Ian Williams, Former San Francisco 49ers Defensive Tackle

Ian, thank you for taking the time to hop on, man.

JR, man, I appreciate you having me, man. It's an exciting weekend. I can't wait. I'm excited.

We got a busy weekend. Before we get into some of the football there, what are your thoughts on the news that we got a few hours ago that it looks like Antonio Pierce is going to stick around with the Raiders as their head coach? I mean, that's huge for that program and that franchise to be able to retain a coach like that and to be able to retain somebody who's grown throughout the franchise the past couple years being a position coach and then moving his way up and then all, you know, with the unfortunate way that the season started, you know, it kind of blossomed to where, you know, they were able to rip off some some layers and they found some some of the heart that truly is the team, which is no Crosby and Tony appears to be able to hold and keep those guys is huge. So I know they're excited over there in Vegas. Ian, do you think we are finally in store for some stability out in Vegas? You know, Mark Davis is always switching and changing things up. Is this different or is Mark Davis still there is going to be the same old same old?

I don't think it's going to be the same old. I feel like you saw this team the second half of the season and you saw the Raiders, you know, play at a different pace at a different level than you would expect them to play. You know how they played earlier in the season under a different head coach and I feel like they have the same players. They just have different mentality under Pierce and they kind of took under that same mentality. He had when he played for the Giants when he was a great player, so that same mentality that he took from the Giants. I feel like the Raiders are taking on that and if they can make some right acquisitions and free agency and also on the draft.

I feel like this could be a team that they let Pierce grow and build the type of coaching staff and team that he's looking to aspire to be. He could do something similar to what the Houston Texans going on with D'Amico Ryans. Former 49ers defensive tackle Ian Williams is here with us on CBS Sports Radio. I want to talk about one more coaching vacancy and opportunity before we get on to some of the action on the field. We've heard over the past couple of days that Bill Belichick is having his second interview with the Falcons. We've now also learned that Jim Harbaugh is having a second interview with the Falcons. We know the Falcons also need a quarterback. We've heard Kirk Cousins say, oh yeah, I'd love to play for Belichick.

Let's say we get to July and August. What is best case scenario for the Falcons? I feel like for the Falcons, obviously, to be able to bring in one of those two coaches, whoever it is, whether it be Belichick or Coach Harbaugh, you know, they're going to win that transition right there. And then if you get those minds to be able to bring in their philosophies from New England or Michigan slash San Francisco, Stanford, you bring that mentality over to Atlanta and they got some playmakers, Robinson and the wide receiver. You know, they can really put some things together and, you know, make some things happen. They got a defense. They got some players on offense.

They need to draft well and be able to make the right decision that had coach going on this offseason. Well, you're familiar with Jim Harbaugh. What are your thoughts and what does he specifically bring to a program? Well, I know he's excited to be able to have this opportunity to, you know, have the NFL open up to him, where as when he did leave, he went to college and he did his thing at Michigan.

You know, obviously it wasn't pretty at first, but he got to build. He got his guys in there. He got his philosophy understood by the type of recruits that he was getting in there. He got the coaching staff around.

Same thing that he did in San Francisco. It's about the coaching staff and the mentality of the players that you're bringing in there. So, you know, he's obviously been one of the greatest coaches I've been a part of to really see what he does on a daily basis from Monday to Saturday that people don't see. All they see is the finished product on Sunday where, you know, this man had, you know, the inner workings and his fingers on everything that went on in that locker room, in the stadium, in the practice field, you know, from, you know, for seven days. And, you know, you get to see the finished product on Sunday. So I think whatever team, you know, either retained him at Michigan or signed him in the NFL is going to be excited to have him.

Ian Williams is joining us. Former 49ers defensive tackle is the chair of our sport re-show on CBS Sports Radio. Man, we're all going to be tuning in tomorrow, see what Green Bay can do against these 49ers. Obviously, the 49ers based on their experience, their history, they're going to be favored. When you take a look at Green Bay, what has impressed you the most, even outside of, let's say, Jordan Love? Well, obviously, you have to look at this past game where you go down to Dallas and you're the heavy under favorite of, you know, going down wild card games. You fought to be able to get into this moment and you're going on the road to a team that, you know, they're hitting on all cylinders.

