Blogs

Coffee Tells 49ers He Intends to Retire

At the conclusion of Friday’s only training camp practice of the day, Mike Singletary announced that second-year running back Glen Coffee informed the 49ers he intends to retire from the National Football League.

Coffee released this statement through the team earlier on Friday:

“This has been a tough decision for me to make, but at this time in my life I feel it is best for me that I move on from football. I appreciate what the 49ers, my teammates and coaches have done for me, and I wish them a blessed season and all the best in the future.”

Read more »

49ers Arrive in Monterey

SEASIDE, Calif. – We’ve just arrived on the campus of Cal-State Monterey and the players are getting ready for practice. It’s much cooler down here and the field looks to be in great shape. There’s even red stripes painted to replicate the nutcracker drills back in Santa Clara.

Practice was pushed back to a 10:15 a.m. PT start time. Players are getting taped up outside and a couple are already out on the field warming up.

I’ll post a couple of updates as we go and we’ll have more from practice later in the day on 49ers.com.

Read more »

49ers Value Offseason Workouts

Competition doesn’t just exist inside of NFL stadiums or on practice fields, it’s long rooted in the offseason workouts held at various team facilities around the league.

It’s at these conditioning programs that players compete against each other in almost everything they do.

And those competitions are reason enough for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Smith to train at 49ers headquarters, even when he could easily get in shape anywhere he chooses.

“I think replicating the running and the amount of stuff we do is hard to do on your own, to be honest with you. You can wake up and be like, ‘I’m going to do all this stuff,’ and not ever do it,” Smith explained. “Being here around the guys brings out the competing and I think competing is the main reason we’re all here.

“We can compete on every lift and every run, so it makes us all work harder.”

Smith was named to his first Pro Bowl after his second year with the 49ers, thanks to the effort he puts into everything he does, offseason workouts included.

But even after experiencing the Pro Bowl atmosphere for the first time in his nine NFL seasons, Smith isn’t letting it change his goals.

“I want to win. I’m not focused on going to another Pro Bowl honestly. For me, it’s let’s win, get to the playoffs and win a Super Bowl. That’s what it’s all about.”

Veterans and young players alike have been adamant about taking part in the offseason program, but it becomes even more important if it’s their first chance to work out in the offseason with their teammates.

“It’s good being here because I can get a head-start with the playbook and focus on 49er football,” running back Glen Coffee said.

Coffee spent the offseason determined to get ready for his second NFL season and will use the 49ers offseason program to further prepare himself for the rigors of pro football’s calendar.

“I’ll be lifting on Fridays too. I don’t have anywhere really to go. For me, it’s all about preparing my body for the season,” he said.

Click here to check out photos from the 49ers first week of offseason conditioning.

Monday’s Locker Room Talk

If Vernon Davis catches one more touchdown pass this week against the St. Louis Rams, he’ll tie Antonio Gates’ single-season record of 13 touchdown catches set back in 2004.

But the 49ers aren’t looking at it like it’s a one-man accomplishment for their starting tight end. It’s really more of a team feat.

“It’s a credit to the guys around him. We all depend on each other. But we’re happy for him, he’s worked really hard,” quarterback Alex Smith said.

In Davis’ first three seasons, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 draft had 103 catches for 1,132 yards (11 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. To put his breakout year into further perspective, already this season Davis has 72 catches for 876 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns.

With numbers like that, Davis has the support of all his teammates in being a strong candidate to make the 2010 Pro Bowl.

“I’d love to see him on that list,” Smith said. “I’d love to see as many guys as possible, but especially him. He’s worked hard and had a lot of the stats this year to back it up.”

Davis and the rest of the 49ers will have to wait until 4:15 PM PT on Tuesday when Pro Bowl rosters are announced.

And while Smith was unaware of what Davis needed to pass the league milestone, the 49ers signal caller said he wouldn’t press the issue in St. Louis.

“I don’t think we’re going to force anything. We’re just going to let it happen. We’re going to try and win the game,” Smith said. “I think there’s something to be said about him and the work he’s put in over the last few years as well as this season.”

According to Smith, Davis’ development has forced opposing defenses to game plan for the 49ers versatile tight end.

“Definitely his speed up the field is something that causes problems,” Smith said. “I think you can see in these last few weeks defenses have acknowledged [that] and are making adjustments too.  I think they’re more conscious of him.”

