DeMeco Ryans Preaches Only Good Vibes in Presser Friday
Nov 18, 2022, 1:28 PM
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Taking a few days to reflect on the 49ers’ Week 10 win over there Los Angeles Chargers, both good and bad. On the one hand, the team came away with the win, the ultimate prize at the end of 60 minutes of play. On the other, a lot was left to be desired from the Red & Gold, mainly on offense.
But there were some defensive lapses as well, allowing quarterback Justin Herbert to march his team down the field on the opening possession and score within four minutes. In total, San Francisco gave up 16 points to the Chargers in the first half, putting them in a hole at 16-10. Despite the negatives, 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans chooses to instead focus on the positives, understanding what it takes to play defense in the NFL because he was once in his players’ shoes.
“I know how bad it feels to give up a touchdown and how bad you feel that you let your teammates down. I still have some [tocuhdowns] I remember. It still hurts,” Ryans said candidly Friday before practice.
It’s about instilling confidence for Ryans, not letting his unit get down on themselves when they make a mistake. Yes, those do happen, it’s part of life. But what the coach doesn’t want is “energy vampires” roaming around the locker room.
If you were wondering what is the one thing that can convince the #49ers to practice on an artificial surface on purpose, we have an answer… pic.twitter.com/dVDL1ZKi5H
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) November 18, 2022
“I could easily harp on all the negative things and plays we didn’t make. That’s not going to allow guys to come back, be confident & make plays they’re supposed to make,” Ryans explained. “No energy vampires allowed. I want guys having fun, flying around, and, be confident.”
If you’re as unfamiliar with the term as the rest of us, an energy vampire (at least according to the coach), is someone who sucks the energy out of room, mopes around and produces negative energy that affects the team as a whole. Football is a game after all and Ryans wants his team to have fun on-and-off the field.
“We’re all blessed with the days we’re given…Live it to the fullest,” the coordinator added Thursday.
Thankfully, the 49ers defense tightened up in the second half of Sunday night’s game, so Ryans didn’t have that much to critic.
The 49ers do have their work cut out for them however, still unsure if they’ll be facing QB Kyler Murray or veteran Colt McCoy Monday night. Murray has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of Week 10 vs. the LA Rams. McCoy filled in, leading Arizona to a 27-17 win on the road. Regardless of the matchup, Ryans and the coaching staff are prepared for both, only focusing on what they can control.
“We played Kyler and we’ve played Colt,” DeMeco Ryans said, acknowledging that both signal-callers present challenges for the 49ers.