Kate Rooney | KRON 4 News Bay Area 49ers Reporter

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That's betterhelp.com slash positive. We're pleased to welcome Kate Rooney from KRON Channel 4, covering this game on the field at Levi's Stadium and in the locker rooms after the fact. This was a lopsided victory over Dallas, despite all of the hype leading into it, Kate. So what will you take away from the Niner's Big Win on Sunday Night Football? I've seen some wins by the 49ers that maybe were higher stakes games, but I think this felt like the best win that I've seen in the last several years of the Kyle Shanahan era. It was the most complete game and Shanahan himself said as much afterwards. He said that it's the most complete game he's seen from his team this season, but they haven't fired on offense like this before. Defensively, we've kind of come to expect greatness from this team, but the way that they're clicking offensively is just on a different level and that was obviously on full display tonight with a 40 burger, so that's something that we're still kind of getting used to seeing from them and I think it just does a lot that they were able to do it against the Dallas team that many people thought and still think is a fellow contender in the NFC.

Well, and only giving up 10 points per game that Dallas defense, but the Niners obviously hanging 42 on them completely changes the complex of the game. George Kittle hadn't had a receiving touchdown to this point, has three tonight on three catches. Man, I can imagine it's tough at times to keep everyone in the offense involved with as many weapons as they have.

Yeah, they joke about this all the time. There's just too many nods to feed on this offense and you know Brock Purdy and George Kittle had a really great connection last season. That's kind of what helps Brock Purdy take off. It seemed like Kittle was often his go-to guy. Hadn't seen much from him at the start of this season and then tonight those career high three touchdowns for Kittle. In fact, I believe he is the first guy with three touchdowns, three receiving touchdowns, excuse me, for the 49ers in a decade or so. Really impressive to see the way that you know every single game it seems like we have a different guy step up with Christian McCaffrey being the NFC Offensive Player of the Week last week, Deebo Samuels had his big game, Brandon Iuchus had his big game, and tonight is Kittle's game, so I guess now we just need to figure out who it's going to be next week.

Well, Jordan Mason actually has the long touchdown run and he ends up having the most rushing yards. There's so many different weapons on this team that might actually be a lot for some locker rooms to handle. You might see sniping, you might see guys who are interested in being more involved in the offense. How do you know that these guys are okay with the ball being spread around to a lot of different people? Yeah, that's a good question and I think ultimately it's a trickle-down effect from Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch because they've said from the beginning that they don't want to bring any guys into this locker room who aren't okay with that. They want to bring in win-first, stat-second guys, and while of course plenty of these guys have admitted that they love to get their hands on the ball and they feel good when they put up a statistically gaudy game or when they can contribute to the scoring, they're just as happy to be out there and block, which is such a huge part of Kyle Shanahan's system. They're just as happy to be out there and see their teammates win. It has so much to do with the culture of the 49ers and those are just really the guys that they've made a huge, huge effort to bring here during the Shanahan-Lynch era. We're so excited to have Kate Rooney on the show fresh off Sunday Night Football.

She was there covering it for Bay Area Sports KRON Channel 4. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. Three consecutive drives with interceptions, takeaways in the second half. That defense maybe sometimes gets overlooked by the stars on the offense, but how would you describe the way that group is playing so far? Yeah, they've been playing at a very high level. You know, after they led the league in yards allowed last season, I think people kind of expect this defense to be phenomenal. So when they just have a good game where they, you know, are holding the opponents to under 12 points and maybe not having as many takeaways and stacks as some of the other teams in the league.

As you said, yeah, they're kind of getting overlooked a little bit. Not tonight. Those interceptions kind of seem to come in bunches. I talked to the safety to Sean Gibson after the game in the locker room, and he said that they really kind of feed off each other. First guy gets the interception and then the rest of them are even more inspired and hungrier for it.

And that's definitely what happened tonight. And you got to shout out Fred Warner and Dre Greenloss because they're playing at an incredibly high level. I mean, probably the best line backing tandem in the league right now. Maybe it's been that way for a couple of years, but it's standing out in a way that is just unbelievable tonight. I mean, Fred Warner had a fourth fumble, a sack and an interception.

That's like the Holy Trinity for a defensive player. They're, they're putting fear in the hearts of, of offenses. I really think if they continue to play this way, they also feel like they've left the meat on the bone. They don't even feel like they've had their best defensive performances yet. They're still adjusting to new defensive coordinator, Steve Wilkes.

So that's kind of something to keep an eye on, but this was probably the best game that the defense has had so far this season. Fred Warner amazes me because he brings so much energy. Does that guy ever get tired? He says that he can find any number of reasons to get up for a game.

