December 11, 2024 • 12 mins
49ers Insider Jesús Zárate joins 1st & 10 to discuss team mindset, keys to success, matchups to watch and the latest injury updates ahead of the Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers "Thursday Night Football" contest.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hello, and welcome to the forty nine Ers First and
ten Podcast, presented by Cisco. Ten minutes of the most
up to date forty nine Ers news First Thing in
the morning. I'm your host, Brionna McDonald and joining me
today is forty nine Ers team reporter Lindsay Palaraz and
special guest Jizusada from our forty nine Ers in Espanyol channels. Jazeus,
(00:34):
thanks for joining the pot again.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure such shouting
with you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Definitely, we're getting ready for Round two against the Rams
tomorrow on Thursday Night Football. Lindsay, we heard from head
coach Kyle Shanahan yesterday and he made it clear that
this is a high stakes game. What has been the
team's mindset heading into this critical Week fifteen game, you know,
late in this trying to carve their own way into
(01:02):
the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, for the forty nine Ers, I know that we
are entering this Week fifteen matchup, but it is very
much playoff mode for the Niners right now. And we
all know it was a slow start to the year.
They got a big win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
That was a really big momentum boost. But now it's
got to keep rolling down the stretch. Had goch Kyle
(01:25):
Shanahan said that every week since Buffalo they've considered a
playoff game. So this coming Thursday, which is like twenty
four hours, yeah, it's a playoff game. This is a
must win for the forty nine ers. Currently they have
just one NFC West wind to their name. They have
an opportunity to get two more wins, and that's going
to be absolutely necessary to get a win against the
(01:48):
Rams and then also in Week eighteen against the Arizona
Cardinals if they want to make a case for themselves
for the postseason. Obviously, what many more things have to
fall into place, But the first next piece of the
puzzle involved this Thursday night game against the Rams, who
are on a bit of a hot streak since their
Week six by so again high stakes, and I know
(02:10):
the forty nine ers are certainly treating it that way
and they're welcoming the pressure that comes with a very
very big matchup that's coming in prime time.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Given that the forty nine ers will control their destiny
if they went out zews. What have coach Shanahan and
leaders on the team emphasized this week as far as
maintaining focus and confidence.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, they basically talk about playing with desperation, like for example,
that was the topic this week because remember they said
they had this damodar Leanois and also brock perty speak
to the team before the game against Chicago on Saturday,
So they were talking about that playing desperately and they
(02:55):
made a lot of emphasis on that because obviously there's
no more margin for error with this, especially with this
division divisional game against the Rams. So that was basically
the emphasis, and obviously correcting the mistakes like for example
against Green Bay on Buffalo, and I think they really
(03:15):
did a good job against Chicago that they were able
to stop their run. And I think everything starts basically
with direct correcting those mistakes and don't don't shoot yourself
in the foot, And they did against Chicago and we
saw the result. They got a big win.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Something definitely clicked last week against the Bears with that
successful outing, and we've got people up for awards from
that win. Lindsay, can you tell us a little bit
about some players that are highlighted after that Week fourteen win.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, So let's start with the award that has been secured.
Defensive lineman you Tour gross Matos was named the NFC
Defensive Player of the Week per Week fourteen. He had
four tackles in three sacks in that thirty eight to
thirteen victory on Sunday, and he was part of a
larger effort by the forty nine ers defense or defensive
(04:06):
line I should say, seven total sacks, so a huge,
huge outing for the guys in the trenches. So again,
congratulations to you Tour Gross Matos. He was someone that
came to the forty nine ers via free agency in
the offseason from the Carolina Panthers. He's in his fifth
season in the league, but first with the Niners. I mean,
(04:27):
he was battling a knee injury for part of the year,
like a four week stretch in that mid section, but
has battled back. He's been an important role player for
the forty nine ers, So a huge, huge effort by him.
