49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo (10.7.19)

How much of a tone setter is it when you hand the ball off the first play and it goes for 83 yards?

“Yeah, we talked about throwing the first punch before the game. When the O-line makes a hole like that and [RB Matt] Breida hits it, he was just flying. Makes everything a lot easier.”

The last time the 49ers were 4-0 was 1990. There was a guy named Joe Montana playing quarterback. There’s two undefeated teams, the other one is your old team. What does it mean to kind of be in rarified air? I know it’s early, but-

“It’s a good start is really all it is. Four games isn’t going to really give you much in this league, but it’s a good start. I think we have a good mindset in that locker room, just taking it one game at a time and just taking it one step at a time.”

What’s it like for you on a night where you’re running the ball the way you guys did tonight?

“It just makes everything easier, especially with our offense. It sets up the play action, it opens up receivers on the outside. The defense has to start loading the box up and things like that. Once that starts happening, everything kind of falls into place.”

TE George Kittle was up here earlier and he said one the touchdown pass he kind of saw the defense reacting exactly the right way for it to open up. How did you see it play out?

“The exact same way. You saw it happening and you just, kind of in the back of your head, were like alright, just get there George. He made the right read and everything, got to the open hole and was, yeah, his first touchdown. So exciting.”

Did you see the same thing for the first snap for Matt, knowing that if they hit those blocks that he would have that lane and be gone?

“The run game’s a little different because you never know what’s going to happen after the snap, if they’re going to stunt inside or blitz someone. A little different, but as soon as I turned my head back, he was through that hole so fast. He was 10 yards down the field by the time I looked back and he just hit the jets after that.”

He had the block for it, too, and FB Kyle Juszczyk was one of the guys that threw it, so what has he meant to the run game and is there a big concern right now that you might be without him for a couple weeks?

“He just does so many different things, run game, even the pass game. He adds a different element that not many fullbacks can do in this league. We’ll see what the status is tomorrow and everything and hopefully he’s alright.”

CB Richard Sherman talked a lot about the chemistry on this team. How does the chemistry in the locker room translate to winning on the field?

“I think it goes hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other, really. It’s a real family atmosphere that we have in there. Guys, offense, defense, special teams, whatever it is, all interacting with each other and it makes it fun. We’re just coming off the bye week and everything and coming back like this, it’s good to have it happen.”

How hard was it to wait to get to play again?

“It was weird. I mean, seeing two weekends of football back to back, you’re not used to that. I think we handled it well. Guys came back from the bye week ready to roll, in good shape and everything and it showed out there tonight.”

What was head coach Kyle Shanahan’s message to you guys after the game?

“We have a short week, you know. Like I said, it was a good start with 4-0 and everything, but it’s not going to get you anything. We’ve got a division game next week and we’ve got to come in ready to work tomorrow.”

After a start like this, everyone always looks to the next test and what the thing is. When you play the Rams, how much do you think that is a good measuring stick for where you guys are considering what they’ve been in the division?

“If we keep the mindset we have, taking it one game at a time, we’ll be in a good spot. We’ve got a good group of guys in there, guys who work hard, come in everyday and put the team first.”

Do you look forward to that kind of test to see where you stack up?

“Yeah, it’ll be a good test for us next week. It’ll be a good game.”

It’s such a pass happy league but you guys have had a few really sort of dominant performances on the ground. With the way the defense is playing, what do you make of the identity you guys have sort of carved out for yourselves with the running game and that defense?

“We’re a physical team. We know it, and we just want to prove it to everybody at the end of the day. So, I think we did a good job of that tonight, and we just have to do it week in and week out.”

Do you have any impressions of DL Nick Bosa’s performance?

“I don’t really get to see the defense that much. I heard he had a hell of game, happy for him. The guy works his ass off, so for it to show out on the field like that, you love to see it.”

You talked a little bit about the touchdown pass to Kittle, but how about can you take us through pass to Breida for the touchdown?

“Breida made a great move. He had a linebacker on him, made him miss and then made a great catch after it, laying out for it and everything. It’s things like that, throwing the first punch, not dipping your foot in the water, just jumping right in. It puts us at ease and kind of puts the pressure on them.”

With the success you guys have had in the run game, obviously the offensive line gets a lot of credit, the backs gets credit. What can you saw about the guys, maybe out on the edges, the receivers, the tight ends, and Juice of course?

“Oh yeah. It takes all 11, it really does, especially not many receivers in this league want to go in there and get their hands dirty and everything, but our guys go dig out safeties, linebackers, whatever it may be. Sometimes, a D-end. For a receiver to do that and then go catch a post, it’s tough on guys.”

How often do you check into a run play or vice versa?

“Every situation’s different. Some game plans are different than other ones.”

Was today mostly just “run, run run” until you came out in the second half and passed?

“There were variations. I don’t really know how to answer that one, I’m sorry.”

When you don’t turn over the ball a lot, can you see this offense scoring 30, 40 points a game like that?

“The opportunities are there for us. It’s up to us. We’ve got to finish drives. Got caught up a couple times down there towards the red-zone in the fringe area. If we finish those drives, it’s going to make it hard on teams.”

What’s your confidence level in OL Justin Skule and how do you think he’s played for these last two games?

“I thought Justin’s done a great job. He came back from the bye week with a great mindset. He works as hard as anybody. He‘s putting in the time and it’s showing on the field. You love to see that for a young guy. I thought the whole O-line as a whole, just run game, pass game, whatever it was, those guys were battling all night. It was impressive.”