I really think that it comes from within him. Every single practice he's out there. And he is the hype guy who, after they finished their little stretches or whatever on the field, he's the one who's running around the entire field. He's got a handshake with every guy on the practice squad.

It seems like, and he's the one who's a huge vocal leader, kind of just bringing them in, hyping them up, getting them ready for that group. And then he puts his money where his mouth is too with performances like this. So it's crazy to think that he's only been in the league for, I think this is his sixth season because he feels like kind of a grizzled veteran at this point with how much he rallies this team and unites this team. But he, it seems like his best football might still be ahead of him with the way he was playing tonight. Something that stands out to me about this group, they've only used one quarterback, Kate, and it's been a while since they've been able to say that about going through a season with one QB.

And I don't believe in jinxes, so please don't blame me. But could you imagine if the Niners could get through an entire season healthy on both sides of the ball? Of course, Nick Bosa being a guy who's dealt with a lot of injuries, Fred too, obviously, it's a physical defense. But on the offensive side of the ball to just have one quarterback the entire season, that would be a revelation for San Francisco. This has been my sixth season covering the team, and this is definitely the first time that I've seen them make it through, I want to say make it through even five games with the same quarterback. I think I'm exaggerating there, but you're right, they haven't done it. And Kyle Shanahan has had a lot of scrutiny for that. I mean, I'm sure you remember all the conversations about, is there training staff training these guys the right way?

Why do they have so many soft tissue injuries? What kind of plays is he calling that lead to Trey Lance getting injured in the second game of the season? You know, if Brock Purdy continues to play at this level and stays healthy, you just have to think that that was all kind of bad luck, and maybe it was all leading up to this point. You know, with all the criticism they've taken for the way things went down with Trey Lance, giving up all those jastics for him, and then him not panning out in San Francisco.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if you end up with your guy, right? And so far, it looks like Brock Purdy is that guy. Those of us who have been around the team a while are kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop in a way because you're right, it doesn't seem like the standard for these Kyle Shanahan teams. At this point, you know, I think most people in the league are starting to believe in what Brock Purdy can do, and the key to it all is just going to be staying healthy. One time since Shanahan and Lynch took over, has a quarterback started every game for the Niners of the season, and that was 2019 with Jimmy Garoppolo. Obviously, a key to them getting to the Super Bowl that season. We're spending a few minutes with Kate Rooney, who's fresh off this Sunday Night Football dominance over the Cowboys.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. What about Brock Purdy then? What do people need to know about who he is as not just a quarterback, but as a guy? Someone asked me last week, how has Brock Purdy kind of evolved or grown since he first took over for Jimmy Garoppolo in that Miami game last season? And I thought about it for a minute, and I realized I don't think he has.

I don't mean that as an insult. I mean that as praise because this is kind of the guy he's always been. He played so much football in college and is so naturally confident that he has always been this player, and he was just waiting to be given a chance to see it. If you ask any of his teammates, and you can see this too, from seeing him on the podium and seeing him in interviews, he's a very serious guy. He takes football really seriously. Sure, he'll joke around.

I mean, we saw him come out when he left the bet with George Kittle, wearing the Iowa mascot head last week, but for the most part, he doesn't do that. He's not the one who's cracking a bunch of jokes in his press conferences. He's a very straight-laced guy. He'll sit in the meeting longer than anyone. He's a full-on football nerd.

I mean, he's hitting the books. He's studying as hard as he can, and it's that level of preparation, I think, that has made him and his teammates able to be really confident when they're going to these games. They know that he's left no stone unturned, and he's never going to be the guy who isn't prepared coming into the game.

That's just a huge part of who he is, and that quiet confidence instills, in turn, a lot of confidence in his teammates. Considering the number of games, the amount of experience he had in college, and all of these traits that are so evident when he gets on the field, has anyone ever asked him or anyone with the Niners why he was still available with the last pick of the NFL Draft? Yeah, people have definitely asked him, and you know, typical humble Purdy. He chalks it up to not knowing, really, just saying, all I had to do was come out and do the best that I could do and have faith that it would have a chance to show that off eventually.

But I think it's kind of a bigger question, Amy. You might have to start looking at, if you're a scouting college player, you're an NFL scout, you might have to start looking at evaluating quarterbacks in a different way. You know, Brock's the guy who got knocked for his arm strength.

He's the guy who got knocked for being listed at 6-1. Realistically, he's probably more, you know, 65, 11 and a half, and maybe doesn't fit that typical mold of quarterback, but we're starting to see more and more guys who don't fit that typical mold of quarterback. I mean, Brock Purdy hasn't thrown an interception in 10 games. He has been undefeated in the regular season. He has the league high passer rating this season so far. In fact, he had a passer rating tonight of 144.4.

That's just incredible. I think it's going to force people to really re-examine the way they evaluate that position. He will never say that.