And then we've got George Kittle, who was nominated for
the FedEx Aaron Ground Player of the Week. He had
six catches for one hundred and fifty one yards in
(04:48):
that Chicago game. And then also Isaac Grendo has been
nominated for PEPSI zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. That
is a very long title. His first career start, had
two touchdowns and led the forty nine ers ground game
in Week fourteen, which has been really important, especially with
the injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason that landed
them both on injured reserve. So we'll find out on
(05:12):
George and also Isaac Grendo later in the week, I
believe today and tomorrow got to double check that, but yeah,
huge congratulations. Obviously, big performances from a lot of people
in that Week fourteen game, and you can always tell
by the amount of awards that the forty nine ers
are nominated for.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, let's keep that momentum pushing into Thursday night football.
But lindsay, how about you take us back to Week
three in our first meeting with the Rams this season.
What went wrong in that game and what do the
forty nine ers need to fix up for this week?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, you know, I think that Week three game looks
a lot different, and it's it's very much in the
rear view mirror, but it is one of the one
of the losses of this season that the forty nine
Ers have called back to often. They had the fourth
quarter lead and then the Rams went on to put
up I believe thirteen unanswered points in the last seven
(06:05):
or so minutes of the game, and it's one of
the ones that you know, head coach Kyle Shanahan has
says this team should have won. The Rams team that
we'll see this Thursday night does look significantly different because
that week three meeting did not include Pukanakua or Cooper Cup,
who are the rams best receivers. So this is going
(06:26):
to be an entirely different matchup. And as we know,
the forty nine ers have suffered a few injuries since then,
so I think the team that's also going to be
taking for the Niners this time around looks a lot different.
I think if the forty nine ers are able to
carry the momentum that defensive dominance that they had on Sunday,
that will yield different results. Also for the forty nine
(06:47):
ers offense, just getting off to that fast start has
been so huge. I feel like we felt this big
burst of energy on Sunday after that opening drive touchdown
by Juwan Jennings that I would say the atmosphere and
Levis was electric after that, and you just felt this
confidence in the team that's been missing for a few weeks.
(07:08):
So I think that's gonna be really the key coming
up on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, given the fact that head coach Kashanahan mentioned that
the forty nine Ers should have won that game, what
adjustments do you expect the forty nine ers to make,
particularly in addressing that late game collapse in the week since.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, I think it's going to be very important to
just finish those long drives because overall, if you take
a look at the season, the forty nine ers have
been pretty good at having long drives. Most of the
times they controlled the clock, but we saw in those
losses that they only ended up with field goals or
sometimes once they were on the opponent territory they got
(07:50):
flags that they didn't even give them a chance to
kick a field goal. And I put as an example
the game against the Bears, because the game against the Purse,
most of the drives ended with touchdowns. And I think
that that should help the forty nine ers because I
remember that day when they lost to the Rams. Kyle
Shanahan mentioned something really interesting, a really good quote. He said,
(08:13):
taking all the hope away from the from the opponent,
and when you have those long drives, you really need
to end with a touchdown. So you take away that
that hope and control the clock. I think. I think
that's gonna be key. And obviously on deference that they
struggled a little bit after halftime when their opponent made
some adjustments, So if they're able to make also the
(08:36):
corresponding adjustments to it, I think they should be they
should be fine and give themselves a really good good chance.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
All Right, a few needs to the game, finishing their drives,
controlling the clock. Lindsay, what is a certain matchup you're
looking to watch in this game?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, I touched on it in our earlier question, but
I think just making sure that your top two receivers
from the ram Puka Nakula and Cooper Cup, you're able
to at least limit their production. Again, both of these
guys are big time playmakers for LA, so it's really
hard to shut them down completely. But you definitely want
(09:13):
the forty nine ers secondary, the cornerback specifically obviously to
play some lockdown defense. You know, this is an entirely
different RAMS team when you add those two players in
so I think, yeah, the onus is going to be
on the forty nine ers to the forty nine ers
defense to make sure that Matt Stafford isn't able to
connect with his best two guys. And I do think
(09:34):
that is the difference in this game. If you're talking
in terms of.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Matchups, yeah, is what's your key matchup heading into Thursday
night football?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think they have to stop Karen Williams and stuff.
Basically overall the Rams running game. That's huge. They did
that against Chicago and we saw all this who says
that the team had and we saw also what happened
when they didn't do it against Green Bay and in Buffalo.
