Latest / Guy Football Focus with Guy Haberman / 49ers INSPIRING Win Over The Falcons
Transcript
- 0:00[SPEAKER_00]: what's up guys guys here it is Sunday night I don't know what time it is for you hopefully if it's before like 10 15 a.m. on Monday I'm still asleep it is 10 37 p.m. on Sunday night right now it's been a heck of a two day heck of a night heck of a night just got back from Levi Stadium uh battle going on right now between the two night will I just took in the four cups of coffee I had throughout the game
- 0:24[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm fired up a few things.
- 0:26[SPEAKER_00]: I just want to talk about some stuff I want to talk about there's so much to talk about there really so much to talk about And I just I had a lot of fun than I call in the game on cambier with Tim Ryan.
- 0:37[SPEAKER_00]: It was an awesome game an awesome game It was I thought the the best all around game the 49ers have played their five and two one of four teams The NFC 95 wins and We I think we we just got a little bit
- 0:51[SPEAKER_00]: of everything.
- 0:52[SPEAKER_00]: A little bit of everything.
- 0:53[SPEAKER_00]: It was such a fun game to call, it's such a fun environment.
- 0:58[SPEAKER_00]: You can feel it.
- 0:59[SPEAKER_00]: I think these like prime time games, under the lights, night games are so great, I love night games and this one lived up to it and that I mean the list is long of everybody who did something that helped them, helped them win the game.
- 1:15[SPEAKER_00]: I was at Rutgers on
- 1:17[SPEAKER_00]: Saturday night called a game got to the courtyard in Marriott Newark Airport and 1130 Saturday night Eastern got to sleep around midnight woke up around 345 took a six-an flight landed here in 1915 got home shower changed went down to Levi's and um
- 1:38[SPEAKER_00]: I was a little worried about like what I'd be able to maintain.
- 1:40[SPEAKER_00]: So I was pumping the coffee, but the game was just so good and Tim Ryan's energy, so it wasn't hard at all.
- 1:46[SPEAKER_00]: It was not hard at all, it was so much fun.
- 1:48[SPEAKER_00]: You know, the first thing I want to say about the game is really something about the team.
- 1:53[SPEAKER_00]: Like, and I don't, I hope, defector 5 and 2 and everyone's kind of aware what they've been through.
- 2:00[SPEAKER_00]: I think it won't come off cheesy, it's, I mean, it's sincerely.
- 2:06[SPEAKER_00]: They have their, it's inspiring.
- 2:09[SPEAKER_00]: They're an inspiring football team to watch.
- 2:12[SPEAKER_00]: I thought one of the best pieces of the leadership that I've seen.
- 2:16[SPEAKER_00]: There's so many great ones.
- 2:17[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a list of 10.
- 2:19[SPEAKER_00]: But I thought this week, in Kyle Shanahan, kind of pulled the curtain back when he told Matt Mayoco, I thought it was an incredible display of leadership from him, from Fred Warner, from Robert Sala, from so many other guys up from Christian McAfrey.
- 2:38[SPEAKER_00]: Kyle Shanahan was so human when he told it to Matt Mayoco then on the flight back from Tampa after Fred Warner got hurt.
- 2:44[SPEAKER_00]: He watched the film and was just kind of almost like he was soaking, right?
- 2:49[SPEAKER_00]: Like he was sad as I'm sure everybody was.
- 2:52[SPEAKER_00]: I was not in that plane, but I can only imagine.
- 2:55[SPEAKER_00]: Then he said he watched it again, and he got inspired.
- 2:58[SPEAKER_00]: He was kind of like, he got back into it.
- 3:00[SPEAKER_00]: No, let's go.
- 3:01[SPEAKER_00]: He got inspired by watching all the young players.
- 3:04[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that was, and then he showed it to the team.
- 3:06[SPEAKER_00]: He told the team about it.
- 3:08[SPEAKER_00]: And it is, I thought that was a stroke of genius by Kyle Shannon.
- 3:15[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it worked because it's authentic, right?
