How the 49ers are Spending their Playoff Bye Week
George Kittle explains how the San Francisco 49ers are spending their playoff bye week.
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00:00 What are you guys doing here?
00:02 It's a bye week.
00:03 Yeah, what are you guys going to talk about?
00:04 >> Just wanted to see you.
00:05 >> Ah, well, so you've seen me and I can leave now?
00:10 >> What was practice like today intensity-wise?
00:12 And do you remember what, you know,
00:17 2019 bye week practice was like?
00:20 >> Yes, I do.
00:21 Just because we've talked about it like five times.
00:24 Let's see, I mean, 2019 we were coming off,
00:26 we had a must-win game in Seattle.
00:28 And so we got that win, everybody played high intensity,
00:31 everyone was dialed in.
00:33 So the fall end week was more like jog through stuff.
00:35 Today was definitely a full speed day.
00:37 Guys flying around, guys competing.
00:39 Offense definitely competed better today than the defense.
00:42 Suck it, Fred.
00:44 Besides that, no, it's great.
00:46 Like you just want to, I don't know,
00:47 Kyle said something like just continue to sharpen the sword.
00:50 Like, I don't know, you just want to try to, you know,
00:52 take every advantage when you're on the football field,
00:54 you know, to get a skill a little bit better,
00:55 to refine your skills a little bit, to focus on one thing.
00:57 Your first step, your release, your get off,
01:00 your focus on ADO if you're a D lineman,
01:03 your pack pedal, like just something like you just don't want to,
01:06 like, lose a step anywhere.
01:07 And so it was a good day today and looking forward to tomorrow.
01:11 >> You've experienced postseason heartbreak here,
01:14 but did the way- >> Ooh.
01:16 >> I'm sorry. >> That's fine.
01:17 >> Very dramatic. >> That was dramatic.
01:19 >> But the way you guys lost last season, you know,
01:23 kind of some circumstances that were out of your control,
01:25 did that provide any sort of different, like,
01:29 offseason feeling, offseason motivation or juice,
01:32 or is it all the same?
01:33 You lose and, you know, deep in the playoffs and it just sucks.
01:38 >> That's a good question.
01:39 I would say, like, it didn't really add more motivation for me.
01:44 I'm pretty motivated to win because it's really fun
01:47 and losing is not fun.
01:50 And it's not like, I felt like our team was playing
01:53 at such a high level last year, you know,
01:54 12 straight, going to the playoffs, lose your quarterback,
01:58 lose your second quarterback, bring your other quarterback back in.
02:01 Like, there's not much more we could have done differently
02:04 as a team once that injury occurred.
02:06 So it's like, you know, we were playing at a super high level,
02:10 we were playing well, you know, that happens, we lose.
02:12 So it's not like, you know, it's not like,
02:15 hey, we have to go train harder, we need to do this better.
02:17 It's just like, hey, we just need to get better,
02:20 continue to keep on the streak that we're going on,
02:22 continue to play at a high level.
02:23 We've got the players for it, we've got the scheme for it,
02:25 we've got the confidence.
02:26 Hey, let's just stay healthy, you know, and just go play football,
02:28 which is kind of what we've done this year.
02:30 And so I would say it was like a different mindset like that.
02:32 It was more of a, hey, like, we keep getting really,
02:35 really close and it's not happening.
02:37 I'm not sure if like there's something I'm going to change
02:38 in the offseason, just how long, like, how healthy can I be
02:42 and how good can I get at football?
02:43 And then I think the rest will take care of itself.
02:46 >> George, I know you guys have--
02:47 >> Holy cow.
02:48 >> I know.
02:48 >> Bright lights, I can't see you guys up there.
02:52 We're here, we're here.
02:53 Wondering, you know, how different it is going
02:56 into the postseason this year knowing
02:57 that Brock has playoff experience under his belt
03:00 that he's playoff tested.
03:01 Is there something different to that?
03:05 >> Yes and no.
03:05 I mean, I think any time you can have playoff experience,
03:08 you know, it's definitely helpful.
