GREEN BAY – The Packers' coordinators and offensive assistant coaches met with the media over the past couple of days. Here's a sampling of their key comments.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
On telling the team the night before the Bears game they could block a kick:
It goes back to the preparation part. We're all looking at the same film, and we're all looking at different things. Credit to Karl Brooks, to T.J. Slaton and to those guys, because they do a good job of watching the film on their own. They can give suggestions or things that they see, or what they'd like to do, or positions they'd like to be in, and then we get to talk about it. We all thought going into that game, that we had an opportunity, possibly, to get our hands on one. And we've been close the last couple weeks, we've been close. Going back to the 53-yarder, which has kind of been his max, we really thought we could get our hands on that one, came out a little bit low and just missed it. We do say a lot of things during the course of the week, and night before a game, and so I wish they'd all come true, but that one worked out.
On possible return opportunities vs. 49ers:
I know they've had some injuries, and they've had some guys go down, have had to play some new guys in there, but we haven't, you know, done a great job of blocking all the people we're supposed to block and the opportunities that we've had. So we're hoping to improve ourselves and really just worry about what we can do.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
On the performance vs. Bears:
You look at the tape, and it wasn't our best. We did some really good things and then we had opportunities to finish some plays, we had opportunities to put the game away here and there, and we were right there and just didn't get the job done. So when you look at the film – win or lose, fortunately we were winning this game – you look hard, you make the corrections. We've got great guys, they watch the tape, they see the plays we were capable of making. You show them what they did well, you show then what we need to correct, I show them what we need to coach better because we're in all in it together, obviously. At the end of the day, after all that and all those plays, you gave up 19 points so don't forget that.
What you can never fall into the trap of is after a win where it feels great thinking that you got all the answers and thinking that everything's good because that's just not how it works. Just like when you lose a game, you look at the film the same way. There's a process to it that is greater than the result, and you have to stick with that. So win or lose, there's a consistency from me and from them and it's about getting better.
On 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey:
I think he's one of the most dynamic backs in this league. He runs hard, he's fast, he's got great contact balance, he can stay in and protect, he's great in the pass game, he's awesome in the red zone. He's a dynamic football player.
On 49ers QB Brock Purdy:
When you really study him, I'll say I think he's playing at a really high level and I mean really high level. He's impressive. He gets the ball out on time. He sits in the pocket. He goes through his reads. He doesn't force too many bad throws, but then the thing you notice, especially when you start to watch third down is I think he's scrambled for the third-most third down/first downs out of any quarterback in the NFL. You don't look at him right away and think that, but he's athletic and he's strong and he's fast and I respect (him) because he runs really hard, too. He's not just a guy that's going to slide. He's going to go for it and what it does is, you've got to be really good in your rush lanes and if you want to pressure him, you've got to fill up those rush lanes. You've got to make sure you contain on the edge. I think he's having a great year. I think he's playing his best football.
On rookie LB Ty'Ron Hopper:
He's improved and yes, I think at some point this season you'll see him play. He works really hard, he's been getting a little bit more reps here and there, he does a good job with the look team. I thought he's had a real good couple weeks and I mentioned that to him the other day.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich
On how the 49ers' defense takes away big plays:
Their coverage, they do a good job just melting and getting deep with those deeper routes and forcing you to check it down, so basically we've just got to take what they give us and just stay on schedule with the game plan and if we get those deeper throws, great, but we've got to make sure when those plays come that we hit them. And if not, just take the checkdowns. As you can see Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft and all those guys are really productive when that stuff happens.
On WR Christian Watson's big game in Chicago:
You could see it in practice the last month or so, just him really getting into his stride and making a lot of big plays, so it was great to see him go out there and have a really good game like that. You see it every year from him, just the impact that he has. The Cowboys game a couple years ago he had three touchdowns. Like he can do that any game. He has that ability to just be the game-changing force that he was last week. So it was great. Like, everyone loves Christian, they respect his work ethic, how he's a pro every single day so when guys like that really shine, I think it really picks everyone up.
On 49ers DE Nick Bosa:
Everyone talks about how great he is as a pass-rusher, and he's one of the best in the NFL, just his get-off, his power, his ability to create an edge on a tackle is elite. He can get after guys pretty good. But he's also really, really good in the run game too. Just his physicality, anytime he's 1-on-1 with a tight end, that's a problem. So he's a guy you just have to be aware of wherever he's at on the field to make sure you're not in a bad play.