- 3:17[SPEAKER_00]: Because he actually was, he watched it again and thought, wait a second, we can win with these guys.
- 3:22[SPEAKER_00]: It's not all over.
- 3:26[SPEAKER_00]: I still think it was a stroke of genius by Shanahan this week, forget about the play calling.
- 3:31[SPEAKER_00]: We talk about him as an offensive coach so much.
- 3:35[SPEAKER_00]: The leadership element this week, they lost Fred who is the king of the jungle.
- 3:40[SPEAKER_00]: You lose the king of the jungle.
- 3:42[SPEAKER_00]: There is a leadership void.
- 3:43[SPEAKER_00]: They've got clear leadership from a coaching standpoint.
- 3:47[SPEAKER_00]: You need players.
- 3:49[SPEAKER_00]: They've got that getting kiddled back helped, but I just thought it was an absolute masterclass by Kyle Shanahan this week.
- 3:54[SPEAKER_00]: From a leadership standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, a big game Bob Sala, a masterclass from him and his defense, and I think that's the first thing, it's inspiring to see people, whether it's sports, whether it's, you say like, oh, it's not recorded, quote, real life, but like, for them, it is real life, and it's, you know, for all of us, it's, you know,
- 4:15[SPEAKER_00]: it's war like it's business like it's it is real it's not artificial I think something should talk about sports like it's not real life no it's
- 4:23[SPEAKER_00]: It's real life for a lot of people.
- 4:25[SPEAKER_00]: Now, whether you win or lose, you still gotta go home like that.
- 4:28[SPEAKER_00]: I get it.
- 4:29[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not dismissing that comment.
- 4:30[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's mostly true, sometimes we can make too much of it.
- 4:33[SPEAKER_00]: But, sports can be real life inspiring.
- 4:36[SPEAKER_00]: And I think this, I don't know what's gonna come next.
- 4:38[SPEAKER_00]: They go on the road for the next two.
- 4:39[SPEAKER_00]: They go to Houston, they go to the Giants.
- 4:41[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see if the Giants are broken or not.
- 4:43[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't want to overstate it.
- 4:45[SPEAKER_00]: But I think watching people overcome adversity, whether that's in sports or anything else,
- 4:52[SPEAKER_00]: But that's real life, for Chase Lucas, who's played the league for four years, kind of, has been a league for years.
- 4:58[SPEAKER_00]: He's never really played a whole game, especially on defense, he played special teams.
- 5:01[SPEAKER_00]: That's the guy who believes in himself.
- 5:04[SPEAKER_00]: More than anybody else believes in him.
- 5:06[SPEAKER_00]: And I think a lot of people can identify with that.
- 5:09[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really cool.
- 5:12[SPEAKER_00]: It's really cool.
- 5:12[SPEAKER_00]: So, like I was legitimately inspired watching those guys play football on Sunday night.
- 5:19[SPEAKER_00]: if that's cheesy so be it, but it's I think it's different probably I feel differently calling a game versus sitting on the couch watching it.
- 5:31[SPEAKER_00]: Like, I feel it more in all the ways that you feel it.
- 5:36[SPEAKER_00]: And I really, that was a special, special thing on Sunday night football.
- 5:42[SPEAKER_00]: And I know the, you know, the Falco will see.
- 5:44[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see what they are.
- 5:45[SPEAKER_00]: Are they really the number one offense in the league?
- 5:48[SPEAKER_00]: You know, probably not.
- 5:50[SPEAKER_00]: But that's what they were doing coming.
- 5:51[SPEAKER_00]: Are they number, or not in that one office?
- 5:53[SPEAKER_00]: Number one, defensively, you know, by passing yards, probably not.
- 5:57[SPEAKER_00]: But you hold a team at 10 points, the B. Jean, who's it?
- 6:00[SPEAKER_00]: Who, like, you could see it.
- 6:02[SPEAKER_00]: Like, he's every bit what he's supposed to be.
- 6:05[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, the way I said it during the game, was like, Christian McAfrey's not given up the throne yet.
- 6:11[SPEAKER_00]: Over 200 yards.
