STEELERS VS. 49ERS
49ERS CONFERENCE CALLS
Sunday, September 23, 2007
at Heinz Field

HEAD COACH MIKE NOLAN

How good is the Steelers pass rush? Have you noticed a difference from past years?

They have always been known as you are more familiar than I am, as “Blitzburgh.” But I think it is a very effective group. It is very early in the season to tell too much about anybody. But, people do begin to come up with an identity this early. But I think it is as much, in Pittsburgh’s case, their scheme is I think part of the success they have and as for the players, when you match them up together, I think they allow the players to get pressure. Even when they go with simple four man rushes, just the fact that they are threatening with the five and six guys coming, that makes quarterbacks uneasy. They are a very good defense in a lot of ways.

Are you doing much of that same kind of stuff out of your 3-4?

I think there are some similarities. Their base coverage is a little different than ours. But at the same time, just the configuration of the front based on a 3-4 defense, there are a lot of similarities there. Outside of that, they do more zone blitzing pressuring than we do, although we use that. We do some man stuff. There are a couple tweaks that we do a little different, but when you first start with the 3-4, they look the same, but then they try to go a different route than we do after that when it comes to coverage and some other things.

What has the best part of your defense so far?

I would say the addition of five new starters is usually pretty difficult when you are trying to create continuity and consistency, and that the group is a mature group so for the most part, for two games now and all through preseason we have been building with each week. They have come together as a unit, play as one. That is the real key for our guys. The thing that has been most impressive to me, that has been good about that group is that they played well together thus far and adversity doesn’t set them back much. They have responded well to that. That has more to do with mature players than it does what defense you are playing.

How good is Patrick Willis?

He is a rookie but the kid is a mature football player. He is very instinctive. He typically has real good plays, and okay plays, as opposed to some rookies who have slashes of real good, but the bad ones are real bad. I would say that Patrick has been our leading tackler, thus far all for good reasons. Not because we have schemed it or anything like that. It has been more a case of because he is a good player. 

Do you come in with the mindset that you can’t abandon the run, even if you don’t have success early on?

Our offensive philosophy is not one that if you stop it once, then we are done. Sometimes people do that. But at the same time, you don’t want to be dumb tough and just keep pounding. If the game dictates that you better start throwing to stay in this ball game. Every game has its own personality when it comes to running and how much you run. The Steelers have always been known to have a real good defense, whether it is trying to run or the pass. Obviously by only giving up 10 points in two games, whatever traditionally you want to call the Steelers defensively, they are still along those same lines. Whether that means running the ball or passing the ball, I would like to think that each game takes on its own personality. So, we’ll see what happens this Sunday.

How much improvement has there been in your quarterback from last year to this year?

In two games he hasn’t shown much, we haven’t been as productive on offense. A lot of that is lack in consistency in the entire group, not just in the quarterback position. We have to do a better job going forward. We have a big challenge this week against Pittsburgh’s defense, but I think Alex (Smith) had a lot of growth between year one and year two and I think when this season is all said and done, I think we’ll say the same thing about this year for Alex. That is his personality and I would like to think because of who he is, it is easier to predict what he will do at the end of the year. Guys who are not very strong mentally or just are different every day as the pressure gets to them typically, it is a reach to say they are going to get better because they don’t have the mental strength to handle the quarterback position in the NFL but Alex has that. He just has to keep working on all the fundamentals.

How about Frank Gore?

I don’t see Frank as a kick-start kind of guy. Frank does what is necessary for the game. He is an outstanding player. Last week, he had the death of his mother, so he was only here for a couple days of practice. Then, this week he is gone again today because of it but he will be back for tomorrow. There have been some distractions in his life that are bigger than the game of football. I think that has played a little bit into his game. But that is not a good or a bad excuse. It is a fact of life. Frank is the same guy every day also, as Alex is. He is a real good player. But if he had a bad down, I know this much, Frank could have three quarters of nothing and in the fourth quarter, he could light it up. Nothing gets him down. He just keeps playing. 

What is Michael Robinson’s role?

