Back to work: No ‘win Monday’ with the new boss

Coach Mike Singletary met with the media this afternoon for his usual day-after-game press conference. Unlike previous times this season when the 49ers won games, the players are around today.

That’s right, there is no “Win Monday” with Mr. Singletary in charge. Well, at least there wasn’t one today. He did not rule it out in the future.

Singletary said he likes the idea of the team coming to work after a win and being able to talk about what happened the previous day. “You have something to share,” Singletary said. “Who else would you want to talk to about a win?”

The 49ers, like every team in the NFL, typically has Tuesdays off.

Here are some other topics that Singletary addressed today:

–Singletary said it is very important to have an offense and defense that mesh together. He recalled times during his playing days when he would discuss what the Bears’ offense would be doing in an upcoming game with QB Jim McMahon.

“When we were going to play a very difficult offensive team and the quarterback was really hot and everything else, I would talk to Jim McMahon and say, ‘Hey, what are you guys thinking this week?’

‘Mike, we’re thinking about throwing the ball. We think we can score some points.'”

Then, Singletary would tell the quarterback, “Help us out a bit over here.”

Said Singletary, “Any time you’re trying to build a team, that team has to complement each other. . . . If you look around the league, the teams that have been successful have to have offensive and defensive teams that are built and structured intentionally so that they can complement each other.”

–Singletary was asked about the perceived creative tension between himself and Mike Martz and how that might be productive for the team.

“I got to be very, very honest,” Singletary said. “When I look at Mike Martz, I’m very pleased with everything he’s doing. There’s nothing that’s an issue for he and I. We don’t ever have an issue where I disagree with him. We don’t have that.

“Normally, we’re on the same page. There hasn’t even been a creative friction. Right now, it has just worked.”

–Michael Robinson sustained a shoulder stinger, but should be fine, Singletary said. Cornerback Tarell Brown has a tight neck, but he is expected to be OK. Safety Michael Lewis had a knee sprain but he went back in the game.

–Mark Roman is back wearing the radio device in his helmet. Second-year linebacker Patrick Willis had the responsibility earlier in the season.

“I think Patrick was relieve when we did that (gave it back to Roman) because there are so many things that the coaches are still trying to convey and the ball is about to be snapped,” Singletary said. “And Mark Roman is trying to get calls out. Pat is trying to relay it to Mark Roman, and he’s trying to get it out to the corners and it’s just not getting there fast. On the back end, you can get beat just like that. We just thought it would be better with all the communication going on in the back end that Mark Roman would get it back and have the speaker in his helmet. And Pat would just control the front seven. That would be easier on Pat, so that he is not turning around and trying to relay messages, so that the ball would be snapped and he’s not ready.”

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Singletary, a deeply religious man, appeared at his press conference today wearing a large cross around his neck. He wore the same necklace yesterday on the sideline during the game. The NFL is very strict when it comes to sideline attire. But don’t worry: Singletary did not violate the league’s sideline dress code.

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