Smith was pretty aware of Davis on a 2-yard rollout touchdown pass in which the quarterback could have kept the ball for a touchdown run. Ultimately, Smith decided to throw his 17th touchdown pass of the season.

“It looked better on film than what it looked like in my head,” Smith said. “It definitely would have been a bang-bang play at the goal line. I don’t think it would have been a walk in like I kind of had in my mind. Either way, it turned out the way it did.”

Asked if he’d taken up Davis on his offer to pick up a dinner tab this week, Smith replied, “Not yet, I’ll hit him up on that.”

More Monday Notes

-Mike Singletary opened his press conference by announcing the 49ers injury report following the Lions game. Right guard Chilo Rachal will undergo an MRI later on Monday on his knee, left tackle Joe Staley is day-to-day with a knee contusion, Glen Coffee remains questionable with a hamstring injury and cornerback Shawntae Spencer has a wrist sprain. “Should be fine,” Singletary said of Spencer’s injury.

-Later, Singletary said kicker Joe Nedney and cornerback Nate Clements will not return to action this season. Ricky Schmitt will get another chance to kick for the 49ers. He made 2-of-3 field goals against Detroit.

-Singletary said the offense planned on getting the ball early and often to running back Frank Gore, but Detroit countered by stacking the box with eight defenders. Singletary said the 49ers played a “cat and mouse” game early on and that’s why Gore only had seven carries in the first half.

-Singletary wasn’t happy that his offense struggled to convert the Lions six turnovers into points of their own. “It’s not acceptable. It’s never acceptable,” he said.

-The head coach also has reservations about continuing to use starting wide receiver Josh Morgan as a kick returner. It’s not just offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye who feels that way. “That’s a priority for us this offseason, to find a return guy,” Singletary revealed.

-The 49ers are the only team in the league to force five or more turnovers in three games this season. Singletary said the credit goes to the team maturing on defense. In particular, he highlighted the growth of free safety Dashon Goldson and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks. This season, both players are playing the most they ever had in any points of their career. Goldson leads the team with four interceptions while Brooks leads the team with 6.0 sacks.

-“Goldson has gotten more comfortable back there. He’s really doing a good job of reading the quarterback better,” Singletary said. “Ahmad has really stepped up in the second half of the season.”

-Singletary was asked if other linebacker had more range than 49ers two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis, he responded, “No.”

-Singletary made a great point to close out his press conference when fielding a question on the importance of finishing the season 8-8. The head coach reminded the media that beating the Rams is not a foregone conclusion. “You have to go earn 8-8,” he stated.

Monday’s Locker Room Talk

With the playoffs out of the picture, the 49ers are vowing to finish the 2009 season on a strong note.

“You’re disappointed, but we still have two games left. We’re going to prepare just like we have a chance of going [to the postseason],” outside linebacker Parys Haralson said. “When you play this game, you always play like you’re going to give it your best all the time. We’re upset about the playoff situation, but we still have two games to play. We enjoy playing football and we want to go out and play for each other.”

Head coach Mike Singletary elaborated that point even further by emphasizing the importance of the 49ers finishing the season 8-8. The team can do that with wins at home this Sunday over Detroit and the following Sunday on the road in St. Louis.

Asked if he would use the final two weeks to evaluate backups on the 53-man roster, Singletary said that would not be on top of his agenda.

“The last message I want to send is: we want to evaluate before we want to win. We want to win. Every time we step on the field, I want our guys to know we want to win and we want to compete.”

However, Singletary said young players could get valuable experience in limited playing time without having to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. According to Singletary, backups could be involved for a series at a time, but not at the cost of winning.

“Both these games are definitely important, no question,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “I’ve been here five years now and [8-8] would be the best record.”

Despite the frustration of losing another game because of “self-inflicted wounds,” Smith said he undoubtedly feels something special developing in the 49ers locker room.

“I’m not just saying this to say this, but I do feel like there’s been a bit of a mindset change around here, an expectation level, a confidence in what we can do,” Smith added.
More Monday Notes

-Singletary opened his press conference by sharing an exchange he had with quarterback Alex Smith last night. “I owe him an apology,” Singletary said a day after he was critical of his quarterback’s performance in a 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. “I talked with him after the game and we had a conversation where I really kind of challenged him on some things, some of those throws or whatever. After looking at it, I have a better perspective.”

-Smith said the talk between the two was a positive one for him as well. “He did [apologize]. He doesn’t owe me an apology though,” Smith added. “We were all disappointed with yesterday. That wasn’t the only thing we talked about. The point is to get better moving on. It was a good talk. I did take a lot away from it.”

