be honest with you, And you can ask Donnie Jones. I've stopped Donnie from trying chase him because I'm afraid

Donnie poor hamstring, you know. But there's just that's just the way he's built and the way he's wired. And you know, we always talk about you sink to a level of training, and what you see on Sundays from Darren is what we see every single day. Whether it's a walkthrough or whether it's a practice, that's just you know, it's it's an amazing thing to watch. Um. I wish more players would emulate it because it's, you know, it seems like a pretty good formula that's working. Imagine you

guys keep traveling all yeah. I don't know if we've seen more, but I just think it seems like they're at critical times. You know, it's a third and three and it's the you know, the the third down's going to convert and then there's a drop, you know, those it maybe it's just magnified a little bit that way. You know, drop on third down is a little bit more magnified than a drop on first down. But i'll drop is still a drop. I mean a couple of

those big, big place. Yeah, we know that, they know that, you know, I know, it's it's uh. Consistency is probably the word that keeps coming up today. There's a lot of different factors involved in it. So in terms of the received, are they getting open or you see separation they need to get, Yeah, certain spots, but I mean there's some spots that we're you know, you're talking about Darryl Reevers is a little bit different than you know, going against other corners in the league. But Nelly a

couple of times had them. But you know, over three games now, I thought they've been pretty good without guys open. I think you guys uber one and rush defense three quarter one yards through three games, nobody's really running on you. What do you see and that's with some different Brussel yesterday. What do you see from that group against the run Consistency. I mean, there's there's been great effort um. You know, I think on our base defense, we we we've got

we've got guys that can set edges. We have guys that really do a good job at two gaping and Benny and said, and um, you know, and Fletch and then Brandon Barret has played well. Taylor Hart when he was in there's played well. We've got, you know, a consistency. Even though we're rotating players along the defensive line, We've got consistency there. Um, I think our linebackers know exactly where the ball is going. Um, so you know, Jordan's really adapted and it's fit in really well there in

his first extended playing time. So, um, we're you know, we're getting a lot of consistent play in terms of what we're asking our guys to do. They're doing on the on the defensive side of the ball, And um, you know, if it forces people to be one dimensional, then you know, you you hope you have a little bit of advantage because you kind of know what's coming. But um, I think we've been really consistent in our in our rush defense, and um, you got to stop

the run, you know. So if you can make teams one dimensional, then all of a sudden the things can change a little bit for you. So defensive game ability did blitz did blitz Mutsum We use a lot of time. Yeah, I said that yesterday. I think just because FITZI gets the ball out so quickly, you know you're not really sure getting blitzing is going to get to him. So we wanted to get more eyes and vision and on

the quarterback. UM rolled a lot of things to Marshall, even though Marshall still had I think ten catches for a hundred yards or so, but we still tried to roll things to him because there was there was definitely a lead receiver in that defense, I mean in that offense, and things were kind of dictated off of him. So I wanted to vision a break on the football more disrupt the throwing lanes with our pass rush. Obviously, Brandon bart did a great job with that, getting three tips.

Benny Um BG had had a had a had a hit on an arm that got caused an incomplete pass. So I think we kind of got him flushed a little bit and kind of off off Mark a little bit Um. But we wanted to be able to vision a break on the football so that UM we kept the ball in front of him and they did a good job of that. You can get that Byron Maxwell, how did you see his day? Um, you know, there were some ups and downs, and there are a couple

of times when he was isolated. There were some plays there and he had I know, we had a penalty at hold in front of our bench, But there was, um a little bit more. There was more consistently out of Byron's game here as we've gone on to in week three. So I thought, Um, he's improved as the season's going along. Did Eric Grove kind of show you something because obviously when he came in the Jets count yeah, which which you anticipate, you know, when you got a

new corner in the game. But um, you know, he's he's been bounced around a little bit, you know, in terms of where he's been playing. Been inside, been outside, Um, been been at some safety what you have to do if you're not the starter. But I think he's he's been consistent when he's been outside a corner, um in the last couple of weeks and felt comfortable if we're gonna put him in the game at corner did a good job and um, Devin Smith, who was the receiver

he was covering, can run. You know, he's a real speed guy that that they took um high out of Ohio States. So we kind of knew, Um, that was gonna be a good challenge for him, and I did it. He had two passes. Strowing on on one of him was a real good break up on him. In the second one was you know, he did a good job of flipping his hips and kind of shielding the receiver towards the sideline and made it made a real good play on the ball. So Um, hopefully for Eric it's

what we felt. You know, he just he'll continue to grant some confidence himself because we believe he be a really good corner. We'll see how I mean, I say this all the time. I have no idea. We could have seven guys get hurt on Friday and then he's going to start for So for us to come in today and say Eric row is going to play more, you don't. We wait till we get all the injury reports. Who's gonna practice, who's gonna be ware, and then we'll

start it out towards the end of the league. Kind of a tough game up there against the Jets in the preseason. Um, how did you see him respond to that practice? And just his he's been. He's been really really good. You know. I think he understands that that if you play that position in this league, you're gonna get people are gonna catch a ball in it. You know you're not. No one's gonna shut it down for

every No one's gonna shut anybody down for every single play. So, um, I thought he really handled it very well and has has really trained at a real high level since since that game, and even up until that game. He just didn't play very well in that game. But he didn't let that affect him. He doesn't hang his head, doesn't you know, Mope, doesn't go around here um carrying the

weight of the world on him. He's like, Hey, it's an opportunity for me to learn from what I did, and how do I can I improve and how do I how do I get better moving forward? So where do you be ready to be that, say, Americus, I have no idea. Thanks you, hyeah.