I know exactlyche but basically everything starts with stopping the
(10:07):
opponent's running game. That way, you also force the Rams
to pass the ball, and obviously they're very dangerous, like
Lindsay said, they have Pukak and Cooper Cup. But it
gives you a chance also to create some pressure on
Matthew Stuff or because Matthew Stuff or as a really
good quarterback, but just with the majority, like with the
(10:28):
majority of quarterbacks, when you create pressure, when you have
defenders on their face, you can make them make some
big mistakes, so I think that that's key to stop
the running in this game.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
All right, Well, before we close out today's episode, lindsay
any injuries we should track heading into this primetime game.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
You know this is a short turnaround week, so the
forty nine ers are definitely not doing their normal full
speed practices in the same way I think, you know,
a lot of theies are going to be carrying over.
I'm just talking specifically about Nick Bosa and left tackle
Trent Williams. Neither of them participated. They didn't practice on Monday,
(11:11):
but there is kind of an anticipated practice report for
that day. They haven't practiced the last two days and
if the forty nine ers had practice, they would not
have been out there, so it's not looking great for them.
Someone else to track is running back Isaac Garrendo. He's
been passing the tourch to lead the forty nine ers
ground game. Again, do not participate on both Monday and Tuesday.
(11:33):
We did hear from head coach Kyle Shanahan that if
he can't go in time for Thursday, it is going
to be Patrick Taylor Junior getting the start at running back.
So that's something to look out for obviously Drake Greenlaw
as well. He is in the final week of his
twenty one day practice window. Started the year on the
physically unable to perform list, so the forty nine Ers
(11:54):
are going to have to make a decision on whether
or not to activate him to the fifty three man roster,
so definitely someone to keep an eye out on. Good
news is that left guard Aaron Banks has cleared concussion protocol.
He's been a full participant or would have been the
last two days, so I think obviously that bodes well
for the forty nine Ers offensive line.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
All right, well, keep an eye on that today, but
it's shaping up to be an exciting Thursday night at
Levi Stadium. Thank you, Lindsy and Jesus for joining me today.
Don't forget to tune into the Rams versus Niners game
on Prime Video at five point fifteen pm Pacific time.
Subscribe to First Intense presented by Cisco for all your
(12:33):
forty nine Ers updates and turn on notifications for breaking news.
Thanks for tuning in.
Hello, and welcome to the forty nine Ers First and
ten Podcast, presented by Cisco. Ten minutes of the most
up to date forty nine Ers news First Thing in
the morning. I'm your host, Brionna McDonald and joining me
today is forty nine Ers team reporter Lindsay Palaraz and
special guest Jizusada from our forty nine Ers in Espanyol channels. Jazeus,
(00:34):
thanks for joining the pot again.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure such shouting
with you guys.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Definitely, we're getting ready for Round two against the Rams
tomorrow on Thursday Night Football. Lindsay, we heard from head
coach Kyle Shanahan yesterday and he made it clear that
this is a high stakes game. What has been the
team's mindset heading into this critical Week fifteen game, you know,
late in this trying to carve their own way into
(01:02):
the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Yeah, for the forty nine Ers, I know that we
are entering this Week fifteen matchup, but it is very
much playoff mode for the Niners right now. And we
all know it was a slow start to the year.
They got a big win on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
That was a really big momentum boost. But now it's
got to keep rolling down the stretch. Had goch Kyle
(01:25):
Shanahan said that every week since Buffalo they've considered a
playoff game. So this coming Thursday, which is like twenty
four hours, yeah, it's a playoff game. This is a
must win for the forty nine ers. Currently they have
just one NFC West wind to their name. They have
an opportunity to get two more wins, and that's going
to be absolutely necessary to get a win against the
(01:48):
Rams and then also in Week eighteen against the Arizona
Cardinals if they want to make a case for themselves
for the postseason. Obviously, what many more things have to
fall into place, But the first next piece of the
puzzle involved this Thursday night game against the Rams, who
are on a bit of a hot streak since their
Week six by so again high stakes, and I know
(02:10):
the forty nine ers are certainly treating it that way
and they're welcoming the pressure that comes with a very
very big matchup that's coming in prime time.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Given that the forty nine ers will control their destiny
if they went out zews. What have coach Shanahan and
leaders on the team emphasized this week as far as
maintaining focus and confidence.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, they basically talk about playing with desperation, like for example,
that was the topic this week because remember they said
they had this damodar Leanois and also brock perty speak
to the team before the game against Chicago on Saturday,
So they were talking about that playing desperately and they
(02:55):
made a lot of emphasis on that because obviously there's
no more margin for error with this, especially with this
division divisional game against the Rams. So that was basically
the emphasis, and obviously correcting the mistakes like for example
against Green Bay on Buffalo, and I think they really
(03:15):
did a good job against Chicago that they were able
to stop their run. And I think everything starts basically
with direct correcting those mistakes and don't don't shoot yourself
in the foot, And they did against Chicago and we
saw the result. They got a big win.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Something definitely clicked last week against the Bears with that
successful outing, and we've got people up for awards from
that win. Lindsay, can you tell us a little bit
about some players that are highlighted after that Week fourteen win.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yeah, So let's start with the award that has been secured.