-Singletary went on to detail each of Smith’s first-half interceptions. According to the head coach, tight end Vernon Davis could have made a better play on Smith’s first interception that was picked off deep over-the-middle by Eagles safety Quintin Mikell. “I think the ball was there. It’s just one of those situations where Vernon either has to make that play, or either he has to stop that DB from making that play. He’s got to help the quarterback as well,” Singletary said.

-The second interception was due to a “trap coverage,” in which the Eagles baited Smith into throwing to Davis. “It’s a trap coverage where you’re throwing the ball on timing, and it looks like the receiver, or the defender is going with that receiver, and you come back and get in front of the second guy that the quarterback is going to try and throw the ball to because he feels that either the corner or the safety has run off, but they come back.”

-Singletary had no grandiose explanation for the final Smith turnover, other than it “was just a poor decision.” Smith tried to dump the ball off while he was getting hit in the pocket. Singletary said it was Smith’s fault for trying to force the issue.

-The 49ers head coach expressed remorse for not getting the ball in the hands of Frank Gore more often, who finished with a game-high 16 carries for 107 yards. ‘I thought Frank ran the ball well when he had the opportunity,” Singletary said. “It’s a shame we couldn’t have gotten him the ball more last night. That’s kind of the way we were built in thinking this week, running the ball a little bit more this week because they’re a smaller front. When we got behind – which is what they’re built for, coming from behind, rushing the passer, stunting, those kinds of things – they got to do what they do more than we did. That’s kind of the situation there.”

 -The game’s injury report included, kicker Joe Nedney who re-injured a hamstring injury on a kick-off following his 25-yard field goal. Nedney underwent an MRI on Monday, with results to be determined. Singletary said if Nedney can’t play against Detroit, the team would likely bring someone in to handle the kicking duties. Singletary noted that he didn’t think punter Andy Lee could handle duel kicking responsibilities.

-Other than Nedney, rookie running back Glen Coffee had a thigh strain and also underwent an MRI on Monday. Singletary noted that left tackle Joe Staley was feeling fine after his first start in months.

-In other injury news, cornerback Nate Clements is unsure if he’ll return this season. He has been rehabbing diligently to return to the 49ers lineup, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to participate in either of the final two games of the season. He’ll have to undergo one last MRI to make sure his fractured scapula is completely healed. “I’m taking it one day at a time, just doing what the trainers having me doing for rehab. I’m trying to get my shoulder back right,” Clements said. “Right now the range of motion is good, strength-wise; I’m kind of weaker there. I think it comes with time and the healing of the bone.”

-It’s been the longest period of games missed in Clements’ nine-year NFL career. “I missed one game last year, but this is the first time where I’ve been out a consistent period of time. It’s been frustrating not being out there to help the team.”

Sims is Playing ‘Outstanding’ Football

Coach Singletary had a pretty direct answer in responding to a question regarding the play of Barry Sims.

“Outstanding. It’s a pleasant surprise,” the 49ers head coach said of the 11-year veteran who has filled in nicely at left tackle for injured tackle Joe Staley. “I think he’s done a great job. I’m really excited about what he has been able to bring to that position. I think he’s done a phenomenal job.”

Outstanding, check. Great, check. Phenomenal, you can check that too.

Definitely some high praise for Sims, who has given up just a half sack in two starts this season. Sims practically had three starts, considering that Staley was injured on the first play of the game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Sims’ experience (129 starts in 159 games) has been a big plus in helping the 49ers offense the past couple of weeks.

Upon learning that his coach had called Sims’ play ‘outstanding,’ quarterback Alex Smith agreed with his coach’s opinion.

 “I think just that, he stepped right in and hasn’t missed a beat. He has played really well,” Smith said of his fellow University of Utah alum. “That’s hard to do, come in and play left tackle in this league where you are getting matched up every week against big-time pass rushers; the way he’s played has been great. I don’t think twice back there, I trust those guys up front.”

The rest of the 49ers offensive linemen also have a lot of trust in Sims.

“He’s a salty vet, so he knows what it takes to be successful,” said left guard David Baas, the man who lines up directly next to Sims on the line. “That’s what we expected out of him and we’re glad he’s doing well. We trust each other a lot out there, so that’s a good thing.”

Teammates like tight end Delanie Walker said Sims’ experience is exactly what the 49ers offense needed when Staley went down.