- 6:13[SPEAKER_00]: And at this point,
- 6:15[SPEAKER_00]: nobody but you know the best quarterbacks on one of the best teams wins the MVP award.
- 6:19[SPEAKER_00]: And so it's still an extremely, you've got to win a lot of games and even then it's probably not happening.
- 6:25[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're going to at least be, if you're going to have a chance you have to have big games on national TV and you got to do it early enough so momentum can build.
- 6:35[SPEAKER_00]: who knows where we'll be in a month, let alone at the end of week 18.
- 6:41[SPEAKER_00]: But what's undeniable is he is playing at a most valuable player level.
- 6:47[SPEAKER_00]: And today, with all the right full talk about Bishan Robinson or Bishan, I don't feel like everyone's quite figured out which one it is.
- 6:57[SPEAKER_00]: Christian McCaffrey.
- 6:58[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if he carried because so many other guys,
- 7:03[SPEAKER_00]: Well, where would they be without him?
- 7:05[SPEAKER_00]: Where would anybody?
- 7:06[SPEAKER_00]: He is on the, if finally, a couple things get blocked up and all of a sudden he's five yards, five point four yards of carry, one 29 on the ground, 72 receiving, the huge clutch, 17 yard, third and 14 throw, which Mac Jones is, I mean,
- 7:24[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to talk about McDonald's, but McCaffrey was so special.
- 7:28[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's part of what made the night feel special was that guy being that special.
- 7:35[SPEAKER_00]: It's he is, I mean, you're just so aware that you're watching greatness, and he's not passing the torch to be John Robinson quite yet, you know, as special as be John is.
- 7:49[SPEAKER_00]: You know, this guy's doing it.
- 7:50[SPEAKER_00]: I've already still doing it.
- 7:52[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Matt Jones got sacked on the first play of the game and you know, like, I don't know, they can be a little block today and Brendan will get's hurt.
- 7:59[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, Christian McCaffrey was just special and special in every way.
- 8:05[SPEAKER_00]: Bryce Huff, you know, I don't know if underrated is the word, but, I mean, he's been really good.
- 8:11[SPEAKER_00]: He's had in every win like a moment.
- 8:15[SPEAKER_00]: Tonight he had multiple moments.
- 8:16[SPEAKER_00]: What a fantastic addition.
- 8:20[SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, Robert Solomon probably gets a lot of credit for that.
- 8:22[SPEAKER_00]: Like, identify note, it wasn't good last year, Philly, but we can make a good note, and it was really good.
- 8:27[SPEAKER_00]: Tatum Bethune, where in 48, how cool was that?
- 8:31[SPEAKER_00]: I think they showed it on TV a few times.
- 8:32[SPEAKER_00]: I'll tell you the moment in the stadium for those of you who were there, hopefully you're reading Puesto.
- 8:36[SPEAKER_00]: But the moment in the stadium where they show Fred Warner,
- 8:39[SPEAKER_00]: And he's holding the, it's, it's gotten viral sense.
- 8:41[SPEAKER_00]: He's holding this baby and it's why it's there and he's, you know, he's sleeveless and he just starts going nuts.
- 8:47[SPEAKER_00]: He was on the field before the game.
- 8:48[SPEAKER_00]: He was in the locker room.
- 8:49[SPEAKER_00]: High five in guys that came off the field after the game, uh, uh, one a leader.
- 8:53[SPEAKER_00]: Tatum with Thun shows up wearing his, Fred's 48.
- 8:59[SPEAKER_00]: from Fred's rookie year and he comes out and has ten tackles leads the team and I think sometimes you know somebody has to lead a team in tackles.
- 9:05[SPEAKER_00]: At the end of a game somebody's going to lead him in tackles.
- 9:08[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it's a result of bad defense and you're cleaning up a bunch of stuff but Tatum with whom he's making a play at and behind the line of scrimmage tonight and you know he did not lead them in tackles just because somebody had to.
- 9:23[SPEAKER_00]: Big Game Bob, Bob Sala, Robert Sala, I'm afraid he's going to become a head coach.