Defensive lineman you Tour gross Matos was named the NFC
Defensive Player of the Week per Week fourteen. He had
four tackles in three sacks in that thirty eight to
thirteen victory on Sunday, and he was part of a
larger effort by the forty nine ers defense or defensive
(04:06):
line I should say, seven total sacks, so a huge,
huge outing for the guys in the trenches. So again,
congratulations to you Tour Gross Matos. He was someone that
came to the forty nine ers via free agency in
the offseason from the Carolina Panthers. He's in his fifth
season in the league, but first with the Niners. I mean,
(04:27):
he was battling a knee injury for part of the year,
like a four week stretch in that mid section, but
has battled back. He's been an important role player for
the forty nine ers, So a huge, huge effort by him.
And then we've got George Kittle, who was nominated for
the FedEx Aaron Ground Player of the Week. He had
six catches for one hundred and fifty one yards in
(04:48):
that Chicago game. And then also Isaac Grendo has been
nominated for PEPSI zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. That
is a very long title. His first career start, had
two touchdowns and led the forty nine ers ground game
in Week fourteen, which has been really important, especially with
the injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason that landed
them both on injured reserve. So we'll find out on
(05:12):
George and also Isaac Grendo later in the week, I
believe today and tomorrow got to double check that, but yeah,
huge congratulations. Obviously, big performances from a lot of people
in that Week fourteen game, and you can always tell
by the amount of awards that the forty nine ers
are nominated for.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, let's keep that momentum pushing into Thursday night football.
But lindsay, how about you take us back to Week
three in our first meeting with the Rams this season.
What went wrong in that game and what do the
forty nine ers need to fix up for this week?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, you know, I think that Week three game looks
a lot different, and it's it's very much in the
rear view mirror, but it is one of the one
of the losses of this season that the forty nine
Ers have called back to often. They had the fourth
quarter lead and then the Rams went on to put
up I believe thirteen unanswered points in the last seven
(06:05):
or so minutes of the game, and it's one of
the ones that you know, head coach Kyle Shanahan has
says this team should have won. The Rams team that
we'll see this Thursday night does look significantly different because
that week three meeting did not include Pukanakua or Cooper Cup,
who are the rams best receivers. So this is going
(06:26):
to be an entirely different matchup. And as we know,
the forty nine ers have suffered a few injuries since then,
so I think the team that's also going to be
taking for the Niners this time around looks a lot different.
I think if the forty nine ers are able to
carry the momentum that defensive dominance that they had on Sunday,
that will yield different results. Also for the forty nine
(06:47):
ers offense, just getting off to that fast start has
been so huge. I feel like we felt this big
burst of energy on Sunday after that opening drive touchdown
by Juwan Jennings that I would say the atmosphere and
Levis was electric after that, and you just felt this
confidence in the team that's been missing for a few weeks.