“He’s been doing a great job of executing his assignments and he’s been communicating well with the tight ends on certain blocks that we have to accomplish,” Walker said. “He’s been doing a great job. He’s been a leader for us.”

Walker said one of his favorite things about playing with Sims is how the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman enjoys what he’s doing on the field.

“He’s the same guy; he doesn’t change on or off the field. I think that’s what makes him a great person,” Walker said. “He goes out there and does what he has to do. I like to see how he acts, I’ve seen him on the field smiling after a big play and I think when other players see that – it puts a smile on your face.”

Losing a player like Staley might have damaged the mindset of some teams, but the 49ers felt confident in Sims, knowing they had a player who has experienced practically everything a player could experience in the NFL.

“It’s tough replacing Joe, because Joe is a great tackle and a big part of this offense,” Walker said. “But I think Barry stepped in and has done a great job. We know he could do it because he had been doing it for a long time. Nobody doubted him, we knew he was going to step in and take care of the big shoes he had to fill.”

More Tuesday Notes:

-Singletary announced on Tuesday that rookie running back Glen Coffee will return this week after missing the Bears game with a concussion. Defensive tackle Demetric Evans will also return to action against Green Bay after missing the last few weeks with a shoulder injury.

-Other injury news: Takeo Spikes is still day-to-day with a hamstring injury. If unable to play, linebacker Matt Wilhelm will step in as Spikes’ replacement. Only Staley (knee) and cornerback Nate Clements (shoulder) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

-Singletary said that veteran wide receiver Isaac Bruce would return to action this Sunday after missing the Bears game (ankle), but would be behind Josh Morgan, who will start opposite of Michael Crabtree against the Packers. The 49ers head coach was non-committal in naming Bruce as his No. 3 receiver, citing that the coaching staff would have to determine the usage of receivers based on the personnel package.

-Asked if having the weekend off was a good thing for his players, Singletary answered: “I think any time you have an extra day or two for guys to get their legs back underneath them, some of the pounding that they’ve taken, to heal and use it wisely, I think it can do nothing but help us.”

Singletary: ‘This is when I’m at my best’

One day after his team suffered a fourth consecutive loss, the third to an NFC South opponent, 49ers head coach Mike Singletary didn’t abandon his desire to get his team into the playoffs.

“In these moments – this is when I’m at my best,” Singletary said. “I think in these situations, you just have to rise above. You have to put your best foot forward. You have to look at where things are you just have to call it like it is. I can’t get lost in the reality of the four losses. It’s not something that you want. It’s not a place where you want to be. But that’s where it’s at.”

Despite seeing his offense turn the ball over four times on Sunday (three interceptions and a fumble), Singletary was still pleased with how his offense looked at times against Tennessee.

“When I look at the offense for the most part, if you take away the turnovers, we really had a chance to have a nice offensive game, have some excitement and momentum going forward. But it didn’t happen. We did have the turnovers and I just think that’s something that we need to work on.”

Singletary came back to team headquarters Sunday night to watch film and ultimately analyze what went wrong with the turnovers. After his film study, Singletary was satisfied with the play of Alex Smith and that only one of the four turnovers was solely on his starting quarterback.

“I thought Alex did a good job of throwing the football. I thought the first turnover he had; the ball just took an unlucky bounce. That doesn’t happen too often. The last turnover where he threw to Josh [Morgan], there were a couple of things that could have happened [differently]. Josh could have made a better play on the ball coming back to it and I thought the defender got there a little bit early, but we didn’t get that call.

“Other than that, I just think Alex had one play that was really on him. I thought he did a good job.”

Singletary said Smith’s second interception to Titans safety Chris Hope was caused by Smith’s confusion with Tennessee’s coverage on that particular play.

“He thought it was cover-4, and the defensive back [Hope] came off. Alex was trying to get it in on time and the guy made a nice play,” Singletary said of the crucial takeaway.

Also from his film evaluation, Singletary was happy with the strides his offensive line continues to make despite being without the services of two starting tackles.

“Our O-line I thought did a heck of a job. I was very encouraged,” he said.

Singletary also singled out Frank Gore for running hard and the blocking from his receivers downfield.

Asked why Jason Hill replaced Isaac Bruce as the 49ers third wideout in the second half, Singletary said it was because of a sore ankle had been hampering Bruce.

Hill caught four passes for 50 yards with two touchdown catches in his first offensive action all season.

