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00:00Let's let's bring Ron Rivera into this conversation River Islands guest line. The coach is joining us who apparently I
00:07Bet had a great weekend. You were out at game day, huh coach?
00:11Yeah, I was man. That was something else to be there
00:14I'll tell you what those guys do a heck of a job getting everybody all fired up or ready to roll and
00:19Having that at Cal where you obviously played some time ago that had to be pretty special for you to see
00:25The crowd the Berkeley kids the students and everybody rallied behind college football at Cal
00:31Well, you know what?
00:33To me was just indicative of the sports fan and the fact that it gets lost on
00:38On who they really are at the university just because you know
00:41Some of those students are so serious about their academics
00:44But what it does show you that they they do want good football and they do want to come out and support
00:49It's just a matter of having a reason to get out there and hey, we saw a pretty good one on Saturday
00:54They had an opportunity to win a football game
00:55I love a game hell of an experience all the way around Ron Rivera joining us on weathered in dibs
01:01All right, Ron, you're doing the game tomorrow night
01:03I think we'd love to start by just kind of getting your initial thoughts on
01:08These two teams and what you've seen so far this year
01:12well, you know, it's kind of interesting because
01:15Seattle started strong and there are three and I lost two in a row and
01:18What's been interesting is I've been trying to find a connection or the reason as to why?
01:22And one of the big things you see is is right now
01:25It's the inconsistency of what they're doing on defense more than anything else
01:28You do see some things that are on the offensive side that are really kind of showing as well
01:33The running game has been good, but but in terms of total yards
01:37But what's missed a little bit of a misnomer is in the last couple of weeks
01:41Most of their running or good piece of their running is coming from the quarterback as he's scrambling it around
01:46So there's a little disconnect right now as far as their offense is concerned
01:50And so because of that they've lost to to me the 49ers still don't know their identity a big piece of who they are
01:56Is missing and that's Christian McCaffrey. I
02:00Get it, you know his replacement rush over 500 yards so far, but what's crazy about that though?
02:06Is look at where they are on in the red zone. They were number one last year in the red zone a day
02:11I believe they're their 30th red zone this year as far as scoring touchdowns are concerned
02:16So there's a little bit of something there and I think a big part of is you miss the diversity of who?
02:21Christian McCaffrey is the ability to run the ball and come out of the backfield as a pass-catching threat
02:26So when you lose Christian McCaffrey, how do you maintain your identity when you mentioned it coach? He's a pass catcher
02:33He's a ball carrier Jordan Mason's not quite the same
02:36Do you change your identity or do you try to make your identity still work with the personnel that you have?
02:42Well, I think they try to make it work with the personnel they have, you know, they're just gonna have to shuffle in
02:48Back with better set of hands to come on out. I mean when Jordan's done has been fabulous
02:53It really has it's been spectacular
02:54But again that dual threat when you have one guy out there you can hide and disguise things a little bit better
03:01And that's what I think it's missing a little bit on that offensive side of the ball plus a little continuity with the wide receivers
03:06You know once they all get settled in I think you're gonna be back
03:09I think Brock Purdy's playing solid football for them right now and you'd like that
03:13You know have everybody in sync on the same page
03:15And I think now you're gonna start to me these next four weeks for the entire league not just you know
03:21The the 49ers and the Seahawks, but this is gonna really tell you a lot as to who the contenders really are
03:26Who are the pretenders? Okay, interesting stuff Ron Rivera joining us here on Willard and Dibbs like coach
03:31I wonder if you had this experience ever with any of one of your teams, which is hey, we're moving the ball
03:37But then we get to the 15 or the 10-yard line and everything stalls
03:41What what does that tell you about a team when that's the case?
03:45Well, it does tell you that a piece of what you you have is missing
03:49I mean, you know that when when Krista McCaffrey is part of what you're doing offensively and you put him back there
03:54The defenses don't know, you know, they can't just clue in on just him and say okay when he's in it's run when he's in
04:03It's past you know, I'm saying I mean there's always a dual threat
04:06So because of that you can't call your defenses accordingly now all of a sudden you start bringing guys in
04:12So this is a pass catcher. Oh, this is the runner
04:15So now you can kind of zero in a little bit and I know Kyle doing everything you can to mix it up and give
04:20Different looks but when you have the guy that's used to doing it the guy that knows how to do it
04:25And Christian that's a big loss for them right now
04:28Is that really Kyle Shanahan's biggest advantage is his use of not only personnel where you have, you know
04:35Two running backs two tight ends, whatever you can have use check a pass catcher Debo running back
04:40Is that what Kyle does better by personnel and by scheme than anyone else? I think it's one of the best things he does
04:46I'm not gonna say better because you look at some of the things that you know
04:49That they do in LA with the Rams they do in
04:53And in Miami with the Dolphins will in their struggle a bit but guys that can come in and have those different
04:59Personalities out there those different skill sets that makes it tough for the defense is the clue in on it really does
05:05That's what Kyle has done. So while the last several years and why he's had so much success
05:10He knows how to use his guys and get the most out of them
05:14Ron I got two Christian McCaffrey questions for you because you coached him right out of the gate in his career
05:19All right. So so first
05:21Have you talked to him this year? I
05:24Haven't had the opportunity to shop it up beyond it. I've been so busy
05:27It's one of those things you like to see man
05:29I don't have the time to do things I want to do when I was coaching
05:31Now listen, I'm working in the media and I don't have the time to do the things I want to do
05:36Time right? I mean, right. Yeah, so Ron Rivera who's calling the game tomorrow night?