03:10 I remember like Joe Staley, Richard Sherman told me,
03:12 you know, first time I had my experience in 2019 was,
03:15 you know, like, it is you're playing football,
03:18 but like the intensity is different.
03:19 Like you're just-- the vibe is different,
03:20 the energy is different.
03:22 There's not really a lot of playful communication.
03:24 You know, sometimes you're chirping with guys,
03:26 you know, throughout a game.
03:27 It's more-- a lot more intensity,
03:29 it's a lot more anger.
03:29 There's a lot more, you know, do or die on every single play.
03:32 Like you can look at a scouting report, you know,
03:34 you can look at a team like, hey, well,
03:36 sometimes this guy doesn't really try on the backside.
03:37 Like this defensive end only rushes on third down
03:40 and if he's frontside, like he might try backside,
03:43 he takes a lot of plays off.
03:44 Not very many people do that in the playoffs.
03:45 Everyone is like, looks like Max Crosby when you get
03:47 to the playoffs, there's 100% effort on every single play.
03:50 We know which is what to expect, but not everybody does it.
03:52 So it is like you're still playing football
03:54 and like I don't need you to go like do crazy things
03:56 and try to make something up on a football field.
03:58 Like just continue to play at your level,
04:00 but just keep in mind that it's going to be incredibly,
04:03 incredibly intense and, you know,
04:04 a lot is going to be asked of you.
04:06 But yeah, sorry, with Purdy, sorry,
04:09 there's a little-- just rolling right now.
04:12 With Purdy, I just expect him to be the same person.
04:15 Incredibly consistent, dialed in.
04:17 He looked great today, made a lot of great throws,
04:18 scored a lot of touchdowns.
04:20 So like I don't-- I'm never really worried about Purdy.
04:23 You know, even he threw multiple interceptions the game,
04:26 not really worried.
04:27 He's going to bounce back and he's going to play
04:28 at a super high level like he always does.
04:31 >> With Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick leaving their teams
04:33 after--
04:34 >> Yeah, crazy.
04:36 >> Did you have any interaction with those guys personally
04:39 either before games or off season and then is there--
04:42 do you do that with coaches in general ever?
04:45 >> Okay, like I like to communicate with coaches.
04:48 It's easier now at this point in my career
04:49 because most head coaches know who I am.
04:51 Like my first couple years,
04:53 I don't know if they really know who I was at all.
04:55 But no, I've never had an experience with Bill Belichick
04:58 which is unfortunate.
04:59 So, you know, maybe I'll invite him to tight end you.
05:01 He'll, you know, coach-- because he can actually coach now
05:03 if he's not with another team.
05:04 That'd be actually a great idea, Kim.
05:06 It's awesome.
05:09 Never had an experience with Nick Saban,
05:11 but I've had experience-- yeah, I've talked to Pete
05:13 a couple times.
05:14 You know, everyone that I've known,
05:16 like I trained with a couple of their tight ends
05:17 in the off season.
05:18 Yeah, I mean, they're all incredibly high on Pete
05:20 and his culture that they build,
05:21 the positivity that they build up there.
05:23 Seems like a great place.
05:24 I'd rather be here, but seems like a great place
05:26 for the people that are there.
05:28 >> Kyle's been-- I think he's the fourth longest
05:30 tenured coach-- >> I saw that.
05:31 Seven years?
05:32 That's crazy.
05:33 Like seven years is the fourth most tenured coach now.
05:36 >> How helpful is that, just that continuity
05:38 for establishing a franchise?
05:40 >> I mean, it's huge.
05:41 Well, I've been very lucky.
05:42 You know, my college coach is going into year 24,
05:46 so I had that stability when I was in college,
05:48 and I get it here in the first year of Kyle's
05:49 and just kind of been a part of the foundation,
05:51 see how it's grown.
05:53 Just when you have that stability,
05:54 and like you just-- each year gets a little bit more--
05:57 I don't want to say comfortable, just like it's easier
05:59 to be a part of the offense,
06:00 gets easier to be a part of the system.
