- 1 week ago
Matt Lively of KPIX joins Willard and Dibs to break down what he saw at 49ers practice today in Santa Clara. What are the chances that Nick Bosa and George Kittle play Week 1 in Australia?
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00:00Football is here. Matt Lively, KPIX, was out at practice today, joins us now on the River Islands guest line.
00:07Hey, Matt, what's going on?
00:09How you guys doing? Nice to be with you. Getting ready for Australia.
00:13Oh, my goodness, man. We are so good. Football's here.
00:16So, wait a minute. When you say that, like you're getting ready as in you're preparing to watch a football
00:21game,
00:21or are you going to Australia?
00:25I am going down under. For a while, I assumed I was just going to be going to the Outback
00:29Steakhouse in Daly City,
00:31but no, I can now confirm. Yeah, I'm headed to Melbourne. I'm pumped. I can't wait.
00:35Have you ever been?
00:37No. God, no. But, you know, when work says, hey, we'll pay for you to go over there, you don't
00:42say no.
00:43So, I'm headed off on Saturday. I'm pumped.
00:46Absolutely. Now, do you have a game plan for the flight here?
00:51You're so funny. I've been asking that same question to everybody else.
00:54I thankfully take off at, like, 11.50 p.m., so I just got a knockout.
00:58I got a knockout for the front half of the flight, and then just a movie marathon on the back
01:04end,
01:04and hopefully hit the ground running.
01:06Okay. All right. I mean, best of luck with that.
01:09The Niners are obviously going to be trying to do the exact same thing.
01:12What did you see today? Let's start with Nick Bosa.
01:15What did you see with Nick Bosa today?
01:17Well, here's the thing. I didn't see Nick Bosa today.
01:21He was not out there during the media viewing period, at least from my vantage point.
01:27He's one of the guys that was not out there.
01:29We did see George Kittle out there, Christian McCaffrey out there, but still no Bosa.
01:33And Kyle Shanahan said earlier that, you know, there's three practices here in Santa Clara
01:38before they head to Australia that George Kittle and Nick Bosa were not going to participate in all three
01:44and that their schedules would be a little bit different.
01:47So we didn't see him out there, but, you know, they're hopeful that he's ready for week one.
01:53I still am a little skeptical as to whether or not that's going to happen.
01:57What exactly were they doing when you were able to view practice?
02:00Is it just, you know, more than a walkthrough but not quite full-on contact?
02:05Yeah, we're pretty, you know, we're back to, the regular season is back.
02:09So the days of watching an hour and a half of practice is over.
02:13They go through their stretching and then they break out into individual drills
02:17and the position groups are together and then we're kind of booted off after four periods of that.
02:22But, you know, you saw wide receivers running their routes.
02:25We saw special teams going down.
02:27We saw the offensive line going up against each other,
02:31which is important because the 49ers revealed today that they still don't have their left guard position
02:36pinned down as to who the starter will be.
02:38So kind of observing all of that.
02:42Matt, I want to go back to the answer you just gave.
02:44After listening to Kyle and John speak about this,
02:49why are you still skeptical with regard to the availability of Nick Bosa and or George Kittle?
02:55I mean, you know, Kittle actually seems, had you asked me before the preseason,
03:00and who's going to play in week one, Nick Bosa or George Kittle?
03:03I probably would have told you Nick Bosa.
03:05But the fact that we haven't seen him on the practice field a lot,
03:08you know, I probably didn't really expect him to ever shoot up for a preseason game.
03:12But the fact that he had tendinitis, that the 49ers were pretty open about him dealing with that
03:18and the soreness that he had,
03:20I am a little skeptical as to whether or not he is going to shoot up for week one.
03:24And Kyle Shanahan said, hey, these division games, you sometimes count as two.
03:28They're that important because if you want to go to the playoffs,
03:30the easiest way to go is to win your division.
03:32But it does seem like a lot on his body to board a flight and go over there.
03:38And so from my point of view, I am a little bit more skeptical that he will play in week
03:43one.
03:43If he does, that's awesome.
03:45The Niners could use him.
03:46The pass rush desperately needs him.
03:49But right now, you know, I'm more positive on George Kittle maybe going out and playing in week one.
03:54And is that just based on your observations or the sense that you're getting from Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch?
04:02They say that George Kittle, you know, has done everything he can to get himself in a position to play
04:08in that first game.
04:09And they really did say, I mean, let's not, you know, misconstrue anything.