Singletary revealed that he would meet with his entire coaching staff to evaluate the wide receiver position. “We have to figure out the right combination,” Singletary said.

More Monday Notes

-Rookie running back Glen Coffee suffered a concussion on the game’s final kickoff return and has already been ruled out for Thursday night’s primetime home game against the Chicago Bears. (Here is the link to injury reports for both teams).

-With Singletary hosting his former team, there was a lot of questions for him regarding that particular storyline, but Singletary wouldn’t classify this game as any more important than his team’s other 15 regular season games.

“Not in particular,” he said of having any extra emotions for Thursday’s game. “I’m just excited for the game, but no emotions outside of the emotions that I have for any other team.”

-A national reporter, (who doesn’t cover the team on a regular basis) asked Singletary what Vernon Davis is doing to be so successful this season, and got this response from the 49ers head coach: “What he’s doing now is just the investment he made in the offseason. He continues to get better and he’s going to help this team win a lot of football games. He is committed – that’s why he’s a captain. He’s making a difference on the team.”

-As a Hall of Fame linebacker, Singletary has played against some of the best running backs in Pro Football history. After seeing Tennessee’s Chris Johnson up close and in person, the 49ers head coach was thoroughly impressed. “What you saw there was real speed. I don’t think there’s ever been a running back as fast as him.”

-Singletary added that his defense did a “pretty decent job” overall against Johnson, but struggled to contain the perimeter at times as well as get off blocks. “When you see the guy turn the corner and Patrick Willis is running after him – you don’t see that too often. Pat is going to catch the guy, and he did a few times, which is a credit to him. But the guy [Johnson] made some good plays. They locked on to us and we didn’t do a great job of getting off blocks yesterday.”

Singletary Approves of 49ers Character

On Monday, Mike Singletary spoke positively about all three phases of his 49ers ballclub and singled out a handful of players on each unit.

The 49ers head coach also commended the performance of his entire team in a game they were expected to win. Singletary referred to the game as a “character challenge,” citing how the team entered the game as the favorite and responded with a convincing 35-0 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

“I’m very proud of the guys and the way they played,” he said.

Singletary opened his Monday briefing by announcing that starting running back Frank Gore and second-year safety Reggie Smith had been ruled out of this Sunday’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Gore is out with an ankle injury and Smith is out with a groin injury.

In addition, Singletary said outside linebacker Marques Harris suffered a hamstring sprain and linebacker Jeff Ulbrich had a concussion. Two players who suffered minor injuries, free safety Dashon Goldson and outside linebacker Manny Lawson both returned to action later in the game.

When commenting on the play of his offense Singletary said he thought quarterback Shaun Hill did a good job of spreading the ball around and keeping it in the hands of only his receivers.

He also highlighted the performance of his rookie running back.

“I thought [Glen] Coffee ran hard,” Singletary said. “He just has to continue to get into the groove.”

On defense, Singletary was overwhelmed with the hustle displayed by his defense.

“Defensively looking at the film, guys were running to the ball,” he said. “When you talk about relentless – that’s what you see on film.”

One of the players who embodied that relentless style of play will be recognized on the NFL Network’s “Head Coaches Show.”

Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis will be highlighted by former 49ers head coach Steve Marriucci on tonight’s show that will air on the NFL Network at 3:30PM PT.

UPDATED: Monday’s Locker Room Talk

“Patience, perseverance and overall optimism.”

That’s the motto 49ers starting quarterback Shaun Hill has adopted to help him out in tough situations.

“If things aren’t going well, just be patient, they will. Persevere through the tough times and at all times stay optimistic. That’s the way I play. That’s the way I’ve always been,” Hill explained of his mantra.

“That’s my own thing. I’m the new Yogi Berra I guess.”

Hill’s saying has been especially resourceful coming off a heartbreaking 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Despite the last-second defeat, Hill and the rest of the 49ers have done their best to put the game behind them.

“The only thing in my notebook right now says, ‘St. Louis,’” Hill said referring to the new center of his attention. “We turned the page on the last game and now we’re looking forward.”

It’s not like this was the first tough loss in the careers of many of the 49ers. From high school to college to previous NFL games, it’s likely that most of the players have been unsuspectingly beaten at the end of a game.

“Unfortunately, we lost a game like that when I was at Virginia Tech playing against Boston College,” second-year wide receiver Josh Morgan said. “We played them during the season and Matt Ryan threw a bomb to the running back that beat us in the last eight seconds of the game.”