05:42My next question was
05:44Based on what's happened in his career
05:47Christian is one of those players that at times gets the injury-prone label when he was with you
05:52We never missed a game and we know his attitude
05:55But is that fair? What's your perspective?
05:58Well, the thing about first more thing else is he gives you everything he got he puts it all on the line and and we
06:03Had to try to slow him down now
06:04I was you know
06:05I was very fortunate to have but I was only there three years three seasons with them and
06:09We used to have to take them off the practice film
06:12And it wouldn't be surprised me if you know
06:14It's a little bit of wear and tear showing right now
06:16But to be quite honest this break right now might be one of the best things going on for him
06:20And if it's you know, hopefully in the next couple weeks, he's back out there
06:24I think you guys will see a rejuvenating guy that's gonna come out and
06:28Really be a lot more fresh than everybody else at the right time for the 49ers
06:33We've talked a lot about the idea of a Super Bowl hangover, and I know they didn't win the Super Bowl
06:38But they played 20 games last year. They went deep in the season
06:41How challenging is it for a team to go to the final game and then bounce back again and and try to ramp it up?
06:47again
06:47It's very challenging. Very very challenging because personally I understand there's an emotional
06:54Portion of it that nobody understands. Okay, and then they've done this and it's happened mostly to the NFC teams
07:01Okay, it happened outside in Carolina in 2015. We get to the Super Bowl we lose and so we lose the Super Bowl
07:08you gotta live with that all the way up until until the
07:12end of end of May beginning of June and then the new schedule comes out and then we
07:18Became the first team in like 25 years to have to play the opening game against your Super Bowl opponent
07:24So for the next five months or four months, whatever it is, we lived it every day
07:29Well, you know you're opening up with Denver
07:30It's a revenge game revenge game and what you have to be careful is you put so much energy into
07:36Winning that first game into starting fast
07:38That all of a sudden you lose which we lost by a missed kick on the odds at the end of the game at the clock
07:44Kick down we missed it wide, right and we had to live with that as well
07:49So there's a big emotional drain on the players to begin with you not just physical but there's emotional
07:55It does get a little bit into your psyche when stuff like that happens Ron. It's week six
07:59We've already seen a coach get fired in the league
08:02Kyle Shanahan goes to the NFC title game every year
08:06But you know the heat is on him every week, especially after a loss when things don't go, right?
08:12What what is your thought on?
08:14the way
08:16Pressure comes at head coaches these days and is it worse than it used to be?
08:21Oh, it's worse is definitely worse
08:23Not just on the coaches on the players as well
08:26And there's a thing called social media that really does drive a lot of it
08:29A lot of that's unfair because people that start things and say things are people that aren't in the know that don't understand that
08:35I've never been in those shoes or really don't have any connection
08:39But they just throw stuff up against the wall and it sticks and it does and it's very unfair
08:45I mean the one Kyle Shanahan Shanahan has done and his tenure so far in San Francisco
08:50There's probably 24 teams or 22 teams that would die to have a guy like him running their organization right now
08:56So so, you know people ask us. Hey, everybody just calmed down give him an opportunity
09:01Things change and and and happen in the next four to five weeks
09:05That first week is really just kind of finding out who you are
09:09There hasn't been a lot of great football play in those first few weeks. You're just starting to see it
09:13I think last couple weeks you started to see things start coming to their own, you know
09:17And and it's it's interesting because you know, you look at the commanders in the way they started
09:23Jane Daniels that quarterback started hot from the beginning and has been able to sustain it
09:27Hey, the Williams his first couple of games weren't very impressive
09:30But now you're starting to see him come to life and this is happening throughout the league for every other team
09:35It's just starting to happen
09:37The teams were just starting to gel and those that are contenders are gonna start stepping up and you're gonna see it
09:43These next few weeks are they gonna be telltales as to exactly who teams are gonna be
09:47Then if the cream really rises than this team the Niners heading into the by should be one that does rise
09:53I'm thinking about who hit the ground running and I can't help but think about Kurt not Kurt Warner
09:58But Fred Warner of the 49ers and you had Luke Keighley on your team
10:03How would you compare these two as elite linebackers?
