Jim Harbaugh Not in the Mood to Discuss Relationship with Pete Carroll, More than Happy to Talk About Kaepernick and the Pistol

Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers are a Super Bowl favorite despite the fact they did something not many Super Bowl teams do, and that’s change quarterbacks willingly midway through the season. Colin Kaepernick is leading the offense now after Harbaugh made the switch, Wally Pipping the injured Smith, and the 49ers don’t look as though they’re going to regret that change any time soon.

Jim Harbaugh joined The Wheelhouse on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco to discuss Colin Kaepernick’s emergence as the starting quarterback, the move he made midseason with Alex Smith out and his relationship with rival Pete Carroll. He also touched on Russell Wilson and “quarterback-driven runs.”

On how he terms his relationship with Pete Carroll:

“Professional.”

On if the media makes too much of their relationship:

“Probably. It’s not that newsworthy in my opinion.”

On the progression of Colin Kaepernick:

“I wouldn’t call it dramatic. Some people have termed it that but he’s acquitted himself very well every time he’s been in a game. And he was getting in ballgames early, go back to the New York Jets game and then ballgames after that. … But we’ve always had a great amount of confidence in Colin.”

On if he sought counsel before making the decision to go from Alex Smith to Kaepernick:

“Those kinds of decisions there’s not that many places to go. As the head coach you have to make those decisions. Because you’re the one who thinks about it the most, you’re the one who watches it the most. … There’s not many places to go for that decision. Nor would you want to go anywhere else really.”

On Kaepernick’s poise and personality:

“He’s had a lot of poise — I think that’s stuck out to everybody — beyond his years, beyond his experience. And you listen to Kaep talk. Kaep’s a guy of just the right amount of words. And those are the same things that he says.”

On Russell Wilson and the gun run:

“Seattle’s offense has changed quite a bit over the last three weeks where you’ve seen the quarterback-driven runs with Russell Wilson … 30 of those type of plays in the last three weeks. So that’s an extra dimension, that’s another dimension that they’ve been bringing.”

On the pistol:

“The quarterback-driven runs where the quarterback is another ball carrier adds another blocker, adds another element to the running game. In normal football without quarterback-driven runs, it’s really 11 for the defense and 10 for the offense in terms of people that can block and can run with the ball. … But when you bring in the option attack…now the quarterback becomes, in essence, another runner that can have 10 other blockers, or he can be pitching it to somebody — and because the defense has to account for the quarterback — he becomes a blocker. So it’s 11 on 11 again.”

Listen to  Jim Harbaugh on 95.7 The Game here

Read the original interview, here

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Calvin Johnson Closes In on Jerry Rice’s Single-Season Receiving Record

The Detroit Lions may be the biggest group of underachievers in the NFL. At 4-10 right now, the Lions have reverted back to the laughing stock of the NFL in some ways and Calvin Johnson isn’t happy about it. Last week, Arizona blew out Detroit 38-10. This was a Cardinals team that gave up 50 points two weeks ago!

Johnson needs only 182 yards in the team’s final two games to break Jerry Rice’s NFL record for single season receiving yards. That’s one positive for him, but from the sound of it, Megatron would much rather be going to the playoffs.

Calvin Johnson joined WXYT in Detroit with Stoney and Bill to discuss getting blown out by the Arizona Cardinals last week, his biggest frustration with this Lions team right now, being 181 yards from the record for receiving yards in a season, the comparisons between this season and the 0-16 season a few years ago, the improvements the Lions need to make in the offseason and the Lions needing to add another wide receiver opposite of him.

Could you ever imagine getting handled like that by the Arizona Cardinals, who gave up 50 points the week before?

“Coming off a bad loss like that, which they did the week before, you want to get everything going in the right direction. You want to get that nasty taste out of your mouth. We knew they were going to come with it this game and I guess we didn’t respond the way we should have.”

What’s your big frustration with the team right now?

