Sourdough Sam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
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DL Arik Armstead on turning the Vikings offense one-dimensional:
“Yes, start by stopping the run first. (Minnesota Vikings RB) Dalvin (Cook) has been moving the ball. The run game opens up everything else. It definitely started with that. We did a good job with that and got after the passer.”
DL Dee Ford on getting back on the field:
“It felt great. Good to be out with my teammates and out of that training room.”
T Joe Staley on the offense running the ball 47 times:
“Getting 47 carries, that is pretty rare. You don’t get too many games when you are going to be running the ball 47 times. To run the ball 47 times is a complete team effort. Our defense has to do what they did today which is to stop their offense. We have to have a lot of opportunities, we have to be able to average and to keep it efficient on first and second downs, and move the chains on third down. I think it was a total team effort running the ball. Coming in that is what we wanted to do. They are really talented up front. We saw what they did by putting pressure on (New Orleans Saints QB) Drew (Brees) the week before, so we came in with the mindset we are going to need to run the ball. We were able to do that.”
LB Kwon Alexander on the atmosphere at Levi's® Stadium:
“The Faithful are crazy. The fans, I love them. They were out there. They were supporting us. We had to go out there and do our job for them and we got the job done.”
Alexander on how they were successful in stopping Dalvin Cook:
“We were able to be us. Once we do that, we can go out there and have fun and when we play together as a team it’s hard to beat us. That is all we have to do and we are going to go far.”
DL Nick Bosa on his performance in his first-career playoff game:
“I felt pretty normal. I knew getting (DL) Dee (Ford) back and getting (LB) Kwon (Alexander), (S Jaquiski) Tartt, just having them on the field, it's a completely different energy. It's the energy we had early in the year. It's really fun playing on a really good team, just knowing that every person around you is going to do their job really well. Makes it a lot easier for me.”
Bosa on having Ford back on the field:
“I told Dee, ‘I wish I could scare people with my presence like you do.’ I mean, when a guard sees Dee Ford on them, their mind is racing, they're thinking about what he's about to do, whatever it is. Just having his presence and his pass-rush ability, his knowledge and communication, he's a true vet. It's nice to have him out there.”
WR Kendrick Bourne on the importance of Garoppolo spreading the ball around:
“It was definitely important, just taking what the defense gives you. I think that he sees that pretty well. He was definitely putting everything on the money today. I had two drops that I definitely should have caught. He was doing a good job of putting it where it needed to be at the right time.”
Bourne on his touchdown:
“It was just a good look. (49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) planned it. We were going over it through the week. Just seeing the same look throughout the week for me and that same look came when he called it so the corner used the outside leverage, when you have leverage it should be a good play. So it worked out for the best. I just had to execute on my end which, I did and Jimmy reading me through the second or third window. Whatever that safety did, I don’t know, he bit on the run so the window was pretty big. Good job by Jimmy being poised and getting it where needed to be.”
DL DeForest Buckner on the impact Ford made on Saturday:
“Dee's speed off the edge is one of a kind. It really opens up more opportunity for the guys in the inside, also for (DL) Nick (Bosa) on the opposite side. They can't pick and choose every time on where they want to slide the protection or who they want to double. They have to change it up. It's very challenging when you have four guys that can rush the passer.”
TE George Kittle on what this win says about the 49ers:
“We played good football today. We've been playing good football all year. We keep putting good football on tape. People keep telling us we're not very good. We're just going to keep playing good football, I guess.”
Kittle on the 49ers defensive performance against the Vikings:
“Our defense? Pretty good, right? Holy cow. I mean, it's such a blast just to watch them, how they work together. Doesn't matter highs, lows, they ride with them. I think (CB Richard) Sherman does a great job of keeping them even-keeled. Then you kind of just let them off the leash. You have (DL Nick) Bosa, (DL) Dee Ford. We had guys rushing the passer from all angles. It's kind of tough to be a quarterback, I guess.”
CB Richard Sherman on his interception:
“Yeah, we were in man. It was third down. He gave me an inside release. Gave me a little bit too much at the top of the route. I knew what the route was. I beat him to the spot. (Minnesota Vikings QB) Kirk (Cousins) threw a very catchable ball, appreciate it, and I was able to make the play.”
Sherman on how it felt to have Alexander, Ford and Tartt back on the field:
“Felt good. It felt good. That's what we look like when we're totally healthy. Those guys make a huge difference in our defense. They played fast, they recognize things. Having veteran presence, they understand how teams are trying to attack us. They understand what they're seeing. They play fast. The moment is not too big for them. Dee obviously makes a huge impact on third down and passing situations. So, we're thankful to have them all back. Tartt does a great job of recognizing things, being in the right spot. He made a huge difference. All three of them made a huge difference in this game.”
Sherman on making it to the NFC Championship game:
“This team deserves it. I'm going to take this off of me. That was selfish of me anyway. But this team deserves it. (QB) Jimmy Garoppolo played a fantastic game on offense. (Head coach) Kyle Shanahan deserves it. He's a heck of a coach. (Defensive coordinator) Robert Saleh deserves it. (Special teams coordinator Richard) Hightower deserves it. All our position coaches. Our D-line. Team deserves it. We work week in and week out. We try to put our best on the line. We don't always get the results we want, but this team is a team, it's a family.”
LB Fred Warner on how effective the 49ers pass rush was against the Vikings:
“Man, I feel like I didn't even have to play a game honestly. We ran a lot of man coverage on third down, let the big boys up front go eat. I'd be in man coverage, hear cheering. 'Wait, we just started.' They did outstanding up front. It was a huge team win all around. Obviously, you could see what getting some key pieces back can do for our defense. Honestly, I felt like we could have done better today.”
Warner on how the 49ers contained Cook:
“Yeah, we did all right. I think every week we want to come out and we want to stop the run. I mean, that was of course a big emphasis this week with how successful they've been in the run of recent or throughout the season, honestly. We took care of business in that phase, were able to get after the quarterback.”