They have playmakers on offense and defense, arguably one of the best offensive lines, you know, one of the best defensive players in Michael Parsons and a couple of pro bowlers on the back end. And, you know, you're expected to kind of go out there and fight, but everybody thought Dallas was going to win. So, you know, you're looking at a team that went down on the road, handled business, ran the football over 100 yards, three touchdowns for Jones. I feel like he was a little juiced up because he's from the area.

You know, he had a couple of dozen of his family members in town, you know, so he spent a lot on tickets. So I know he was juiced up to be able to go out there in front. And you saw that he was running really hard. And I feel like, you know, the gaps in the Dallas Cowboys defense, you know, they were able to pick and prod and do exactly what they wanted to.

And then Jordan Love just complimented everything that Aaron Jones was doing on the ground. And then I feel like the playmakers on the outside, Dobbs, you know, they're going to come into San Francisco with the same mentality that, you know, they're the underdog and they're going to try to prove that they can hang and they're going to try to take away the crowd early in the game. Same thing they did in Dallas. I saw Dallas Cowboys fans leaving in the first quarter.

No, I know those tickets are two, three, four hundred, five hundred dollars in tickets. And you saw some of these fans leaving early in the first quarter because they had dubbed them early after the pick. These fans were leaving. They're going to try to do the same thing in San Francisco. So, you know, 49ers are going to have to weather the storm and, you know, play against a very good team that is traveling again on the road to try to take your cookies. Well, Ian, we know that the 49ers being the top seed that they've had a buy, that their starters haven't necessarily been in action, a little bit more rest than they typically have gotten. How do you think this game is going to play out tomorrow?

And then I want to ask you specifically about Brock Purdy. Well, the rest is going to be crucial. You know, after a long season, 17 games, preseason games, injuries, in and out of, you know, battles here and there every other week, you know, that extra week, it really does help for guys to be able to recover. Trent Williams to be able to get over any type of lower, lower body injuries. Deebo Samuel to be able to recover a little bit more from his shoulder injury that he had earlier in the season. And then, you know, on the defensive line, Eric Armstead, who's missed the past few games. And you've seen that where there's been some leakage on that defense line front where there's been some gaps where the teams have been able to hit them because normally Eric Armstead has been there, you know, commanding those gaps where he hasn't been in there the past few games. He's been practicing and he's going to be full goal tomorrow. So, you know, having him back and having this extra week has definitely helped him. You know, if he had to go out to Dallas or Green Bay on the road and have to play last week, I'm not sure if he would have been able to play last week or if he would have been able to play to the standard of what he's normally playing.

So, you know, those are the kind of type of things that are going on right now, especially with an extra bye week of getting these guys healthy. Ian Williams is joining us. NFL analyst, former 49er. We've had this conversation and gotten a lot of calls on this just over the past several months as it relates to Brock Purdy. There's, without a shadow of a doubt, he is surrounded by some excellent offensive weapons, some of the best in the entire NFL. I don't think by happenstance you put up the numbers that he's done. He's contributed as well. What are your thoughts on Brock Purdy and then what he might be able to do here in this postseason? We know he went down with the injury last year.

I just don't know why he gets so much slander, JR. This young man, the last pick in the draft, has really come out here and commanded the team, hasn't tried to take over and try to, you know, make the plays himself. He's really tried to mesh his way into and integrate his way into, you know, making this team and making this offense so great. So, you know, obviously during the season, you've seen his ups and downs where, you know, when he has some pressure or he's having to do certain things, you know, he has some difficulties, but at the same time, those are difficult.

Those difficulties are very minimal. You're not going to be perfect in the NFL. And if you can trigger and bring those mistakes down, you're going to be able to trigger a lot faster and be able to play a lot faster. And that's what you've seen. And he's been able to make plays. And also, you know, it's great to have a great offensive line and playmakers around you and a coach that understands, I want to get the ball in their hands, in Deebo Samuel's hands. He's a matchup nightmare for these DBs and linebackers having to come up in the hole and have to try to tackle him, especially, you know, on these debt sweeps and these outside runs where he's a low out there. So I feel like the scheme has really helped Brock Purdy grow where he hasn't had to take on the whole thing and pretty much run the offense like Josh Allen or another quarterback, Lamar Jackson, where they pretty much are the focal point of the offense.