“The lack to be able to come up with that one more big play. I’m not even talking about just offense. Even on offense, just coming up with that one more big play that will seal the game or to prolong the drive — things like that, those little things. …You never know what is going to happen on the next play because we are off the field. Little things like that.”

You are 181 yards from the record for receiving yards in a season. During a game are you paying attention for the amount of yards you need to break the record?

“I would honestly have to say maybe, when you become real close, when you are getting real close to it. I am going to go out … and you can’t be worried about that at the time and if it happens it happens.”

How does this year compare to the 0-16 season?

“The 0-16 season hurt. It’s hard to compare the two, but the fact that we had the expectations for ourselves — not with what else everyone put on — but the expectations the guys from the team had, we didn’t come close.”

Not to play general manager, but what do you think you guys need to do in order to get back to winning and making the playoffs?

“For the remainder of this season, for playmakers to step up, so you can be here next year or they are going to make some moves as far as that goes. It’s as simple as that.”

Is there one position the Lions need to improve on?

“If we solidify that ‘X’ position, somebody at the ‘X’ position, somebody that can go out there day-in and day-out and get the job done. I am going to be on the other side. Somebody that is going to receive favorable coverage for the majority. That’s going to be the opportunity for that person to easily solidify that position by beating his one-on-one matchup — someone who is physical like that.”

Listen to Calvin Johnson on WXYT in Detroit here

Read the original interview, here

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Ryan Clady Says Peyton Manning Has Made Him a Better Player

Despite a playoff win last year over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos made the decision this offseason to move the fan favorite and they brought in Peyton Manning. They continue to reap the rewards of that decision. Not only is Manning playing like an MVP candidate but after a bit of a shaky start, Denver has ripped off nine straight wins and are peaking with the playoffs on the horizon. Manning has made everyone on the Broncos better and it’s become one of the most potent offenses in the NFL with Manning at the helm.

Ryan Clady joined 102.3 the Ticket in Denver with Les and Jojo to talk about who the toughest pass rusher he has played against this season, whether he will watch Joe Thomas on the other side for the Browns this weekend, how different it is blocking for Peyton Manning as opposed to Tim Tebow, on the Broncos running game and whether he thinks Manning has made him a better player.

Who the toughest pass rusher he has played against this season:

“I’ve gone against a couple of good guys. (John) Abraham is pretty solid. Chandler Jones is pretty solid. Greg Hardy of Carolina, I thought he was a pretty solid player as well.”

Whether he will watch Joe Thomas on the other side for the Browns this weekend:

“Not really during the game. Maybe if we have already done our debriefing or whatnot. They may have a long drive or something I might watch, but I got to check out tape of him throughout the season when they play teams that we’re about to play or something like that.”

How different it is blocking for Peyton Manning as opposed to Tim Tebow:

“One of the differences is pretty obvious. Peyton Manning just gets rid of the ball a little faster. That definitely helps out the offensive line. Also with Peyton you know the spot he is going to be in for the most part. With Tebow it was kind of up in the air as to where he was going to be.”

On the improved running game:

“Yeah, no question. It’s something our coaches have been harping on. Something they have been harping on and the past couple of weeks it’s something that all good playoff teams need to have is a good running game so I think we have done that and we need to continue to run the ball well.”

Whether he feels like Peyton Manning has made him a better player:

“I feel like he has. His ability to play the quarterback position always helps out the offensive line. When he was in Indy he never really had any big name offensive linemen but he made them look good which is a good thing and that’s what good quarterbacks do.”

Listen to Ryan Clady on 102.3 the Ticket in Denver

Read the original interview, here

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Arthur Blank Discusses Atlanta Falcons Needing to Win Playoff Games to Earn Respect

The Atlanta Falcons are on the verge of wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and could finish with the best record in the NFL. But Falcons fans won’t be satisfied until the team gets its first playoff win with Mike Smith on the sideline and Matt Ryan under center.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank joined Mayhem in the AM on 790 The Zone in Atlanta to discuss Sunday’s win over the Giants, the circumstances based on the mass shooting at a Connecticut school and to defend the Falcons against the critics who claim they aren’t as good as their record.