Passing game coordinator Jason Vrable
On Watson's mentality:
The majority of times everybody bases it off of your stat line and your touchdowns, but what did you do for the offense and our team to help us win? Did you block, did you run good routes, did you not have mental errors? I think that's when you really start to build the confidence in yourself and be comfortable with your not having results. because you know you're doing your job or what we're asking you to do and you're doing it at a high level, and he's done that. I can't remember the exact date or what meeting but he said, 'I'll get what I deserve.' And that's literally how this league works, and I think that's where he feels more comfortable.
On WR Dontayvion Wicks:
If you were to watch one-on-ones in practice or watch the reps, you'd be like, 'Wow, they can't guard him. Wow, he did make the catch. Our staff, the quarterback, people believe in him. I'll put him out there on third-and-5 with the game on the line because he's done it a lot before. I know he's a good route-runner. I know he's strong and competitive, so that's where he knows I believe in him, Matt believes in him and Jordan believes in him. We have no doubt that he can make the play. Now, it's just your job, your mental clarity and make a play.
Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements
On QB Jordan Love's health, moving around more:
I think he's pretty much healthy now. Against the Bears, other than really one errant throw, I thought he played well. Only he knows how he feels exactly, so there may have been times he didn't take off when otherwise he might've. But that's something only he can regulate. We didn't say don't run or we didn't say go ahead and run. Just play your game, and now he's pretty much I would say back to being healthy, so he's just playing his normal game.
On the INTs:
The first week back practicing after being out, he had a little rust, had to knock off the rust, and as the practices have accumulated, that rust is gone. Some of the interceptions were some decisions which he'd like to have back. The one against the Bears last week, he made the right decision, it was just an errant throw for whatever reason. We've talked about we have to get on a roll kind of like we were last year where we were moving the ball and he was throwing touchdowns and we were protecting the ball as an offense and he was protecting it as a passer, so hopefully we're starting that. We've said in our meetings, really no one offensively has played their best football yet, and we're striving to get to that point.
On moving on from the pick-six vs. Lions:
There's a saying among quarterbacks, you've got to play without a conscience. You have to recognize every play, you're trying to make the proper play, and if you don't, you have to recognize why, try to make the correction, and then try not to have it happen again. So I think he's in that mode right now. He has great ability so he thinks he can make plays, and we've said also sometimes the play to make is to try not to make the play, and the more you experience it – when you should take off, when you should throw it away, when you should try to make the tight throw – the more times you do it, the better you get at it, and I think he's getting better and better.
Wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey
More on Watson at Chicago:
That was exciting to see. You kind of got a feel throughout the week just the way he was running, the confidence he was playing with, the speed he was playing with, the comfortability with the plan, and being able to establish some of that rhythm during the week there was a possibility he may be able to capitalize on some of those opportunities. But every game, situations are a little bit different, so you never know how it's going to unfold. It kind of ended up folding out organically during the game, and excited for him. We know what he can do, what he's capable of. He's a big, fast target. He's explosive, very smart, and then for him to just be put in those situations and see him go out and have success was great for the team, great for him.
Offensive line coach Luke Butkus
On C/G Josh Myers playing with the bad wrist:
Josh is a warrior, man. He plays through it. He's banged up. We all are. It's Week 11, right? But came through it pretty good. He'll be the first one to tell you he could always play better. Had a few plays he'd want to take back, but as far as playing hard and physical, that's who he is.
More on Bosa and his injury situation:
He's a helluva player. Everybody knows that. You can watch the film and it doesn't lie. So we're going to prepare like he is playing. We've got to have that mindset that we're going to get his best, on both the right and the left, Zach (Tom) and Rasheed (Walker). And then if he doesn't, he doesn't. For us, we're going to attack it like 97's playing.
Tight ends coach John Dunn
On TE Tucker Kraft:
The way he goes about his business and attacks it, that's his mindset: 'I'm going to be the best that there was.' He has a high ceiling and he's working at to reach that. Where does that fall compared to others, he can't control (and) we can't control. But he works his tail off to get to that, and that's something that we talk about with him of being a complete player in the pass game, in the run game, in protection. We talk about all the time that production, especially at the tight end position, is not always ball production.
Running backs coach Ben Sirmans
On RB Chris Brooks:
He's been very productive. He reminds us, not necessarily just talent-wise but kind of that same role that we had (Patrick Taylor) here over the last few years. He's been able to give us that aspect, where he's good at protection, solid runner, solid out of the backfield. We trust him. He's a high-effort guy, so he's been a delight to have. It's like having a really good relief pitcher if it were baseball.
On RB Josh Jacobs telling the Bears defender to come get him:
Definitely seen that before. But it is all part of his mentality. He's one of those guys that he's up for the challenge and if you're going to bring it, you better bring it, because if not I'm definitely going to give it to you. He's competitive and sometimes that's what you will get with a competitive player, especially a guy that's going to have the ball in his hands all the time.
