SANTA CLARA – This is the transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.
I heard you say yesterday that the Cowboy will ride. Do you expect DT Justin Smith to play Sunday against Seattle?
“If it’s humanly possible.”
Is it going to be humanly possible?
“We’ll see. We’ll see how he feels today and tomorrow.”
How do you feel about just the overall health of the team going into the game? I know last time you said it’s as physical of a game as you’ve seen. How do you feel about the team bouncing back from that New England game?
“I feel good. Our team’s been a physically fit team. It’s been able to be a resilient team and a relentless team. And we’ll know more about how they are physically in terms of sustenance today.”
Will you lighten your mode this week given the back-to-back physical style games?
“Yeah, a little bit.”
Just in terms of length of practice, or no pads? That sort of thing?
“Correct. Yeah, no pads and a few less reps.”
TE Vernon Davis brought up the fact yesterday that he feels like he’s still finding his way with QB Colin Kaepernick. Is there something you’re seeing there with Vernon and Kaepernick still trying to get on the same page?
“I can think of a couple things in particular where Vernon and Colin spent some time on certain routes extra during and after practice, and that helped. And I think there’ll be some more focus on that this week.”
There were a couple near misses those two in that game Sunday. Is that something that is that a, I don’t know what it exactly means, was that a chemistry issue? Or how would you term those near misses?
“Maybe some more time on task. Just between the two of them.”
What did your defense do to succeed against QB Russell Wilson the first time you faced him?
“Well, they made plays. We made plays. And Russell played very well in that game. I remember a few critical drops. Otherwise, he would have had a few other big completions. And a few more plays. Tight game. Limit him? I don’t know that we did. I think it probably came out pretty even. And might have been for a couple of those drops.”
Your last couple games against Seattle have been relatively low scoring. They just scored 50 points. You just scored 41. Are you expecting a higher-scoring game this time around?
“It’s possible.”
Colin was NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Does that just show maybe how the rest of the NFL is now seeing this kid as he’s early on as a starter?
“Well, it’s a nice thing to be voted. As always, we’re always happy for the other guy’s success. And our team won a big game on the road. Great team victory. Sometimes a rising tide lifts all ships.”
What went into the decision to change Seahawks CB Richard Sherman from a receiver to a cornerback at Stanford?
“Richard suggested that.”
Did he say why? Or anything why he wanted to make that change?
“Yeah, he just felt it suited him better.”
TE/DT Demarcus Dobbs said he will likely avoid surgery on that knee. Is that, I know you don’t have him back this year, but at least an encouraging thing for when he’ll be ready in the spring?
“Yes. Yes, it’s an injury that didn’t require surgery.”
And do you expect RB Kendall Hunter and WR Kyle Williams to be available in the spring?
“Again, Dr. Harbaugh, without the luxury of a medical degree, or a crystal ball.”
I’m sure the doctors have given you an indication?
“Spring, summer. Somewhere in there.”
What extra focus does your team take into these night games? You guys are 5-0 in primetime.
“What extra focus?”
Yeah. What do you see from your team on these night games maybe that differs from a day game or something? Any common thread to the success?
“No. I notice the same preparation weekly. So, I can’t say that there’s any extra.”
Do you get geared up a little more when the lights are on? A lot of guys have said that it takes us back to our Friday night high school games and that energy and feeling like you can go out there and stop the world, basically.
“Yeah, somewhat. Back into the playing days I remember that. The night games, the lights on. You put the silks on. You had kind of a more special feeling, yeah. I can relate to that. That resonates.”
Having faced Seahawks head Coach Pete Carroll at two levels now, is there a hallmark or certain characteristics you would associate with a Pete-Carroll-coached team?
“I don’t remember getting any cards from him … at the holidays.”
Really? Do you send a Christmas card to him?
“No.”
Are there characteristics of a Pete-Carroll-coached team that you would really sort of say that similarities at those two levels that you can see?
“I suppose there are. Yeah, there are. Enthusiastic team. They play with a lot of energy. Play a high level of energy, intensity. Well-coached teams.”
The noise up there is well known and is bad if not worse than some of the indoor stadiums. Was that a problem last year? Do you see it to be a problem when your quarterback is calling signals? Or their quarterback?
“Anytime you play on the road it’s more difficult for the opposing offense. That’s where you see the task, the challenge.”
I ask this because you’ve gone into places like New Orleans, Green Bay, New England, Detroit last year. Places that are really loud, and silenced the crowd. In your experience, is it more satisfying to kind of have the home crowd going crazy, or to have that silence when you shut up a road crowd?
“Well, they’re both good.”
What is it like I guess when you hear that silence? I think of Detroit was going nuts and then that TE Delanie Walker touchdown and you can hear a pin drop all of a sudden. Is that something you remember?
“You’re talking about when like you win at home, or win on the road?”