On the win over the Giants being a big one for him and his family:

“It was … for my family, but also for the family of Atlanta, the family of our fans in the community. And obviously we’ve had a wonderful year — 12-2 is a great place to be in the NFL, and only one other team in our league has the same record and that’s the Houston Texans. To have that kind of win against a very good football team coming off some performances that were really not our best the last four or five games, I think really means a lot to our coaches and to our players, and builds confidence going into these last two games of the year and heading, obviously, toward the playoffs. So that was very meaningful.”

On the win being overshadowed a bit by the sadness and the aftermath of the school shooting in Connecticut:

“The whole weekend was covered over, obviously, by the horrific series of events that took place in Connecticut, so I think that it’s all kept in that context.”

On the critics who say the Falcons aren’t as good as their record:

“I think you need to go back to the Bill Parcells quote from a couple of years ago: ‘You are what you are’ in terms of your record. And over half the games in the NFL are decided by seven points or less. Of that half, half of those are decided by three points or less. So the nature of the NFL, the way it’s set up, it’s designed for parity, designed to have close, competitive games. And the ability to win games in the fourth quarter, to win games on the last drive, is huge. And I think it’s a sign of maturity of our quarterback, a sign of maturity of our team. And obviously a great amount of respect for our head coach and coaching staff to be able to keep things together and keep them focused. So we are 12-2, and I think a lot of the naysayers were put to bed this last Sunday. But reality is, Chris, until we win during the playoffs, we’re going to be considered to be a great football team in many respects — second only to the New England Patriots, we’ve won more regular-season games than any other team in the NFL the last five years, and this is our fifth consecutive winning season in a row, and this will be our fourth playoff season out of five — so we’ve done a lot of good things, but we have to play well in the second season, if you will. … Everybody understands that.”

Listen to Arthur Blank on 790 The Zone here

Read the original interview, here

Drew Brees Harbors Zero Doubt that Sean Payton Will Coach in New Orleans Next Year

It’s been a disappointing season for the New Orleans Saints following the fallout of the bounty scandal. New Orleans has struggled to maintain consistency and the defense has been spotty at best. For a team that sits at 6-8, the Saints are looking to finish strong and also play spoiler. Their opponent this week knows that all too well. New Orleans has won six of its last seven meetings against the Dallas Cowboys and Drew Brees has played well in Big D.

As for the speculation that suspended head coach Sean Payton could be leaving New Orleans once he is reinstated? The Saints signal-caller gives his take in the following interview.

Drew Brees joined WWL in New Orleans with Bobby Hebert to discuss playing the role of spoiler against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, his impressions of the Cowboys defense, having the Cowboys’ number over the past five years and not having any doubts that Sean Payton will come back to coach the Saints next year.

Do teams play into the role of spoiler or is it about winning a game?

“No, for us it is about winning the game. It’s about finishing strong and, really, just worrying about us and not getting worried about the situation or the circumstances that anyone else is in. We know they are playing some great football right now. They’ve won five over their last six games. They have a lot to play for, but so do we.”

Talk about what you see on film with this Cowboys team?

“The most impressive thing I’ve seen is that they’ve had a lot of injuries defensively, and no matter who they put out there, they are making plays and getting the job done. I think it all starts with their front seven, especially their two book-end pass-rushers in DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, two veteran guys that have been together for a long time. Both are playing at a high level. DeMarcus Ware seems to get the majority of the credit and I guess the attention, but Anthony Spencer is a game-changer as well, so you gotta be able to handle both of those guys. And then on the back end, they’ve got two big corners that can run and they’ve got good ball skills. They’ve done a real good job of creating opportunities for their offense, whether it be getting a big turnover at critical situations or a big sack or rushing the quarterback or whatever it might be. Really, all in all, they’ve done a great job no matter who is in there and, like I said, they are playing for a lot, so we expect their best game.”

You’ve had the Cowboys’ number of late. You’ve won six of the last seven meetings. How does that make you feel?