But Morgan and the rest of his teammates didn’t dwell on the defeat.

“We saw them again in the ACC championship and beat them convincingly. That’s the main thing we have to do, do what I did at Virginia Tech. Hopefully we’ll see the Vikings later on and we’ll deal with it later on.”

The 49ers might also have to deal without the services of star running back Frank Gore when they host the St. Louis Rams this Sunday at Candlestick Park. Although the results of his MRI on his ankle have yet to be announced, backup Glen Coffee is ready for whatever opportunity presents itself.

“As a professional you always have to be ready when you’re number is called. That’s just the way I look at it,” Coffee said. “I just have to step in for Frank and I can’t let there be any slide in execution or production.”

Coffee should be a competent replacement for Gore. His teammates believe so, mainly because they have been intrigued with him from the day they first met him.

“I was impressed with him the first day we got together at the rookie minicamp,” Hill said of Coffee.

“As many rookies do when they come in, they try to run like they did in college. They try to outrun everyone to the boundary and turn everything into an 80-yard run. Coach [Singletary] got on Glen after that first session and by that second practice he was hitting the seams and punching it up in there to get four or five yards a carry.”

Hill also complimented tight end Vernon Davis for his breakout game against the Vikings.

“Vernon made some great plays for me,” Hill said. “On top of that they were trying to get under his skin and he didn’t let that happen. I was very proud of Vernon and the way he played. He’s really come a long way. He’s a guy who I feel very comfortable with him out there.”

Along with Davis and Coffee, Hill said he’s pleased with the play of the 49ers defense.

“Our defense has played great all season,” Hill said. “They kept us in that game and they did a wonderful job for us. We kept on the field for too long and that goes back to our third-efficiency. We put them in bad situations throughout the whole game just because we couldn’t convert on third downs. They did a good job in keeping us in the ballgame.”

Hill was asked if the Minnesota loss compared to last season’s defeat on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals, to which he responded:

“Most losses feel about the same to be honest with you. We were able to move past that one and we’ll definitely do the same thing with this one.”

*INJURY UPDATES

The results of MRI on 49ers RB Frank Gore show a right ankle strain and a right hind foot sprain that will sideline him for approximately three weeks.

The results of MRI on T Joe Staley show a right quad contusion and he is listed as day-to-day.

The results of MRI on S Reggie Smith show a right groin strain and he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

No Decision Made on Starting QB

In his conference call with the media on Sunday, head coach Mike Singletary did not name a starting quarterback.  Singletary and the coaching staff will review the film from the game and be very detailed in their evaluation before coming to such a decision.

“I have to look at some more film,” Singletary said. “It takes me a little longer than some other people.”

Alex Smith injured his thumb against the Raiders making a tackle after his pass intended for Josh Morgan was intercepted by linebacker Ricky Brown.  Smith will be evaluated and is day-to-day.  Singletary insisted that the injury will have no impact on which quarterback is ultimately selected to start against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 13.

Other notes from the conference call included:

-  The main thing that jumped out to Singletary after watching the game was the physicality. “The execution of the offensive line was a challenge going into the game. We had to have it in order for our quarterbacks to develop. The running game allowed them to have a bit of a comfort zone.”

- Adam Snyder injured his right knee and ankle in the game.  He will be evaluated before any update is given on his condition.

- Singletary praised the play of both the offensive line and running backs.  “I think it goes hand in hand. If you put a running back behind an offensive line that is not good, he could be the greatest in the world and you’d never know. For a rookie, the more [Glen Coffee] plays the better he’s going to get.”

- Singletary was pleased with the effort of the defense which has forced six interceptions in the first two preseason games.  “It’s nice to see that early on. We certainly would like for that to be a trademark of the defense. The most important thing is do your job, the reason those turnovers happen is because guys are in the right place.”

- Linebacker Scott McKillop, guard Chilo Rachal, safety Reggie Smith and cornerback Carlos Thomas were a few of the young players who stood out to Singletary. “There are a few guys who did a nice job.  Scot McCloughan and his staff have done a great job of bringing in guys who can play, so I take my hat off to him.”

- The 49ers will travel to Dallas next Saturday, a game in which the starters will probably see more playing time.  “For us, the thing I really want to focus on is it’s our first road game and we’re playing a talented football team. I know they’re considered an elite team. We have to continue to take steps and move forward in being the team we want to be.”