Yeah, well just the lack of sound in a road environment?
“Really, I think the thing that you feel the most is that when the game’s over, did you win or did you lose? If you win it’s the great thrill of victory. The great feel of winning. Whether you’re at home or on the road.”
You guys have established now a very distinct win, win, loss pattern for the season. Two wins and then a loss. Do you have any explanation for that, why that is?
“No. Probably quite a few teams that would want that pattern. We’d like to break that this week, yeah.”
Let me ask you this. It seems like the game before the loss has always been a big game. A big, emotional game, whether it’s on national television. Is it difficult to come off a win like that and then get back up the following week? And is that a challenge for you this week?
“I think it’s always a big, emotional game every single week. We’ve always taken that approach that the next game is the biggest game at least of the season.”
You said that Vernon and Colin have done some things to get on the same page. Are you willing to offer any specifics on what they’ve done?
“Just specific plays.”
Plays?
“Yeah.”
OK.
“Just the way they worked during practice, or after practice on it. And I think that was a positive for us and be something we can continue.”
Has he and WR Michael Crabtree done the same thing?
“Yeah, they’ve done similar things, yeah.”
You weren’t wearing your khakis Sunday night, was that OK for you?
“Yeah, it was OK. Khakis were underneath.”
Oh, were they?
“It was a rain suit over the khakis.”
So, you had this on but the rain suit over it?
“Correct, yeah.”
49ers RSS feed
Loading ...
I could not help my self and I went back to read DS’s comments. This was my favorite.
“In a very short time, we’ll discover if Grant and the PD have any sense of decency. You have no place here. On the internet. Or on earth.”
So Grant, if you have any sort of decency you have to personally murder a human being. I just love the rationale.
DS is a few fries short of a happy meal. You got to be under some sort of drug influence to make any sense of it.
EL,
LOL. That one was a killer! (Pardon the pun!)
That one is to die for. lol
elMag(tuto) – Lol
That like killing two birds with one stone.
@Crab I like that handle. I just might take it.
I must have missed some fun.
elMaginator
I’m still alive!
I think I got under DS’ skin something fierce! He/She/It really has it out for me! I know what I said that got under his craw, but, as usual, he took it out of context. But I must have hit a nerve. No part of me feels bad about it either… and here’s why.
When I first engaged him/her/it, all I wanted was a real debate on offensive football, but “he” just wouldn’t have it, just kept referring me to past posts he had submitted, kept telling me to dig through posts up to 18 months old. I told “him” the question was on the table, and literally begged “him” to address the issue I had with “his” position. I repeatedly told “him” I wanted the debate, and he just kept telling me to read old posts, then called me names, then went back to “his” bickering about Smith. It was at that moment that I thought to myself, “Wow, this ‘guy’ has real issues.” So I watched, and I prodded, and I gave “him” the benefit of the doubt. After all, it was October, Alex was playing well, and his hyperbolic commentary, while misguided, had merit.
But back in November, when CK was handed the keys to this Ferrari, when DS started to show “his” allegiance to Alex rather than to the team, I started calling “him” out. The culmination was what happened a couple of days ago, and now “he” wants me eliminated, not from the blog, but from the planet.
That’s the story. It has many deeper levels, but that’s another story.
Good post!
I like the one where BS says Dilfer is better than Marino and Dan Fouts lol.
Bay,
No way, she really said Dilfer is better than Fouts and Marino? OMG!! Dilfer would crack up on that one.
Yeah I asked BS if by it’s logic it would take Dilfer over Marino and it’s response was that Dilfer won a Super Bowl so that would be it’s pick if it had to draft either one in their prime to build a team around today.
Yes you can get all of these and more with the all time low price of $9.99. Call now and this CD comes with a bonus disc of DS’s all time greatest hit:
“Alex Smith is as good as Joe Montana”
And that is not all, we will also include a bonus package of AS highlights, this will be a free minute, of his successes as a Niner, the pass to VD against the Saints will play 86 times in this one minute of AS highlights.
haha
LOL
Yeah, that’s the one that sent Houston into orbit LOL!
But in terms of Hall of Cowpie-Eating Fame:
“JaMarcus Russell is a Great Plaer. Get over it!” – Al Davis
C’Mon, Man! Hahahahaha
*Player*
Tuna,
I remember that like it was yesterday. Priceless!
Was that during the infamous Overhead Projector presser? I remember the quote, just not the time.
Jsand3030,
Hilarious! LOL!
Jsand, Crabs, Bay, Neal, El,
You guys got me in tears laughing! Priceless!
23J – DS will be back if banned. One in a billion people actually enjoy suffering.
If banned, DS new screen name will be maso……Short for masochism. Look that one up.
Crab,
Maso formerly known as DS but all goes the way of BS.