“I know with our group since Sean Payton has been there, we played them ’06 and obviously that was a huge win on Sunday night, and they kind of played spoiler for us in 2009 on their way to the playoffs and on our way to the Super Bowl, but that last meeting in 2010 at their place on Thanksgiving that was one that went down to the wire. I think we are two organizations that have a high standard and high expectations every year with a talented group of coaches and players, that I think we always see ourselves having to play these guys or beat these guys in order to get where we need to go. And the circumstances are a little different this year just in regards to that, but at the same time I think there is this level of competition that there is a lot of pride on both sides, so I’m sure it is going to be very intense and physical, but in the end a real exciting game.”

Does Drew Brees have any doubt that Sean Payton won’t be back next season after he is reinstated?

“No doubt at all that he is going to be our head coach. Totally confident in that. Obviously really haven’t given it much thought, just because I am so confident that he will be back, plus we’ve got enough to worry about right now with finishing the season strong, so we’ll worry about that and welcome Sean back when the time is right.”

Listen to Drew Brees on WWL in New Orleans here

Read the original interview, here

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Chris Long Feels the Rams have Confidence Under Jeff Fisher, Claims he’s Learned to ‘Work Smarter’ as a Veteran Player

The St. Louis Rams may sit at 6-7-1 heading into the final two weeks of the NFL regular season, but this organization is brewing with much more confidence than it has in the past. Just look at how the Rams have played against the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers and you can see why Rams fans are excited about the future. Jeff Fisher has made this team competitive again.

Chris Long gives Coach Fisher high praise in the following interview, as well as his take on the Rams’ season so far.

Chris Long joined ESPN 101 in St.Louis on The Fast Lane to discuss the changes in his work ethic since his rookie season, a different vibe in the Rams’ locker room under Jeff Fisher, the coaching demeanor of Fisher behind the scenes and the progression of rookie Michael Brockers.

What’s different about this Chris Long compared to the one who came in the door as a rookie?

“Well, my body hurts more laughs. I think the experience. Every year you find ways to work harder. You think you are working as hard as you can as a rookie, but you find ways to work smarter and work harder and, in turn, play harder on Sunday. I’m able to play harder than I have ever played on Sunday, and more physically than I have ever played. I am not getting any younger, so what that’s telling me is that I am learning to work harder. There’s working smart and working hard. Learning from vets that I have been privileged enough to learn with really helps you a lot. It becomes more year-round. You have to take care of yourself more year-round, and now we are in the hunt and we have a great coach and things are looking up.”

Is there a whole different atmosphere in the locker room? Are you feeling something different?

“Yeah, it’s definitely something we can feel and it’s just confidence is what it boils down to. … Confidence is such a big key. You can’t fake it and you can’t produce it out of nothing, and Coach Fisher gives us that confidence that we are going to be in every game and it’s going to be on us to execute. As you see Sunday, if we don’t execute we’ll still lose the game in the NFL, but we are going to be in every game and we’ll be physically competitive and a team will walk away and say, ‘That team plays hard and that team plays physical.’ That’s fun for us.”

Is Jeff Fisher a mellow head coach who is confident?

“Jeff Fisher is great because less is more. It really is. It’s a true statement with pro players. We’re all intelligent and we all work hard and we all have a lot at stake. We don’t need a coach to make us want it more. He’s got the right guys in the room and he’s going to tell us what it takes to win and he’s going to put us in a position to win. It’s easy to want it when you have a coach like Jeff Fisher. You want to play hard for him and he takes care of you and he just trusts that he’s got the right guys in the locker room who work hard.”

What do you think about the rookie Michael Brockers so far?

“I think a lot of Brock. I think he works very hard and has a good attitude. A lot of kids, they don’t want to learn from older guys. He’s kind of welcomed that coaching and whatever we have to offer. … You can’t come in and pretend to fix every problem a rookie has. You want to help him when you can, but Brock has done a lot of this on his own and obviously he was dealing with an injury, which is tough, but I know what the injury is like and it took him about two months to get back to his real self and you started to see him playing like what we all expected late in the year, and he hasn’t looked back since he got healthy and he’s been better every game. We look to continue that trend.”

