[Barron]

Things Discussed

• Injury updates on most everyone who is injured
• Many people are saying Shea Patterson should be benched, apparently. Jim Harbaugh is as surprised by this as you and me.
• Zach Gentry's growth
• Harbaugh on Alex Hornibrook and Jonathan Taylor
• Who's calling plays?
• Human to animal comparisons

[After THE JUMP: Things get testy]

Coach, Shea (Patterson’s) done a really good job protecting the football, obviously. Can you talk about what you’ve seen in that area, specifically, from, say, spring ball to now?

 

“Yeah, protects the football really well. Shea does a really good job. Works with decision-making, accuracy, his timing, and protects the ball in the pocket. Escapes the pocket, has a knack of making the right escape move from the pocket. Scrambling, smart when he’s out of the pocket, his decision-making, really good with the ball. … Done an excellent job in that area.”

 

Is that innate, that quality in a quarterback? A lot of people have compared him to you when you played, is that something that, like, the way, the feel of knowing where to go?

 

“Yeah, I think there’s a feel there. To make a basketball analogy, probably like a point guard big enough to see the field. … Space and the players, how close they are to you. Where you can go to avoid defenders and where when you run with the ball, or throwing it, where they’re not. Finding the 1-on-1 matchups as opposed to double coverage situations.”

 

Coach, status on Rashan Gary?

 

“Still evaluating. We’ll see, haven’t practiced yet this week, so no status report to update.”

 

(Michael) Dwumfour, you said after the game, did you guys find out player news on him?

 

“We think, yeah, better than it looked.”

 

And then with, I think you said Tarik (Black) was gonna meet with a doctor last week. Did you guys get any news on him?

 

“Continuing to progress, nicely.”

 

Jim, two questions —

 

“You an A’s fan, Adam?”

 

I’m a baseball fan in general. I was talking with Borton about the A’s, we were reminiscing

 

“Big A’s fan.”

 

You went to spring training with them right?

 

“Yeah.”

 

Threw me off here. Two questions here: On Twitter there’s always the kinda, the fan, rah-rah stuff. Do you feel like Shea has done enough — people were kinda on his back, people always want to see the backup quarterback. Do you feel like Shea has done enough to kinda just quiet all the criticism, with a rabid fanbase?

 

“I think so.”

 

And, second question would be, we didn’t see a lot of Jalen (Mayfield), I know he played the final snap. Was there a reason why we didn’t see a lot of Jalen Mayfield Saturday? Is he banged up or anything?

 

“He’s working through something, yeah.

 

“As far as — it’s interesting. I mean, the quarterback. Shea is playing really well. Anybody — everybody can see that, notices that.”

 

Yeah, but there’s — I mean

 

“Well, let me put it this way: my 7-year old daughter, Katie. She plays no sports. Doesn’t want to play sports. Doesn’t want to be involved in sports. She’s doing girl scouts. Katie says the quarterback is playing very well.”

 

(Everybody laughs)

 

And that was going to my point because I know you don’t live on Twitter, but to see Twitter, I mean, there’s a contingent of people who feel Shea’s not throwing the ball enough, the offense isn’t interesting enough. So I just wanted to get your take on that

 

“I’ll go with Katie.”

 

(Everybody laughs)

 

There were some trick plays around the Big Ten over the weekend. How much time do you guys spend on trick plays throughout the week, as your strategies and preparation evolves over time?

 

“Yeah, they — I mean, you — I know, offensively and defensively, just schematically, you prepare for things, even though you haven’t seen them. Go back years, 2015, 16, this coach ran this in 2014, or they might’ve done it at a different school. And you — you’re always on the look for what could happen.”

 

In particular, weeks that you —

 

“That’s why, you talk about schematically, defense, you wanna be gap-sound. You hear that terminology. They don’t wanna void a zone. If you recklessly do things like that, then you’re vulnerable to a trick play. That may still happen because of a distraction or a play that’s so good, yeah, they’re the kind of things that keep you up at night.”

 

We’ve talked about many times this year, (Zach) Gentry, (leads) in catches and yards, not that long ago, he was a quarterback. In terms of transitional growth from one position to another, have you had one like this?

 

“He’s progressing really well. I mean, to be — have everything you want from a tight end. To block, to gain separation, to make a tough catch, have a good catch radius, in-line blocking, in-space blocking. He’s got the speed that you like to see, the athleticism that you like to see. He’s, really, I mean, the thing that’s probably the next thing for him would be the — one of the best tight ends, or somebody that you ever coached, kinda thing, or compared to some of the other tight ends that have played this game — would be his yards after catch. To be able to get the ball and create another — those yards after catch. And I think that’ll come. Everything that he does — everything he’s done as a player has improved, developed. And the next thing that he’s attacked, he’s growing and gotten really proficient in. I think that’ll be — that’s the place for the next bit of growth for him as a player.”

 

Jim, more injuries, Carlo (Kemp) and Chris Evans, you said practiced a couple days last week. Do you think he’ll be available this week, and then (Aubrey) Solomon also?

 

“We’ll see. I know you guys all ask, I don’t have my medical degree. I’m not Deb Berman.”