04:13These next three practices, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
04:16are a huge test for whether or not these guys are going to travel with the team and play in
04:22that first game.
04:24And I think it was Matt Mayoka who said, you know, George Kittle talked about maybe not traveling if he's
04:28not going to play in week one.
04:30And they say, yeah, that's definitely a decision that we would like to have.
04:33Ten days away from the team is a lot, not just for camaraderie, but also Kyle Shanahan was noting,
04:38that's position meetings that you're missing out on.
04:40And that's where the trainers are and the rehab is.
04:42But, you know, they did say that these next three practices are going to tell a lot as to whether
04:47or not they can go.
04:48And they're hoping that the answer is yes for both of them.
04:51Matt Lively, KPIX, is with us here on Willard and Dibs.
04:5595-7, the game was out at Niner practice today.
04:58And obviously the vibe getting ramped up with the roster cutdowns already in play.
05:03And now the flight to Australia only 48 hours away.
05:07Hey, the other position that Kyle admitted they don't really have it buttoned up yet
05:11is which one of the two backup running backs won the backup running back job.
05:17So what did you see from Jordan James and Kalon Black today?
05:21Yeah, I mean, I posted a clip of Kalon Black who continues to really impress me with his hands out
05:27of the backfield.
05:28He's got such crisp route running and great hands that could be used as a pass catcher back there.
05:36Ultimately, though, I mean, we could probably talk about who deserves RB2 more, Jordan James or Kalon Black.
05:42I want to see how week one goes.
05:44We've kind of talked this offseason about, is this the year that Christian McCaffrey is going to come off the
05:49field?
05:49And while we have these conversations externally, Christian McCaffrey always points to the way that the Niners can keep him
05:58healthy
05:58is you limit some of that load during the week.
06:01But when it comes to Sunday, I still think Christian McCaffrey is going to be out there for 98%
06:07of these snaps.
06:08I mean, they traded for Brian Robinson right before the season began last year.
06:12And you thought, oh, he's going to be an integral part of this offense.
06:15Not that they're going to split carries, but that Brian Robinson is going to have a lot of play.
06:18And he really didn't.
06:20He wasn't much of an impact for that 49ers offense.
06:23So, you know, I think right now it's probably Kalon Black, but ultimately it's Christian McCaffrey's backfield.
06:30And on the off chance that somebody gets in there, it might even be Debo Samuel who's taking the snaps
06:36in the backfield.
06:36Is there a greater chance this year of McCaffrey's workload going down in the pass game just based on the
06:43fact that, you know,
06:44now you've got scribbling and you have other options like Mike Evans who probably will get targeted more than McCaffrey?
06:50You hope.
06:52You know, Kyle Juszczyk pointed it out.
06:54They do the top 100 players and Christian McCaffrey came up and Juszczyk said,
06:57I think it was like at week 10 of the season, McCaffrey led the NFL in carries and receptions, which
07:05is bonkers.
07:06Like really, it's truly bonkers to think about.
07:08The 49ers probably shouldn't be using him that much.
07:11But again, like Christian McCaffrey is going to dial it back during the week if it means that he's going
07:16to be more available on Sundays.
07:18Like I trust that guy to figure that dose out of what works for him.
07:22But you would think that the Niners, that's why they go out and they draft somebody at 33,
07:27is to help in the pass game and have a more reliable wide receiver.
07:30So you're starting running back doesn't have to be your best wide receiver on the field.
07:34Matt, I know that Mike Evans was on that list that technically didn't participate.
07:40We've also got the Jeremy Fowler report from a week ago that Evans is good to go for week one.
07:46So what's your read on this situation?
07:49Yeah, Evans was off to the side today, just working, not in pads or anything like that.
07:53But Mike Evans is a vet.
07:55Kyle Shannon was actually asked about that.
07:57You know, how are you guys going to handle Mike Evans week by week during practice?
08:01And he said they're still kind of figuring out Mike and what they're going to do.
08:05But I think he's ready for week one.
08:08Another guy that I never really anticipated was going to shoot up during the preseason.
08:13And while he dealt with some of that tightness or soreness to the quad,
08:17I think you still have a week plus to get ready for Australia.
08:21He's running around out there today.
08:23I think Mike Evans will be good.
08:24And that's going to be obviously a huge piece of what they're going to try to do offensively.
08:30And I know that Debo Samuel was a key acquisition here as things kind of got rolling after the bad
08:35news about Ricky Pearsall.