Listen to Chris Long on ESPN 101 in St.Louis here

Read the original interview, here

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Oakland Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen Refuses to be Suckered Into a “Loser’s Mentality”

Dennis Allen’s Oakland Raiders are coming off their first shutout in 10 years, getting the Raiders back on track in an ugly victory over an even uglier opponent. But not all Raiders fans are likely thrilled with the victory over Kansas City, because what was technically a meaningless win might have moved Oakland down the draft board.

Dennis Allen joined The Drive on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco to discuss the shutout win over the Chiefs Sunday, the mentality among the players, the notion that losses are better than wins at this point, the importance of Sebastian Janikowski, the future of Terrelle Pryor and the decision to deactivate the troublesome Rolando McClain for Sunday’s game.

On the crowd noise playing a role in getting the Raiders the shutout against Kansas City:

“I feel like the fans had a big part in it there on that fourth-down stop down on the goal line. Down in the Black Hole, I think our fans forcing them into a delay-of-game penalty was a huge part in us being able to get that shutout.”

On the players believing they’re on the right track:

“They continue to believe, and I think they understand that we’re doing the right things, and the product on the field — or the production on the field — is gonna get to where we want it to get to. We just gotta continue to work, and if we do that we’ll get where we want to go.”

On the notion that the Raiders are better off losing right now in order to secure a better draft pick:

“No respect to anybody, but to think that you would go out and try to lose games , that’s a loser’s mentality. You build a winner through winning football games and developing good habits of winning football games. That’s the only reason why we do what we do, is to win games. And so I don’t want our football team, or the Oakland Raiders organization, to ever accept losing as a good thing. It’s not good to lose and we need a win. … Obviously the draft is important. If it wasn’t important they wouldn’t have it. But I think the thing that we’ve gotta all understand is you develop habits in everything that you do. Losing’s a habit; winning’s a habit. And we want to develop the right habit of winning football games.”

On how important Sebastian Janikowski is to this team:

“I think he’s a great football player — not a good football player, a great football player. He’s a big weapon for us. We feel like any time we cross the 50, we’re getting close to scoring range with him. … Having a weapon like that makes you feel good as a football coach.”

On Terrelle Pryor, who played a series against the Chiefs:

“It was a decision that we made going into the game. We wanted to get him the first series of the second quarter, because I wanted to make sure that we got him in the football game and got him a chance to get his feet wet a little bit. Obviously we didn’t have the success that we would hope on that drive. To start off with, the penalty put us in a backed-up situation, but I think the important thing was he did get some game experience, which is the first time he’s been in a football game in a while. We’ll see how things play out moving forward. He’s worked extremely hard to try to improve himself as a quarterback. I’ve said before and I continue to say — and he knows this — he’s not the finished product. But as long as he continues to work, hopefully at some point he’ll develop into that quarterback that maybe we hope he can be.”

On the decision to deactivate Rolando McClain:

“Just like anybody else that’s in that position, Rolando’s a backup player, he’s gonna work on special teams. And when you’re in those situations, we have to make decisions on the 46-man active roster of who we feel like gives us the best chance to have success. And we chose to make him inactive for the football game.”

Listen to Dennis Allen on 95.7 The Game here

Read the original interview, here

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Football Radio Show: Week 16 San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks

The Week 16 finale is a tasty NFC West showdown when Russell Wilson and the 9-5 Seattle Seahawks host Colin Kaepernick and the 10-3-1 San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have already clinched a spot in the Playoffs but a win over the Seahawks would give them their second straight NFC West title. However the Seahawks have much different plans. It’s a battle of two of the best teams in the NFC and two of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league going at it on Sunday Night Football. So who’s ready for prime time? Casey and Dave smell like teen spirit on this episode of The Football Radio Show.

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