Here’s what San Francisco coach Chip Kelly had to say about the matchup with the Falcons:
Q: How are you trying to prepare your team for this game?
A: "It's another opportunity for us to go out and play against a really good football and a chance to try to get back on the winning track. …We just have to find a way to make a play."
Q: Could you discuss Carlos Hyde’s play for you this season?
A: "Carlos got banged up in the middle of the season, but he's come back. He's fully healthy now. He's really excited. He had a heck of game this past week. He's starting to hit his stride. I think he's starting to feel real comfortable in terms of what we are doing offensively. He's put himself in good situations just from how hard he's worked and what he's been asked to do. He's a first, second and third down back. He can do it all. He's been averaging 4.6 yards per carry and we are starting to see the explosive runs out of him."
Q: How has DeForest Buckner played for you this season?
A: "Buckner's play has been outstanding all year long. I think he was second-leading tackler in the NFL of interior defensive linemen. He's got 65 stops as an inside guy. I've known Bucker for awhile. I recruited him and I coached him in college also. He's doing what I expected him to do. He's a tremendous player who's got a huge upside."
Q: How’s the Trent Brown vs. Vic Beasley matchup?
A: "It will be an interesting matchup. Trent is a big human being. He's 6-8, 365 pounds. Obviously, you have one of the top speed rushers in the NFL in Beasley. Just look at last week's game against the Rams and how explosive and disruptive that Beasley can be. It's certainly a matchup that we have to be aware of."
Q: How’s Colin (Kaepernick) playing for you all? Did his protests effect the team in any kind of way?
A: "Colin has handled that very well with our team. He addressed it with our team immediately after the (exhibition) season game. We had a team meeting and he talked to the players about his feelings and why he was doing what he was doing. Our players understand it. It was never an issue for us."
Q: How’s his play been?
A: "I think Colin has gotten better each week with us. The more comfortable he gets in our system, the more comfortable we are around him and knowing what he does well. We are trying to play to his strengths. We've been pleased with Colin."
Q: What impresses you most about the Falcons offense?
A: "Just the diversity. They can do it all where some teams relay on one phase. This team and Kyle (Shanahan) does such a good job with Matt (Ryan) directing it. They can hurt you running the football with both (Devonta) Freeman and (Tevin) Coleman, two outstanding backs. They have a really good scheme in the run game and then all of the play-action passes off of it really plays into what Matt is really good at. Then you have a quarterback, who's thrown for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. They arguably have the best receiver in the game in Julio (Jones). The other starters Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel have really done a nice job because they give Matt different options…you can't gang-up on just one phase because they can hurt you in multiple ways."
Q: How do you try to slow down a speedy receiver like Gabriel?
A: "You have to try to get a good jam at the line of scrimmage. Our defensive staff was in Cleveland with him, so they know him and really speak very highly of him. He was a tough matchup problem for them. They had to face him in practice and new what type of player he was. He's obviously electric in terms of his ability to make people miss in short areas. He can go from zero to top speed very quickly. You always need to have help over the top, but you also need a guy in his face to disrupt the timing of his routes."
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