08:37What do you think is going to be the role for Debo?
08:40Will it be kind of back to the days when he was a wide back or more of a traditional
08:44usage, you think?
08:46I think, you know, at Debo's age and how they're going to use them maybe as a punt returner, just
08:51use them as a wide receiver.
08:53I don't know if you need to have this guy in the backfield as well doing too many things at
08:57once.
08:58But it's funny to think, you know, right before training camp began, I was kind of like, I wonder where
09:04Debo's going to sign.
09:05This is going to be an interesting thing to monitor.
09:07And fast forward to today, and you're looking at Mike Evans and Debo Samuel as the potential wide receiver one
09:13and two, which a year ago, I think I would have spit my drink out if you had told me
09:16that those guys could be leading the Niners and in receptions and receiving yards.
09:21And so I think for Debo, with them trying to use him on special teams as well, maybe you just
09:26stick to a more limited role and just keep him in the passing game.
09:30Matt, I didn't see a lot of questions with regard to, is Jacob Cowling definitely going to be ready next
09:36week?
09:37And if he's not, who's returning punts?
09:41I mean, number 19, potentially, you've got Debo Samuel that was working on that during training camp in the preseason.
09:49You have Jordan Watkins, who has a little bit of experience there.
09:53I think even you could look at a defensive.
10:01Let's see if we, oh, there you are, Matt.
10:03We lost you for a second.
10:04Are you back?
10:05You know what?
10:07I'm driving past Oracle Park right now.
10:09So sometimes, you know, the hits aren't always happening when you're driving through that part of town.
10:14Very well played.
10:15Very well played.
10:16Okay.
10:16Yeah.
10:17Okay.
10:17And so, but yeah, I think, I think, you know, if it's not Cowling, it's probably Debo or Jordan Watkins.
10:23And as far as kick returner, is that the same group of players?
10:26And has Dejohn Stribling been somebody who's used it all in this role?
10:30Because it seems to me that he's got that blistering speed, too.
10:34I haven't seen that.
10:35And it's not something he did in college.
10:38You know, one name to watch for, and it's not really someone who did it in college either, but Will
10:44Pauling, who ended up making this 49ers practice squad.
10:47You know, if they were to elevate him for a game day, he's someone that they used a lot during
10:52the preseason to return kicks and could get a look at that.
10:56Matt Lively, KPIX, with us after Niner practice.
11:01I mean, Matt, I'd love to hear just kind of the general vibe, right?
11:05I mean, there's a lot of roster cutdowns, so you're both looking at a situation where the group was smaller,
11:12but I would imagine it's a happy group.
11:14They all made the team.
11:15The Aaron Donald news is here.
11:18The flight week is here.
11:19What was your sense of just the general feeling and vibe?
11:25The best way to sum up the vibe was Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw flying around right before the team
11:33huddled up before practice, getting guys' faces and pumping them up.
11:39I mean, these guys are excited, right?
11:40And think about this.
11:41Fred Warner hasn't played since last season, tried to make the comeback.
11:45Dre Greenlaw and Devo Samuel reunited with their guys.
11:48And now you've got Aaron Donald rejoining the Rams.
11:52Feels like some of that old classic rivalry is going to come to a head in week one, which is
11:56exciting.
11:57I can't wait for that.
11:58I mean, really, truly, it might not be good for the 49ers on the football field.
12:02I hope Aaron Donald plays in week one.
12:05How great would that be to watch as you get Greenlaw and Devo back and now Donald's on the other
12:11side of the ball?
12:12I think it'd be so fun.
12:13I mean, I know that Myles Garrett is there and it scares people, but it's not like Aaron Donald has
12:17a good record against the 49ers.
12:19They've beaten him plenty of, plenty of times.
12:23I would like for them to figure out the left guard position before he boasts that record, maybe.
12:28You know, like make sure someone's there to block him.
12:31But, yeah, I mean, I really hope that Donald plays in week one just because we're going all the way
12:37to Australia.
12:37Let's get a show.
12:38Hey, Matt, I know why work is sending you all the way to Australia.
12:43I think we figured it out.
12:46And it's because the Valkyries aren't playing during this time.
12:50And so your Valkyries responsibilities are on hold for the moment.
12:55But, hey, the teams you travel with, they win, Matt.
13:02That's right.
13:03Hey, two different five-game road trips with the Valkyries throughout this season.
13:07That's 10 games, 9-1 in those 10.