10:06That's exactly they're really linebackers. They lead their team. They're the air traffic controllers on what goes on in defense
10:11I mean, they're directing people there. They're making calls are making checks
10:15You know, they're setting the tone and tempo when it comes to practices and meetings, you know
10:19When you practice and play the way those guys do the other players around them, they raise their standards
10:25They raise who they are because of guys like that. That's what I see from Fred. I see a guy that's a
10:30High action high impact type guy that other players feed off of and and and it's you know
10:36You're very fortunate. We got a guy like that
10:38You know leading your defense. All right, so Ron Rivera who again is calling the game tomorrow night
10:43I mean based on the the comments you're making about how things are just starting to come together and become evident
10:50How do you sort of see the matchup at this time?
10:55Well, you know, it's gonna be a real issue matchup because again if you go back to the last season
11:00San Francisco Baltimore and you look at what Mike McDaniels did
11:05Defensively and how he attacked the 49ers offense, you know
11:09I think this is the intrigue is going to be real interesting because you know
11:13This is what the big matchup is to me as far as I'm concerned
11:16I know it's both teams are playing each other, but I think it's two really good young minds
11:20You know Kyle Shannon on the offensive side Mike McDaniel on the defensive side asked that who's gonna win
11:25I'll tell you what the players will settle this game for us short week
11:29What do you do as a head coach between licking your wounds after a disappointing Sunday loss and getting ready for a Thursday road game?
11:36Well, the big plus is both teams are licking their wounds
11:39So again that that right now should be a moot point because both teams have gone through it the hard part of you they
11:45Had to travel today probably traveled sometime later in the afternoon. So then you have a good walk through but I
11:51Was reading some of Kyle's comments. It sounds like they're just keeping things simple
11:55They're probably using a portion of what they had installed last week and carried it over to this week
12:00I think that they did well in the game
12:02They're probably gonna want to use again as well and then every now and then he's probably had two or three wrinkles
12:07But I promise you this this past offseason
12:10Kyle Shannon and his offensive coaches got together and said well Mike McDonald's now in our division
12:16We need to prepare for this, you know for what he does defensively
12:19I promise you they prepared for it
12:21And then when they found out when they're that they were playing on a Thursday night
12:24It was gonna be a short schedule a short week
12:26They probably worked on during training camp some shorter version of what they want to use going in against these guys
12:32Coach earlier in the conversation
12:34you made a reference to a couple of the 49er players kind of needing to ramp up at the beginning of the year and I
12:40Assume you're referencing guys like Brandon. I you can Trent Williams who missed the most if not all of camp
12:47What what's what's the thought there from a coaching perspective?
12:52Because the Niners now two years in a row have had some major names
12:56Miss camp and so there's a lot of curiosity about the process of contract negotiations
13:02How damaging is that when a player misses camp?
13:05It is damaging. It's tough. It's tough for those guys to get back in the sink now
13:09You can tell me and again, you know knowing who both those guys are
13:13I promise you they're in phenomenal shape, but there is a thing called football shape and that makes the difference
13:19it really does and
13:21Because you know while you're lifting weights, you're not being pulled pulled and pushed and torqued and turned and twisted
13:27You know, that's what happens on the football field. Things are completely different
13:31You know as far as that's concerned as far as we're catching the ball, you know
13:35The route running and the timing is so important between you and the quarterback between you and the other receivers
13:41But a lot of the routes that they run are complementary to other receivers
13:45And again, if you're running a high low and you're the low portion
13:48You don't want to be so far ahead of the guy running the dig behind you
13:50That the safety can pass you off and get right back into the throwing lane
13:54So there's all these little things that they've got to be able to work back in and that is one of the things that worries
14:00You know, I mean again guys that you know, they deserve to get paid. I believe me Trent Williams
14:06I think is the best tackle in the league, especially for what Kyle Shanahan does and is very important
14:12Brandon I knew is a threat and a guy that needs to be on the field and again once those guys have really kind of
14:18Come together. I think they're there. I really do
14:20I think this is the time that we should really start to see them play well
14:23And hopefully it comes out tomorrow night for 49er fans. I'm wondering how much you've delved into
14:29Seattle and what they did last week where Kenneth Walker who's been such an effective running back got just five carries on the day
14:36What do you think was the Seattle thought in a game against New York where they only gave their bell cow five carries?