Most of his play has come on the special teams, but Michael is a valuable part of what we do offensively and in the kicking game both. He plays third downs and backs up Frank on some first and second down plays as well. He is a valuable part of our football team, I guess that is the best way to say it. Right now, he is kind of a jack of a lot of trades. But Michael is a big part of our team. He is very mentally strong and has great leadership skills. He is an outstanding person. He is what you want it to look like not only in the starter role, but in a back up role.

What about Shawntae Spencer?

When we signed Nate Clements this offseason, Shawntae became our third corner and has done an outstanding job in the sub role. He has accepted the challenge. Last year, he also had an ankle that he had to get fixed in the offseason so he came back and he wasn’t feeling good in training camp, so he has missed some time. But he will just keep getting better as he gets healthier as the year goes along. But he is a very good contributor for our football team as well.

How about Clements? Better than advertised? Is he as good as you thought he would be, better, or what?

He is a little bit better as far as his performance on the field. The pleasant surprise is getting to know Nate and the type of person he is. He is very hard working, conscientious. When you think about what a professional player should do, he does it. He puts in extra time after practice, not only watching film and studying but he is a guy that gets on the treadmill or the stair master for another 30 or 40 minutes after practice to keep his cardiovascular where it needs to be. He is a just a real smart pro that does the things that it takes to be a real good player. There are a lot of gifted guys in the NFL, but not all of them do something with their gifts. Some of them just show up and do whatever the gift allows them to do, but some guys try to improve that gift and Nate is one of those guys.

In regards to Gore, has it surprised you how quickly he has become a premier back in the NFL?

Obviously, with 1700 yards last year rushing in only his second season, that would be the surprise that everyone could maybe talk about. But out of what we saw, from the very first mini camp when he came on board, it was no surprise to me that he is a real good back. That first year though he had two bad shoulders and we tried to limit those plays so that we could get 16 weeks out of him, which we were able to do. But he had those shoulders worked on and came back healthy last year and had an outstanding season. So he is a good back. He is a great person to have on your team.

How tough is he?

Frank is very tough mentally. It is interesting in talking to Frank that he says when he was at Miami, they had McGahee and Portis and I think there might have even been another back or two there when he was there and he was the starter and then when he got the injury he took a back seat, the next guy went in and then he came back and got injured again and had to go to the back seat. Frank has said himself many times that the best thing that ever happened to him were the injuries and adversities that he faced because it really put him in place. As he watches those other guys, I think Frank feels that they don’t necessarily have an appreciation for what can be taken from you on such short notice. That’s what I think really makes Frank a unique guy, is he has responded to plenty of adversity in a very positive way, not a negative way. I believe he would say that same thing to you.

What about the suit for this Sunday?

I’m coming out in a speedo this week. The NFL, Roger Goodell and Reebok have allowed me to do it all home games. On the road, I am not supposed to wear the suit. What I have done and they have approved is I just take my jacket off and wear a Reebok jacket over top of the shirt and tie. We were given an opportunity as head coaches to make a statement, I guess you can say in a positive way, and it’s certainly not uncomfortable for me being I am not a very big man. From a respect standpoint in the NFL and the 49ers and the whole league, that is why I do it. It is not to draw attention. At some point, hopefully it gets off the suit, which it is doing right now. But I just think it is the right thing to do and that is why I do it, really for no other reason.

 

 

QUARTERBACK ALEX SMITH

Re: How if feels to be 2-0:

 

Really well. You said it right there. To be 2-0, both division wins is something the 49ers haven’t done in nine years. We have come a long way since when I was here two years ago, up to this point. There is still a lot ahead of us, but it seems like a lot has changed already.

 

Re: If there is a buzz in the city:

 

If it is in the locker room it is everywhere. It starts within us. It’s the guys here. It’s the attitude and the personality of the team that is really egging this on and now it is kind of spreading into the community.

 

Re: If the close wins are bringing the team together:

 

I think it is the next step in the progression. I don’t think you go from being the team we were a couple years ago to being to all of a sudden blowing people out. You have to make that progression and that progression comes from winning close games, winning tight games, being mentally tough, playing for sixty minutes, pulling games out in the fourth quarter. You have to win the some close ones to take the next step. That is what happens. At the end of the season, I will be looking back at these two wins and all we will be seeing is two W’s. Nobody is going to be talking about how we won or what they looked like. At this point, winning is the biggest concern and to be 2-0 right now obviously says a lot.