13:10That's a long time to be on the road.
13:11So we're doing pretty well.
13:13And, yeah, the Valks are hot right now, won again on Sunday.
13:17And it's honestly a shame that they're being broken up for fever right now just in terms of what momentum
13:22they had heading into the final stretch of the season.
13:25But hopefully they'll pick up right where they left off.
13:27Hey, can you share with everybody what happened in Connecticut with you and Veronica Burton's dad?
13:35Oh, it's so cool.
13:36So, you know, for those who don't know, Veronica Burton's father, Steve, is like a legend.
13:41He is the Vern Glenn of Boston, you could say.
13:43Nice.
13:44Wow.
13:45Yeah, yeah, there you go.
13:47A legendary sportscaster in Boston.
13:50And, you know, we've been going back and forth over the last two seasons, really.
13:54And I got to meet him during the Super Bowl.
13:56And we were in Connecticut.
13:57I said, man, I'd love to interview you and just get your take on this Valkyries team and what it's
14:02like to go from covering athletes to your daughter has become the star of this team.
14:06And so we kind of had set up, OK, I'm going to interview you at some point today.
14:10But while I'm interviewing Veronica pregame, here comes this larger than life personality that's off behind the cameraman.
14:17And I'm like, what's going on back there?
14:18And there's Steve Burton.
14:19And he immediately jumped into action without missing a beat.
14:22And so I just said, hey, here's the mic.
14:25No one wants to hear from me.
14:27I want to see this go down.
14:28And so he got to interview Veronica, which he told me after.
14:30That's the first time he's ever interviewed his daughter, which was really cool.
14:34And they just had this awesome special moment on camera where you could see, like, dad mode kicked in.
14:39And he said, hey, I took off work.
14:41Like, you better bring it tonight.
14:43And it was so cool.
14:44You actually, I think it gave a look into why Veronica Burton is as successful and as hardworking as she
14:49is.
14:49Because her dad and her mom, who was a phenomenal college athlete as well, you know, they demanded that excellence
14:56from their kids.
14:56And apparently he demanded the microphone from you.
14:59So the guy comes in and grabs your mic and basically is about to take your job.
15:04How did you just step back and, you know, let that thing happen?
15:08Listen, when that's going down, I just saw the opportunity to take a water break.
15:13I was pretty tired.
15:14I'd done a lot already that day.
15:15And I thought, oh, great.
15:16Someone's tagging me out here.
15:18He can take the mic.
15:19But, no, I mean, just what a cool moment for a chance to interview his daughter.
15:24I was thrilled that he even – I was hoping he said yes.
15:27And so once he said, yeah, I'll take the mic, I was happy to get out of there.
15:30Matt, do you think they've got a realistic chance to do something special here in the playoffs?
15:36I'm standing on business.
15:38I continue to say the first team to win a champion – or the next team, I should say, to
15:42win a championship in the Bay Area is the Valkyries.
15:44And to be honest with you, I think they have a chance to win multiple titles before any other team
15:48in the Bay Area.
15:50I think they're that good.
15:51And if they can stay healthy through this FIBA break and they get back, their defense – you know, no
15:56one is defensively sound – as defensively sound as the Valkyries.
16:01So I've got a ton of confidence in this team to make a nice postseason push.
16:05Well, they're on the clock.
16:06And Joe Lacob has given them a five-year timeline.
16:09That's right.
16:10And so one down and four to go.
16:11This one definitely trending in the right direction, though.
16:14Yeah, no doubt.
16:15I mean, when you look at how they have fared against some of these teams, and Minnesota has been the
16:20big question mark, and they finally beat them in Minnesota and held them to their season low, which, by the
16:26way, was against the Valkyries anyway the game before.
16:30They're just really impressive.
16:32And they're coming into their own as, you know, they're gelling together at the right time.
16:36They went through a two-game losing streak and then immediately reeled off four wins that were all double digits.
16:42So even when it looks like this team is down, they respond in such a big way, which is what
16:46you want when you're heading into the postseason.
16:48Matt, great to have you.
16:50Thank you for the time.
16:51Have a safe and wonderful experience in Australia.
16:55Thanks, guys.
16:56I appreciate it.
16:57And we'll talk when we're back, huh?
16:59We definitely will.
17:00We look forward to that.
17:01Thank you, Matt.
17:03Thanks, guys.
17:04Okay.
17:04There it is.
17:04Matt Lively.
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