06:02 Like you just get used to the ebb and flow of things,
06:05 and it allows you to kind of like--
06:08 you know what your routine is, going into whether it's OTAs,
06:10 going into the off season, going into training camp.
06:11 Like you know how to get your body,
06:13 know the time that you need to spend Monday, Tuesday,
06:15 on your off days, you know how to spend the time.
06:17 And so that's been incredibly helpful for me.
06:18 And then like we know what Kyle's expectations are.
06:22 So as captains, as leaders of the team,
06:25 like we all come together and we try to reinforce
06:28 the things that Kyle is talking to the team.
06:29 And I think we've done a pretty good job of that.
06:31 >> I was just going to say that coaches would coach
06:35 like 10 years in one spot,
06:37 and for him, he thought that was the max.
06:38 He should move aside because the message has been out.
06:41 Everybody knows what it is.
06:43 It's a little tired.
06:45 You've grown up with Kyle.
06:46 I'm curious, how different is Kyle now,
06:48 seven years in than when you started?
06:53 >> There's a lot of similarities.
06:54 There are a lot of differences.
06:55 Kyle has-- I think Kyle's grown just as much as I have.
07:00 You know, just thinking back, like his team meetings,
07:02 his install, his offense, like everything,
07:04 like the way he's adapted to changing times on offense,
07:08 the way that he's changed his meetings.
07:10 You know, like we used to-- he used to let players talk
07:12 the night before games, and like the last couple years,
07:14 like, I don't know, his team meetings are phenomenal,
07:16 the way he describes football,
07:17 the way that he teaches football to offense, defense,
07:19 and special teams guys.
07:20 Like you-- he's been such a great teacher, I would say.
07:24 Like that's been like one of the coolest things.
07:26 I remember like just talking to Hargrave,
07:27 he's like, "I've never sat in a team meeting
07:28 where Kyle explains the purpose of this run game,
07:30 this run style versus this run style,
07:33 and why we're trying to get D-linemen to do certain things."
07:35 He goes, "No one's ever talked to me about that before.
07:36 Like I've learned 20 things in that one 40-minute team meeting."
07:39 So, like something like that, it's just--
07:41 it's really fun to be a part of something like that
07:42 because, you know, I've been playing football
07:44 since I was five years old, however,
07:46 but like I've learned more in the seven years,
07:49 specifically like this last three or four years
07:51 than I probably did in my first 26.
07:53 - Jorge, this team has had a lot of opportunities
07:56 to win it all, and as you age in the game,
08:00 you're 30 now. - Thank you.
08:02 - Do you have greater urgency, greater determination
08:05 to get that ring this year?
08:06 Because you got so close in the past,
08:08 and this might be your best chance at one.
08:11 - Hmm. I mean, I feel great.
08:14 So, you know, I'm going to play as long as I possibly can.
08:17 And, no, I don't think-- like my sense of urgency
08:20 has been pretty, pretty urgent since 2019.
08:26 You know, I kind of figured that out.
08:27 I think it takes like a year or two to get your--
08:28 like to be in the NFL to realize like the sense of urgency
08:31 that you have to have when you're on a good football team.
08:34 But, yeah, I feel like I've been pretty urgent since then.
08:36 You know, my first two years, I was just trying to survive
08:38 the NFL, and then something clicked, figured it out,
08:41 started playing at a high level, and then you realize,
08:42 especially like you guys like Joe Staley,
08:46 Garrett Selleck, you know, they were like two of my best friends
08:48 that are on a team.
08:49 I've been in the league like without them longer
08:51 than I was with them.
08:52 You know, I played with them for three years,
08:53 and now I've played with them without them for four years.
08:55 So it's just like I understand the sense of urgency.
08:58 I don't think it takes young guys a little bit,
08:59 but majority of this team fully understands that.
09:02 And, you know, I don't-- windows, closing,
09:04 all that stuff, I don't know.
09:05 I'm just going to keep playing football at a high level
09:07 until they tell me I can't anymore.
09:09 - A couple more.
09:11 - You asked one already.
09:13 Thank you. Just throw something at him.