He's just going to be humble and say that he doesn't really know why he was overlooked, but I think he's going to have to force people to change the way that they think about it. That's the only explanation because otherwise it's just too mystifying to wrap our minds around, right? Right. It makes zero sense, but it worked out perfectly for the Niners. It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio with Kate Rooney for K-R-O-N Channel 4, and for her first time on the show, every team has a weakness, even if it's more muted. So what is the Niners weak point? You didn't see that so much tonight, but I would have to say that the biggest question mark is the secondary, not the safety so much. Talena Hufanga, Tashaun Gibson, they're pretty battle-tested at this point, and Sharvarious Ward has been excellent at corner, but in that other cornerback spot, they have two younger guys, their third year guys, D'Amadore Lenore and Ambry Thomas, and they've alternated between making some great plays and getting exposed at times. And they just don't really have depth in the secondary. So that's a position that the right kind of offensive coordinator is going to be able to exploit a little bit, I think. But if that's your only Achilles heel, then I think you're looking pretty good, right?

That's pretty much the only thing I can think of it at this moment. The other thing that might be worth keeping an eye on is defensive line depth as well. They've got, you know, they're guys, they've got Jamon Hargrave, Eric Armstrong, but beyond that, they don't really have any majorly proven guys or major contributors. That's why they brought in Brandy Gregory this week. We haven't seen him stood up yet.

He was inactive today. He's the type of guy, a veteran, who might be able to add that extra level that they're looking for on the defensive line. I think that they expect more from their pass rush and they'd like to see more from that unit as the season progresses. How excited are fans in the Bay Area now? You know, it felt like a playoff atmosphere today. It's only week five of the season, but the fans were out early. They were loud. Oh, the 49er greats were here today. So many guys, Steve Young was here, Jesse Cipollu, Bryant Young, the list goes on.

And that got the fans riled up. I think that, you know, they're kind of starved for, like you said, good, consistent quarterback play. And that's something that this franchise has come to expect over the years.

They got lucky in having Joe Montana and Steve Young. And so they've decided that that's what they deserve. And that's what they need to have here every year. And they haven't had it in a long time. And the fact that it seems like Brock Purdy could be the guy and they have the best combination of offensive weapons that they've, that they've had in years, the fan base is feeling incredibly optimistic and riled up.

And I think they're going to be extremely disappointed if this team isn't able to go the distance. For all of the success they've had in recent years, and it includes a little over a decade, a pair of Super Bowl appearances, they've been to now back-to-back NFC championships. They have not won a Super Bowl since the mid nineties. Do people still talk about that?

Oh yeah. I mean, when you won five Super Bowls as the 49ers have, fans just tend to start feeling like that's their destiny, right? That's what is always going to be expected of this franchise. They have gotten close a couple of times, you know, these three NFC championships that appearance in the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.

And then of course, in the Super Bowl, losing to Baltimore, I think what was that 2012, 2013. So they've been there, but yeah, they haven't gotten to close the deal. And one of the mottos out here is quest for six and everyone here still really wants that sixth ring.

And they're not going to be satisfied until they get it. I think that the sentiment around the team is that this is the best shot they've had in a while. They they've really worked on building that roster and they, they have the pieces in place. And even in these good teams that we've seen in San Francisco over the past three, four seasons, you know, there, there, there have been maybe a few more Achilles heels. There've been some injuries that happen early on in the season that were the concern.

And of course that could still happen. There were times where they'd play the big regular season game and not be able to get it done. They'd be the underdog in the postseason and they'd, you know, end up kind of winning a shocker, but now they're the favorite and they're kind of the team to beat in the NFC. So I think it's going to be really interesting especially because they play Philly in the regular season this year.

That worked out well. You know, it's a chance for this team to win some good games, beat some other good teams and, and prove that, yeah, they, they really do belong in this conversation and they're ready to add another trophy to the collection after gosh, yeah, almost 30 years here. Kate Rooney was covering Sunday night football there for K-R-O-N and the Niners moved to 5-0. So a lot of excitement around them.

The quest for six, I'll have to keep that in mind. You can follow her on Twitter at TheKateRooney, R-O-O-N-E-Y. So glad to catch up with you for a couple of minutes. We appreciate your time.

Amy, thanks so much for having me. It's fun to come on and talk about this team that's got a lot of people excited in the NFL. Facts are facts, like how contributing to employees' financial security makes them want to work harder for their company. In fact, according to a 2023 study by Principal, 87% of employers say that better employee financial security means employees are more engaged and productive at work. The fact of the matter is that employees want to feel financially secure in their future. So consider this, Principal helps you invest in your employees by providing customized benefits and retirement plans to help keep your employees more engaged and productive. When you take care of your team, they take care of business.

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