- 9:28[SPEAKER_00]: You know, just like for MVP's, it's always hard for defensive guys, but, you know, national TV big games kind of shut and somebody down who other people struggle to shut down, 14 carries 40 yards for Vision, you know, that's the kind of thing that,
- 9:45[SPEAKER_00]: It's such a great combination of him and Shanahan, and I, you know, for him, I don't think there's any quite, there is no question in my mind that that guy deserves to be a head football coach again, but I hope it does, selfishly, I hope it doesn't happen in 2026.
- 10:01[SPEAKER_00]: Playing with a 10 point lead, that's what it looks like, you know, they haven't done it.
- 10:05[SPEAKER_00]: They've won all their games by single digits, but then you get to start teeing off and you can see it, they start teeing off and start teeing off,
- 10:14[SPEAKER_00]: Even when he wasn't getting hit, the ball was flying all over the place and late.
- 10:17[SPEAKER_00]: Missed open receivers late.
- 10:18[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, what do you do now?
- 10:22[SPEAKER_00]: Are you a little more inspired in the trade market?
- 10:24[SPEAKER_00]: They're about to go on the road, twice.
- 10:28[SPEAKER_00]: And then you're gonna come home and play the ramps who also have five wins.
- 10:30[SPEAKER_00]: Then you're gonna go to Arizona.
- 10:32[SPEAKER_00]: So, three to the next four on the road, this is inspire you to do anything in the trade market.
- 10:37[SPEAKER_00]: I still think they don't want to trade in the second.
- 10:39[SPEAKER_00]: They don't want to trade third.
- 10:40[SPEAKER_00]: They probably want to trade a fourth.
- 10:42[SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, you watch a team tonight, you go.
- 10:45[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't have to be tray Hendrix and to make the team better.
- 10:49[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't have to be that, you know, and you look at Kittle for the first time in his career, 126 games that I have a catch, that I have a catch affected the game in such a significant way.
- 11:01[SPEAKER_00]: I still think, you know, there are plays.
- 11:05[SPEAKER_00]: Excuse me, there are plays where you do feel
- 11:11[SPEAKER_00]: the absence of Ricky Pierce all or even a guy like I used to drop the ball that goes through the hands of Damascus Robinson and you just kind of feel the lack but still they're finding ways and you know I think one thing it's really interesting is that there's the Mac Jones is a really good thing you know what you haven't seen from the Niners Passing
- 11:37[SPEAKER_00]: was there a layered middle throw tonight like the staple of the shanna hand of the Brock party will see if Brock's coming back this week.
- 11:45[SPEAKER_00]: Mac has been so good.
- 11:46[SPEAKER_00]: Mac is getting the ball out quickly.
- 11:49[SPEAKER_00]: He's getting to his check down on time.
- 11:51[SPEAKER_00]: That's the thing Tim Ryan kept saying during the game and he's so right.
- 11:56[SPEAKER_00]: Get to his check down on time.
- 11:57[SPEAKER_00]: But you're seeing that Mac is not, Mac is not trying to do too much.
- 12:01[SPEAKER_00]: He's not greedy.
- 12:03[SPEAKER_00]: But I would love to see a healthy
- 12:07[SPEAKER_00]: Brock is so good at those layers throw those layered throws, but they're dangerous, they're dangerous throws, and we're seeing the 49ers offense be able to get a rhythm, be able to thrive.
- 12:18[SPEAKER_00]: I know you go 152 yards, the day thrive, I thought Mack was really good.
- 12:21[SPEAKER_00]: It goes back to the other point made for years, which is like 347 yards is not the recipe for winning.
- 12:29[SPEAKER_00]: It was, you know,
- 12:35[SPEAKER_00]: the quarterback, not the coach, but that's not the rest.
- 12:38[SPEAKER_00]: The recipe is, can you run for five yards of carry, convert big third downs, which the Niners did?
- 12:44[SPEAKER_00]: So what if it's only 150 to yards?
- 12:45[SPEAKER_00]: I thought Mac was really good.