(07:08):
So I think that's gonna be really the key coming
up on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Yeah, given the fact that head coach Kashanahan mentioned that
the forty nine Ers should have won that game, what
adjustments do you expect the forty nine ers to make,
particularly in addressing that late game collapse in the week since.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, I think it's going to be very important to
just finish those long drives because overall, if you take
a look at the season, the forty nine ers have
been pretty good at having long drives. Most of the
times they controlled the clock, but we saw in those
losses that they only ended up with field goals or
sometimes once they were on the opponent territory they got
(07:50):
flags that they didn't even give them a chance to
kick a field goal. And I put as an example
the game against the Bears, because the game against the Purse,
most of the drives ended with touchdowns. And I think
that that should help the forty nine ers because I
remember that day when they lost to the Rams. Kyle
Shanahan mentioned something really interesting, a really good quote. He said,
(08:13):
taking all the hope away from the from the opponent,
and when you have those long drives, you really need
to end with a touchdown. So you take away that
that hope and control the clock. I think. I think
that's gonna be key. And obviously on deference that they
struggled a little bit after halftime when their opponent made
some adjustments, So if they're able to make also the
(08:36):
corresponding adjustments to it, I think they should be they
should be fine and give themselves a really good good chance.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
All Right, a few needs to the game, finishing their drives,
controlling the clock. Lindsay, what is a certain matchup you're
looking to watch in this game?
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, I touched on it in our earlier question, but
I think just making sure that your top two receivers
from the ram Puka Nakula and Cooper Cup, you're able
to at least limit their production. Again, both of these
guys are big time playmakers for LA, so it's really
hard to shut them down completely. But you definitely want
(09:13):
the forty nine ers secondary, the cornerback specifically obviously to
play some lockdown defense. You know, this is an entirely
different RAMS team when you add those two players in
so I think, yeah, the onus is going to be
on the forty nine ers to the forty nine ers
defense to make sure that Matt Stafford isn't able to
connect with his best two guys. And I do think
(09:34):
that is the difference in this game. If you're talking
in terms of.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Matchups, yeah, is what's your key matchup heading into Thursday
night football?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think they have to stop Karen Williams and stuff.
Basically overall the Rams running game. That's huge. They did
that against Chicago and we saw all this who says
that the team had and we saw also what happened
when they didn't do it against Green Bay and in Buffalo.
I know exactlyche but basically everything starts with stopping the
(10:07):
opponent's running game. That way, you also force the Rams
to pass the ball, and obviously they're very dangerous, like
Lindsay said, they have Pukak and Cooper Cup. But it
gives you a chance also to create some pressure on
Matthew Stuff or because Matthew Stuff or as a really
good quarterback, but just with the majority, like with the
(10:28):
majority of quarterbacks, when you create pressure, when you have
defenders on their face, you can make them make some
big mistakes, so I think that that's key to stop
the running in this game.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
All right, Well, before we close out today's episode, lindsay
any injuries we should track heading into this primetime game.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
You know this is a short turnaround week, so the
forty nine ers are definitely not doing their normal full
speed practices in the same way I think, you know,
a lot of theies are going to be carrying over.
I'm just talking specifically about Nick Bosa and left tackle
Trent Williams. Neither of them participated. They didn't practice on Monday,
(11:11):
but there is kind of an anticipated practice report for
that day. They haven't practiced the last two days and
if the forty nine ers had practice, they would not
have been out there, so it's not looking great for them.
Someone else to track is running back Isaac Garrendo. He's
been passing the tourch to lead the forty nine ers
ground game. Again, do not participate on both Monday and Tuesday.
(11:33):
We did hear from head coach Kyle Shanahan that if
he can't go in time for Thursday, it is going
to be Patrick Taylor Junior getting the start at running back.
So that's something to look out for obviously Drake Greenlaw
as well. He is in the final week of his
twenty one day practice window. Started the year on the
physically unable to perform list, so the forty nine Ers
(11:54):
are going to have to make a decision on whether
or not to activate him to the fifty three man roster,
so definitely someone to keep an eye out on. Good
news is that left guard Aaron Banks has cleared concussion protocol.
He's been a full participant or would have been the
last two days, so I think obviously that bodes well
for the forty nine Ers offensive line.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
All right, well, keep an eye on that today, but
it's shaping up to be an exciting Thursday night at
Levi Stadium. Thank you, Lindsy and Jesus for joining me today.
Don't forget to tune into the Rams versus Niners game
on Prime Video at five point fifteen pm Pacific time.
Subscribe to First Intense presented by Cisco for all your
(12:33):
forty nine Ers updates and turn on notifications for breaking news.
Thanks for tuning in.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.