14:44That was surprising me. I was a little bit surprised as far as that was concerned and
14:49And I talked about you know, the big thing that's changed is in the first three games. They were running the ball
14:54I mean, they really ran the ball well in the last two games
14:59The quarterback has been one of their primary ball carriers in terms of yards gained running the ball
15:04And that's a little bit of out of character for who they who they want to be especially with the way they started
15:10Coach next week. We we are blessed with the opportunity of getting to do a show
15:15From John Madden's studio here in the Bay Area. Yeah, do you have a favorite Madden story from through the years?
15:23You know, I was very fortunate
15:27Yeah, I got a great story so it was it was after my second year as a head coach in the league
15:32You know each of my first year we were five eleven
15:34My second year we were seven and nine and we were progressing and we finished very strong about my second year
15:40So each year I would sit down with the owner go through the season
15:42It just happened and then talked about what we wanted to do go forward and how we wanted to get better
15:47And as I finished the conversation, I said to myself, you know, one of the things that I need to do is I
15:52Need to find somebody I can communicate with and talk with I mean, you know
15:55I was 3 and 13 a game just guided by one score or less and that's how close we were to being a better team
16:01But I needed to know how to get myself over the hump to help get the team over the hump
16:06Well, I was talking with Jerry Richardson the former owner of the Panthers and he looked at me says Ron
16:11You know John Madden once you reach out for give him a call. He'd be a great mentor for you
16:16I said really you think so said absolutely. In fact, he had his number. He was ready for this conversation
16:21He pulled his number out and gave it to me says give coach a call
16:24So I called coach Madden right after I got done with this meeting
16:27I went in my office called him and I talked for about five minutes and I said coach
16:31I'd love to be able to come out and see you speak with you
16:33Just talk football and you know, if you could help mentor me, I'd love to do it
16:37Hey, I hear you're seven or you're three and 13 the games decided by score or less
16:41He said once you go back look at those games and see what you could have done different
16:45Well, yeah, he told me that so shoot. I went to work. I pulled those 13 games
16:48I lost we had lost and I started looking at him. I started breaking them down. I wrote this 20-page report
16:54There's a magnet report about all about time management and and choosing whether the punter kick or or or go for it
17:01All these kind of things and so I get to his office
17:05The following week and we sit down we start talking and as we're BS a little bit
17:09You know just talking ball and stuff and finally I said, hey, I got that report
17:13You want to be doing look because what do you want to report? I said the one on on on
17:18You know on on on
17:20Me being 3 and 13 on game decided by us to score less
17:24Then look at me goes that wasn't for me. That was for you. What'd you get? What'd you learn from it?
17:28Well, I said why?
17:30You know, I punted here and I kick here and you know, it's kind of going by the book. Hey, look at me
17:35He said Rob what book actually come up what book there is no book
17:39I said, well, you know, I punted when you should have punted I kicked me
17:42She's around there is no book
17:44You know enough football that these are the things that you should consider doing going for it on fourth down
17:49Making the big plays happening. It's okay to blitz in certain situations and take your best shot instead of sitting back stuff like that
17:56But you know it better and what happened was it made me really realize that what I was doing was the safe thing
18:02it's what everybody expected you to do and
18:06That's when I started going and thinking about fourth down situations
18:09And so the next year opens up and in our first game at home against the Giants we went for it twice and
18:17And and on the first drive we went for it on fourth down twice
18:20in fact, the last was fourth of one and we score and
18:24As as the office is coming off the field cam Newton looks at me says coach. Thanks for believing in us
18:29And I'm telling you it's like the nest when everything turned around
18:32we went three and third and we went 13 and three that year and
18:35Won the division for like the first time in eight or nine years and a big part of it was having you know
18:40John Madden sit there and mentor me and talk to me and show me how to do them
18:45So are you telling us that that basically John Madden is behind why you're called Riverboat Ron?
18:52Yeah, that's exactly it. That's exactly because what happened was, you know, I did it again in another game gets, Minnesota
18:58I went for it twice on fourth down in the first drive
19:01In fact, it was fourth and three the last time I from the goal, you know goal to go and we ran a shovel pass
19:07And it's Michael Tolbert and he caught it and ran it in for a touchdown and we win that game and they have some some fans
19:13So, uh, what'd you think of Ron Rivera going for it on fourth down and this one guy says, well, I'll tell you what
19:19Oh coach Rivera man. He was out there like a riverboat gambler that Riverboat Ron and that's how it started. That's so great
19:24It is fantastic at a time with John man
19:27Well, we are really looking forward to being out there next Wednesday
19:31And I really appreciate that story because it encapsulates exactly John Madden his influence on many people in football
19:38Oh without a doubt without that and one of the really great things is when you win a game
19:43By playing hard physical football and he calls you and says hey Ron that was quality football man
19:49That just like that lit me up. That was one of the best phone calls I've ever received. Whoo. Good stuff
19:53Hey Ron, have a great call tomorrow night and thank you so much
19:57Alright guys. Appreciate you. Thank you. Okay. Thank you