- 12:47[SPEAKER_00]: But they're thrown into the numbers.
- 12:48[SPEAKER_00]: They're not, you know, they had the one ball tipped by Jennings drop, what Intercepted.
- 12:54[SPEAKER_00]: But you noticed the ball is not layering into harm's way.
- 12:57[SPEAKER_00]: And I would hope that went.
- 12:59[SPEAKER_00]: And it's because you don't have to kid a lot there.
- 13:03[SPEAKER_00]: Jennings hasn't been healthy, Pearson, I.U.
- 13:06[SPEAKER_00]: Those incudding routes, it's a little more, nothing's relaxing, nothing's relaxing, but it's a little less dangerous.
- 13:17[SPEAKER_00]: And it does feel like they've changed the offense a little bit because of the receiver issue, and it has benefited them.
- 13:25[SPEAKER_00]: It has benefited them.
- 13:26[SPEAKER_00]: So Mac Jones has been
- 13:30[SPEAKER_00]: And he moved so much better tonight than he did against Tampa and coming off those six sacks.
- 13:36[SPEAKER_00]: He gets sacked on the first play of the game and like, oh God, here we go again.
- 13:40[SPEAKER_00]: But it wasn't here we go again.
- 13:41[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he is so tough, I think he's up.
- 13:45[SPEAKER_00]: I think people don't, we've seen his press conferences and then he's funny.
- 13:52[SPEAKER_00]: And I think it's, I think people are a little, have the wrong idea of him.
- 13:58[SPEAKER_00]: that like he doesn't take things seriously.
- 14:00[SPEAKER_00]: And I think it's the opposite.
- 14:01[SPEAKER_00]: I think the rep on Mac is like he takes things so seriously and he's really hard on himself.
- 14:05[SPEAKER_00]: But I heard in the post game I was driving home, listening to K&BR, and my buddy John Dickens and I thought made a great point.
- 14:11[SPEAKER_00]: He goes, watching Mac Jones talk.
- 14:16[SPEAKER_00]: It seems clearer that maybe he was never going to be a fit with Bill Bellachek.
- 14:22[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's the beauty of Kyle Shanahan.
- 14:24[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's like, now Billachek's got the rent.
- 14:28[SPEAKER_00]: Just understand what I'm saying is like you can be yourself, but also it's going to be a disciplined operation But everybody doesn't have to you know, you know, you know, I'm to operate with fear So for whatever reason Maybe that was the case.
- 14:43[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it wasn't I just thought it was a great observation from JD and interesting observation from JD But I think the thing with Mac it's not that he's
- 14:51[SPEAKER_00]: that he's so loose, he's funny, he's a fun guy, clearly, but they have unlocked him in a way that's allowed him to play free.
- 14:59[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and I think for any quarterback who's especially when it's drafted high, there's got a lot of pressure, who does not have success, who goes through a bunch of different coaching staffs, different coordinators that the whole thing,
- 15:10[SPEAKER_00]: that is that you hear quarterback talk about so much scar tissue how do you overcome failure I think success when you're young just a little bit of it and a little bit more and it breeds confidence and now you're feeling good and now every mistake is not the end of the world and I think when you're young quarterback and it's not going that way every mistake becomes the end of the world and they have undone they undid it with Donald they've undone
- 15:38[SPEAKER_00]: It's really, you know, that there's a fifth, there's a third, there's a sixth, we want to championship, it's this has been a reminder, and I don't know who needed a reminding that Kyle Shanahan is an elite elite coach, and it's not just play caller, it's coach, it's leader.
- 15:59[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't me without flaws, it doesn't me without flaws, but this is it's just incredible.
- 16:06[SPEAKER_00]: The way that he and they, it's not just him, you need a whole locker room built of guys who can, who can weather a storm, and I think Robert Childe is a great leader too, but the way that they rallied this week and won and played and the whole thing.