 

I know

 

“I did not go to (medical) school.”

 

But he practiced last week? Evans practiced last week?

 

“He did some, yeah. We’ll see how it looks this week. Hopeful, hoping for the best.”

 

What about Solomon though?

 

“Hoping for the best.”

 

The thing with Tarik, you met with the Packers’ doctor, was it the same injury as last year, in terms of recovery time, or is this a little bit different?

 

“Same type, different foot.

 

Yeah, I know it’s a different foot, but do you think —

 

“I’m gonna bring up Doctor Berman.”

 

That’d be good

 

“Just talk to our doctors. Talk to —”

 

Oh, and you make them available

 

“She delivers babies. Just delivered my son, Jay’s, baby. Delivered my baby, John, and — have quite a runaround here, haven’t we, Deb? … But yeah, talk to the experts on that.”

 

Are you making them available?

 

“I’m hopeful, I’m hopeful. We’re gonna see today, have another practice, and then tomorrow, and we’ll see.”

 

How close is Tarik to getting in a practice?

 

“Progressing. Progress a little more today. Hopefully better today than yesterday, hopefully, better tomorrow than today. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

 

Coach, talk about Wisconsin’s offensive line and their offense and how tough it is to defend

 

“They’re, both sides of the ball, they’re really good in the lines. Both lines, offensive line, and defensive line. Physical team. Going through that right now, how difficult, right now it looks very difficult.”

 

I was thinking in particular about (Alex) Hornibrook and what problem he poses for a defense

 

“Got a really good stature in the pocket. He can get hot. I — he throws those intermediate dig routes, timed as well as anybody can. And he’s a very experienced guy and played in a lot of big games. Really good quarterback. Really good quarterbacks pose really big problems.”

 

Jim, with, looking at Devin Bush and Devin Gil, they both played pretty good in terms of rush defense. What type of challenge does Jonathan Taylor bring to you guys, Wisconsin running back? Where can Devin and Devin kinda help you guys most?

 

“Well, again, really good players have ability to make plays. And Taylor’s a really good player. Great player. And, so, what kind of problems do they pose? They’re threats, at any time, to get one of those — make one of those plays.”

 

What do you like best about Gil’s question, in terms of defending the run, and then the same question for Devin Bush? What do you like best about —

 

“Like everything about Devin Bush. Probably the thing I like the best in this past game, just how well he did getting everybody lined up, on our defense. Josh Metellus as well. Those two, this past game, in particular, were just terrific. There were so many shifts, so many motions, so many eye distractions going on pre-snap, that Devin and Josh really did a fantastic job in that.”

 

Coach, do you sense that the team might be anxious for this stretch of the schedule and that maybe, I know week-to-week, but that they’re a little more amped up starting today with the games you’ve got coming up, the meat of the schedule?

 

“Yeah, I think they’re really excited for this game, and having the focus be on getting their preparation down today. Finding out what they can learn about Wisconsin today, and workout, and practice. We’re striving to make the day the best day we’ve had.”

 

Jim, I know it’s a collaborative process, but who — on gameday — who’s calling plays? Is it you or is it Pep (Hamilton)?

 

“Collaborative process. Pep’s calling the majority of them.”

 

How does it work? I mean, I know —

 

“We’ve been through this many times.”

 

I know we have

 

“There’s no good answer, so … we plan on the same —”

 

No, we were just talking about offensive coordinator, but —

 

“We’ve plowed this ground, Angelique, so.”

 

Alright

 

The amount of injuries on the defensive line, how has Chase’s role grown and how have you seen him handle —

 

“Oh my gosh, he’s, Chase has been an animal. Chase has been an animal this season. And I don’t really like to use human to animal analogies.”

 

(Everybody laughs)

 

“But that’s, he’s been great. Just doing so many things. He’s a catalyst. He’s really been a catalyst defensively. Plays every play, all-out. Bo (Schembechler) used to have a saying, every man on every play. And Chase is living that.”

 

How have you seen him handle — he’s an outspoken guy, likes, a gregarious guy — how have you seen him handle growing into a larger role and the spotlight?

 

“Oh, he’s just — he’s a — that’s all he has been. I don’t think — the guys that know him when he was in high school say he hasn’t changed a bit. He was the same guy he was in high school, playing linebacker and quarterback. Hopefully, you’ve met the family, it’s a beautiful family. They’re all outgoing, gregarious, sorta — branch doesn’t fall too far from the tree from Pete Winovich to Chase Winovich. And they love life. Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, as my dad likes to say. Just the kinda people you love being around. They bring — they’re catalysts. They bring energy to all of us.”

 

How is life as a grandpa?

 

“Great. Really good. I was kinda just coming along, thinking, ‘This’ll, ok, my son Jay is having a baby and this is gonna be good, gonna be neat.’ But there’s — when it happens, when you’re right there, now you’re a grandfather. And you look at your grandson, it’s — does not get much better than that. I can tell you that.”

 

Have you seen Pete’s wig?

 

“Yes, I have seen Pete’s wig.”

 

It’s not too shabby

 

“It was the least surprising thing I saw that day.”