09:15 - Looking at the potential of your offense
09:17 with all of your top players on it,
09:18 do you feel like you are peaking at the right time?
09:22 - Me or the offense?
09:25 Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
09:26 It's-- coaches talk like our--
09:28 Brian Fleury's like, "You're going to be playing
09:30 better football in October than you were in September.
09:32 You're going to be better, you know, November than October,
09:34 December than November, January than December."
09:37 So, like, yes, I think we're-- we've continually gotten better.
09:40 I think our offense has been incredibly efficient,
09:42 you know, throughout the season.
09:44 Besides, like, maybe, you know, one or two games
09:46 we didn't play very well, but I think our offense
09:48 is playing at a high level.
09:49 Our best players are playing at a really high level.
09:53 Iyuk's phenomenal. Brock's phenomenal.
09:55 Krish McCaffrey's Krish McCaffrey.
09:57 Like, we have great weapons.
09:58 I think everyone's playing at a really high level,
10:00 and, like, everyone is very dialed in
10:01 to the sense of urgency.
10:03 Like, you really-- you feel that in the building.
10:05 Like, everyone just has this unique focus.
10:07 And, I don't know, one thing I respect about our team
10:09 is I look around the league and, like,
10:11 I see other locker rooms after games,
10:13 and people, you know, a lot of music, cheering,
10:15 and all that stuff after games, which I totally respect,
10:17 and I love that energy.
10:19 Ours just kind of feels like, "Hey, we won.
10:21 What's the next week? What is the next job?
10:23 What is the next mission?
10:24 What is the next thing that we're going to attack?"
10:26 And I feel like that's just a sense of urgency.
10:27 Like, you want to enjoy things in, like, that 24-hour rule,
10:31 but at the same time, like, our guys are flushing it,
10:33 moving on, we're going to the next one.
10:34 I just really respect that about this team.
10:36 And I don't know if it's on purpose,
10:37 but it's just kind of the energy that you feel
10:39 within the locker room.
10:40 -George. -Last one.
10:42 This better be good, man.
10:44 -I think you'll like it. -Okay.
10:46 When Brock is-- the rare times he's had adversity,
10:49 Moravis most recently, I mean, when he talks to us,
10:52 he's not defensive at all.
10:55 Doesn't even suddenly deflect, you know, any sort of blame,
10:58 and he very openly discusses his mistakes.
11:03 What-- I assume you kind of get a sense of those qualities
11:06 in dealing with him.
11:07 I guess, what does that say about him?
11:11 I mean, he's very mature for his age,
11:13 and he's played the quarterback position.
11:15 I've said about Brock 20 times, he had 48 starts in college.
11:19 He's played at a high level. He's played poorly before.
11:21 He's won games. He's lost games.
11:22 Like, he understands what the quarterback is.
11:24 Like, you're kind of the face of the franchise.
11:26 You're kind of the reason that we're going to win
11:28 or lose games.
11:30 You know, I think, you know, Kyle talks about all the time
11:32 is that, you know, you do everything in the offseason.
11:34 You do everything through training camp.
11:35 You do practices every single week,
11:37 and the only thing that people ever see
11:39 is those three and a half hours on every Sunday,
11:40 and you're putting yourself out there,
11:41 and you have to be okay with putting yourself out there.
11:43 And sometimes you're going to prevail.
11:45 Sometimes you're going to fail, and, you know,
11:47 you got to be okay-- like, not okay with it,
11:49 but you have to be willing to put yourself out there
11:51 and then willing to look yourself in the mirror
11:52 and, you know, face if you're doing well or not,
11:54 and I think Brock just does a really good job of that,
11:56 and he's-- like I said, he's mature enough
11:57 to handle that pressure of, you know,
11:59 being the 49er starting quarterback,
12:01 breaking a record in your first career season as a starter.
12:04 Like, there's a lot that people expect of Brock,
12:06 but I think he just does such a good job of being himself
12:10 and just being an overall good human being,
12:12 and I think that's why you guys like talking to him so much.
12:14 - All right. Thanks, George. - Thanks, guys.