 

Re: If there was carry-over from the big wins over Denver and Seattle last season:

 

I think it comes from last year and it kind of carries over. Last year we started to develop that and seems like last year we became a second half team, especially the second half of last season. We really came on strong. We always played well in the second half and pulled games out. I think that is a credit to this team’s attitude and personality. We were really finishing games and never doubting. We carried that over into this season and you can really see it in these first games. We aren’t afraid to play tight games and not scared to stick it in there and keep going.

 

Re: The impact of having a new offensive coordinator:

 

It’s the same language as last year and the same terminology, so this has been the most fluent transition, as far as coordinators, but obviously there are some new things. There are some new wrinkles here and there. There is obviously a different style that he brings than Norv (Turner) so it kind of brings on a different identity. We also have some different faces this year so we are doing some different things this year.

 

Re: How he would describe the offense:

 

I guess I think of it as the same system that Norv (Turner) brought here last year. It is a system you see around the league. A lot of different guys run it and different styles of it. It has taken on its own identity. We were so successful running the ball last year, with the way Frank (Gore) was running and the way we blocked up from. We had a lot of success with the play action and off of it. I think it has come a little bit of our identity. I think we are also trying to focus on giving the defenses some other things. We want to spread the ball out and add a little bit more to our passing games. We are still developing that, so we can try to give the defense as many looks as possible. It is going to be an offense that can do a lot of things well.

 

Re: How tough it will be to run the ball against the Steelers:

 

No doubt. It has been hard to run the last couple weeks and it gets a lot of attention. One hundred yards is usually the mark of a good game. It is going to depend on the flow of the game and how it is going. It is tough to say at this point how the game is going to be, as far as play calling goes.

 

Re: Michael Robinson:

 

Mike has been great. I can’t say enough about him and how quick he made the transition from a guy that played quarterback to being an instinctive running back. Whenever I’ve needed to know something in the huddle, I go to Mike, because I know he is going to know it. I know he is going to know it. He is a guy that has constantly reminded me of things and then again in the huddle. He is a great guy and he has done it all. He is a great leader. From the moment he got here, he has shown natural leadership qualities. He is a guy that does it all. Coming out of the backfield, he runs, he catches and he blocks. He does a ton on special teams and is a great attribute for the team.

 

Re: Whether he played with Shawntae Spencer:

 

I did not get to play against Shawntae Spencer, but I remind him often of what it would have been like if I did.

 

Re: Playing with Chris Kemoeatu:

 

I played every year with Chris.

 

Re: How Chris was in college:

 

Chris was Chris. He was very quiet when I first got there. I got to know Chris well over the last couple of years. He was one of the guys that was down in the huddle with me. I know him, his family and his brother, Maake, very well. He is part of the Utah family, so I know him very well.

 

Re: Rumors of Chris kicking other players and other strange things:

 

I was there for all of that. He is just a guy that is competitive and really fights for this teammates and that whole thing got blown out of proportion. He has a lot of pride and loves playing for his teammates and blocking for his guys. I loved having him with me,

 

Re: The Steelers defense:

 

I think number 43 (Troy Polamalu) gets a lot of attention and deserves it. I think you just said it; the thing about their defense is that no one really stands out because they are all playing tough. They all make plays. They play really tough. They know what they’re doing and they execute. They play really fast and they know what they’re doing. They execute and it shows up on film. It all shows up on film, so you have to be ready for everyone.

 

Re: Vernon Davis:

 

I think it is week two and if it continues to go on later on we should talk about it, because he is a guy that can help this team and will help this team. I think people often realize that when he doesn’t touch the ball, for him it can be frustrating, but he is still helping this team. He is a guy that demands a lot of attention from the defense, so he is a guy that gets people open. He blocks extremely well and helps us up front. He blocks well in protection and he’s a guy that does a lot for us.