He's not that. The other playmakers are. So I feel like, you know, going into tomorrow, he's going to try to do the same thing he's done all season long and just try to play the shadow of these other guys that he's going to be playing around and get the ball into their hands and not make any mistakes because whenever he doesn't make any mistakes, this team plays very well and they win a lot of football games.

So I know he's excited to go out there and rekindle what he was doing last year and try to make it back to Vegas in February. Well, Ian, we know the 49ers season, it could end tomorrow, which would be terrible for fans out in the Bay, or it could continue on all the way to Vegas, as you mentioned. What do you think is going to happen tomorrow and potentially with the rest of the year for the 49ers? Well, I think the 49ers are going to win.

I'll come out front and I'll say that I feel like they're the better team. You have some injuries going on with Green Bay where he has Jair Alexander at cornerback where he had a heel injury. And you saw this past week in the Cowboys game where he had some some difficulties and had to come out of the game. You know, a few times he made a great play early in the game, but you could tell that he was bothering him. He's going to have to tackle people same on some of these jet sweeps and some of these reverses. You think he wants to get out there and do that in the third and fourth quarter after Chris McCaffrey has 100 yards and has been dicing these guys up, you know, on in between the tackles, you know, those type of things.

I'm taking into account. And also, you know, Chase Young, he's getting his his his start because Cleveland Herald, he's going to be out this week at defensive end and Cleveland is kind of the guy who starts opposite of Nick Bosa on, you know, first and second down. And then usually, you know, Chase Young comes in on third and passing down.

So now it's going to be Chase Young and Nick Bosa. So I know how they think they're going to be excited and happy to see that it's going to be reminiscing like the end of the last decade. You know, those two guys out there and Buckeye helmets, now they're going to be wearing no red and gold helmets out there trying to get after Jordan Love. So, you know, it's going to be exciting. But I think at the end of the day, Jordan Love is going to do his thing. I don't think Aaron Jones is going to have the same game that he had last week.

Eric Armstead, Devon Hargrave are much better interior tackles than what the Dallas Cowboys have. And it's going to be a much condensed game. I think the 49ers win by a couple of touchdowns.

But at the end of the game, you're still going to look back at it. They're like, oh, well, you know, Green Bay was still into it into the fourth quarter. But the 49ers had made so many plays towards the end of the game. Yeah, that Ian Williams, former tackle for the 49ers, current NFL analyst with CBS Orlando joining us here on CBS Sports Radio. Anything else that you're looking forward to here over the divisional round of the postseason?

Anything else that you would really like to see between now and Las Vegas? I'm excited to see the Texans tomorrow. You know, D'Amico Ryan, you know, I've followed him, you know, the past few seasons when he's been in San Francisco, coaching up that defense and and that linebacker corps. And I've watched his progress and then for him to be able to go to Houston and change that franchise around from where they were last year to early first round pick to, you know, now you're, you know, knocking on the door of the best team in the NFL and the Ravens.

You got to go on the road and have to weather the storm. But you have the offensive firepower to weather the storm and, you know, make Lamar Jackson have to press and make some plays. So, you know, that's going to be an interesting game right there. I think the Lions end up beating the Bucks and I think it's the Lions and 49ers in the NFC Championship. It's going to be a good old school battle. And then I think the Chiefs, Bills, I think at the end of the day, you know, I think Mahomes wins this on the road.

I don't know how he does, but somehow in some ways Mahomes wins on the road. That's what I got for you with my playoff picture for for this weekend. Thank you so much, Ian, for joining us. Tell all of the listeners where they can follow and keep up with you and your work. Y'all can hit me up anywhere on social media. But at the end of the day, I want to give a shout out to Jim Harbaugh. And at the end of the day, who's got it better than us? Nobody. Bang, bang, not again. We win it tomorrow. I'm out.