- 16:25[SPEAKER_00]: and you know we've been saying that it's like it's a math problem and I was talking to Tim Kawakami I think you know he and Matt Burrows do a great show 49ers plus minus not that they need my promotion
- 16:37[SPEAKER_00]: and he's been saying it and that you know I've been calling it a math problem which is the least sexy thing to call it but once you bank these wins like they don't go away and it it just gives you such a chance and it's why we talk about the schedule so your opponent so much oh the giants are good now well it's maybe maybe nothing's easy
- 16:59[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's easy, but you're not playing the bills in the Ravens and that matters.
- 17:02[SPEAKER_00]: It really matters and I think what you're seeing is a team that how good are they going to be, how long can they keep, where they get guys healthy, will they, will they, will their health like change?
- 17:12[SPEAKER_00]: I don't, we don't know.
- 17:14[SPEAKER_00]: But I think Sunday night was a real, a reminder not just from the math standpoint because that's the one that matters like say what you want five and two is five and two.
- 17:24[SPEAKER_00]: But also from a spirit standpoint, like that's not a team you give up on even if you don't think they can win a Super Bowl, right, which is not we're talking about right now.
- 17:33[SPEAKER_00]: But that's not a team that you watching.
- 17:34[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, ah, just get a good draft pick and whatever.
- 17:39[SPEAKER_00]: No, all this stuff matters like if you're going to have a chance to win a championship in 2026 or 2027.
- 17:44[SPEAKER_00]: You're planting the seeds right now.
- 17:46[SPEAKER_00]: You're planting the seeds right now.
- 17:48[SPEAKER_00]: And you've been looking for another linebacker for a while.
- 17:53[SPEAKER_00]: And Dean Winner is just kind of, he's taking a step.
- 17:57[SPEAKER_00]: But how are you going to develop that guy?
- 17:58[SPEAKER_00]: And boom, Fred Warner gets hurt.
- 18:01[SPEAKER_00]: And long way to go.
- 18:03[SPEAKER_00]: Long way to go.
- 18:04[SPEAKER_00]: But Tatum Bethoon showed a lot of promise today.
- 18:08[SPEAKER_00]: Eddie Pinier, by the way.
- 18:10[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my God, the ball doesn't.
- 18:14[SPEAKER_00]: the ball can just fly straight.
- 18:17[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, there's so much more to say, but that's why I got tonight.
- 18:22[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm sure I'm missing a lot, but I, you know, I think the overarching thing I will say is like,
- 18:30[SPEAKER_00]: for for for everybody on some level you want it to be championship or bust and especially when you've been on the quest for 30 years for your six Super Bowl then it's it's you know it sounds soft to say anything but a Lombardy is a failure that's what the standard is here that's and there's and it's fine on my onboard with it
- 18:54[SPEAKER_00]: But there are things that happen, there are circumstances that arise where you could find inspiration and success and a future in something shy of being the team that wins the very last game.
- 19:09[SPEAKER_00]: And they're in the fight, like, don't tell them they don't have a chance.
- 19:12[SPEAKER_00]: But they are showing that this year.
- 19:15[SPEAKER_00]: They are, I'm just blown away.
- 19:21[SPEAKER_00]: I'm really blown away.
- 19:22[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not that I didn't think they could beat Atlanta.
- 19:24[SPEAKER_00]: I did.
- 19:25[SPEAKER_00]: I said it, go back and even after the Tampa game, when they lost Fred and Warner.
- 19:29[SPEAKER_00]: I did it.
- 19:30[SPEAKER_00]: My first thing was like, it's not over because of the schedule.
- 19:33[SPEAKER_00]: You tell me they can't come home and beat Atlanta who's playing on a short week.
- 19:37[SPEAKER_00]: And they did.
- 19:38[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not shocked by that, but I just thought the way it looked, that you stuff to go do it.
- 19:47[SPEAKER_00]: Like you still, they could do it, but they actually did do it.
- 19:54[SPEAKER_00]: And that was awesome to see.
- 19:56[SPEAKER_00]: So it was really an awesome night at Lehigh Stadium, really an awesome night.
- 20:01[SPEAKER_00]: OK, there's more coming this week, of course.
- 20:05[SPEAKER_00]: But that's what I got from now and I'll talk to you also later.