Is she banned, Grant? If so, thanks for the early Christmas gift :-)
If not, maybe she and oneniner have opened their own blog site – “Idiots guide to the 49ers” (without realizing the irony of their chosen title, of course).
Or – most probable, she’ll be back after she’s been released, her meds have leveled out, and they no longer consider her a 5150.
Meeeooow! LOL. A bit harsh 49er Girl but made me laugh. I know you two went at it a bunch.
Over the years I’d watch every once in a while where something DS said would get under somebody’s skin. Instead of admitting that some random thoughts had broken loose (like with most of us once in a while) DS tended to defend everything to the death. For days and days.
It wouldn’t insult me a bit if DS returned, but I’d hope it would be as DS. I always think its a little odd when folks come on here under various personna.
Anyway, Go Niners.
But WAIT!!!!! If you call now we will give you bonus posts like
Sicko Sicko Get away
Hater Racist sexist
JH should be washing Smiths (golf) balls. I will!
Harbaugh knows Smith is the long term answer, because he wouldnt lie and I trust JH
And many more headscratching hits.
and if you call within 5 minutes a FREE ds xbox live screensaver is yours for free! But you must call now!
Hurry this is a limited time offer!
Niner Md
Is that like, um, Doogie Howser, M.D.?
New in book stores this week! The non-critically acclaimed author of ‘Milky Blue Eyes, Smitty Turns 8, Smitty Plays Caddy and Looking over your shoulder’ brings you Lotion In The Basket, a skirt+slack tale of sexual confusion and bitter resentment.
What????
That question was for everything big P…. Now put the f***ing lotion in the basket!!!!!! Lmao
MD,
Do you have a link to her meltdown? I always find her brand of lunacy amusing. I refer to her freak outs as BS’s “Precious Moments.”
I think the worst of the comments were deleted (I didn’t see them, either), but you can definitely see the wheels starting to come off in this one.
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/2012/12/inside-the-49ers/49ers-week-15-grades-kaepernick/
9erGirl – I hope you get the early Christmas gift. I wonder why Grant didn’t delete the other DS comments too? Sickening stuff , DS should be banned for good (if not already).
This DS person “gets off’” on being tortured in here so this DS person will be back for more pain.
Anyone who defends DS after all that profanity will look silly.
Enough from me on this subject (sorry everyone)….I will move forward.
In memory of DS, this song will be played for your music enjoyment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4WQfkRhb30
He’s been gone for a couple days and you people keep bringing him up, I think you legitimately miss him.
I hate to bring it up but its true. Seattle would’ve beaten us in that 1st game without the drops IMO. Those drops were going to be huge. The 1st one was a near TD. The guy dropped it on the 5 yard line. The 2nd one that the tight end dropped was a 40 yarder on the sideline but he wouldn’t have scored. There were about 6 drops by Seattle receivers in that game. A big 1st down by Lynch as well.
On another note, Richard Shermans hearing is friday. Trust me, it will make a huge difference if he is not in there. Their 3rd corner is not that bad, however, their 4th isn’t very good at all. Judging from the Buffalo game, I can see why he was 4th on the depth chart. Buffalo got deep on Seattle a few times. Fitzpatrick overthrew a couple of wide open guys.
Ihat’s why we need to run run run. We always get away from it against the Seahawks but I think the way to really beat them is to predominantly run it. Gore always rip off big runs against them. Eat the clock and stop Lynch.
“Seattle would’ve beaten us in that 1st game without the drops ”
Yup… I had forgotten about those drops… conveniently until reading this article.
We know the offense has been upgraded. Lets hope they bring their big boy pants up to seattle this weekend.
I remember watching Wilson make a couple of really nice throws in that game, that our QB at the time could never make, leaving me envious. Not envious anymore
Can’t stand Carroll, this game means so much more than the Pats game did last week. The NFC West is going to be competitive now for a long long time. Meanwhile, the PATS get’s the weakest division in the NFL next to the AFC WEST.
I have to admit that I have a strong dislike for Carroll. I usually could care less about the public persona of a coach because it rarely matches who they really are to everyone around them. Having said that, Carroll comes across as a completely disenginuous d-bag. It’s kind of fun that the Hawks are actually pretty good. It makes this game a real rivalry with real impact on the division.
I dislike Carroll and I despise the SeaBastards. The Pats game was awesome but I really, really want this one.
Hmmmm Come to think of it, I haven’t gotten any holiday cards from either one of those guys. Arrogant pr****! I’ll send ‘em some coal & twigs.
Carroll coaches dirty and his teams play dirty. They are cheats and thugs. I hope we beat the tar out of them…
Fischer’s teams are the thugs. Carrol is just a toolbagdouchenozzle whose teams happen to get caught cheating everywhere he goes.
I get that Harbaugh is a tough interview..but did they really have to go there with the “hey…what you got under those rain pants” line of questions? lmao!