On Foles' mechanics and why he's been throwing off of his back foot: "I think sometimes when that happens, there's a rush and he's trying to slide to the right or slide to the left and not setting his feet when he slides, in terms of staying on top of it and staying in a good platform to throw the ball.  That's one of the things that you look at with some of the movement stuff within the pocket where he's got to be a little bit firmer with his feet."

On how fixable those problems are: "I think it's fixable.  It's just a matter of drill work, fundamentals, do a lot of movement drills.  Bill [quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave] does a really nice job with him from that standpoint.  We just have to get him to where he's really comfortable in there.  Sometimes the guys are coming clean or coming off at times that you didn't expect and it may have been a three-technique that beat the guard, so he's got to slide step.  Usually, you kind of understand that when there's a blitz coming and you know where the unblocked guy is coming from, but sometimes when you think it's going to be solid, but you feel a little bit of pressure and you're stepping to your right or to your left, you just need to do a little better job of getting your feet set before you throw the football.

On the variation in success using play-action versus not using play-action: "I think sometimes it gets the linebackers to play a different drop - in terms of what you're doing, are you affecting guys that have duel responsibilities, are they worried about the run and when they do worry about the run, they step up and then all of a sudden you've got bigger throwing lanes to throw the ball into.  We had a key play like that coming out from our own end in the pass; we had [WR] Jeremy [Maclin], he was really pretty clean, but it was off a play action pass."

On the use of tight ends Brent Celek and James Casey: "Just one of our run packages consisted of those two guys in there and that's what we were featuring a lot towards the end of the game."

On why running back LeSean McCoy took himself out of the game: "I think he does that a lot.  I just think that people are looking at that situation and saying it was a different situation. But when he has a couple carries, he's comfortable, I think, and we're all comfortable, that if he comes out and [RB] Darren [Sproles] goes in -- I don't change play-calling wise, and we don't change anything we're doing. So I don't think it was a big deal.  It's just when he knows he needs a rest, he comes out for a play or two and Darren goes in and then we roll.  I think he feels comfortable in terms of the guy behind him, there's not going to be a drop off.  I think Darren had seven carries for 50 something yards, so there wasn't a drop off when Darren went in the game."

On whether Foles is seeing more pressure this year: "I don't think we had as much pressure last year, to be honest with you. You know, I still think it was a combination of things.  Sometimes it's just little fundamental things and we all have to go back to work and I think he understand that."

On ways to get Sproles more involved: "Yeah, but if we take LeSean out of the game, everybody wants to know why LeSean isn't in the game.  Being a one back offense, you have to pick your poison in terms of what you're doing.  We feel like we need both backs.  We need both of them to play a lot and it's not like both of these guys can be a lead back either.  It's not like you can run a two back offense where LeSean is the lead blocker for Darren or Darren is the lead blocker for LeSean.  That's just not the way the two of those guys are built.  With the two of those guys, we are a one back offense."

On why Sproles have been more productive than McCoy: "You have to look at the individual carries to kind of make a decision on that.  Sometimes it's blocked up a little bit better and there's a little bit bigger of a hole for [Sproles] to hit.  He's got a knack, though, of understanding; he's a real smart football player and I said it since the day we got him here, he really is a talented, talented running back and has great vision and has a great understanding of what we are doing from a blocking-scheme standpoint.  He understands what we're doing [schematically] and I think that was one of the things that surprised me even when we first got him. What a really talented running back he is and I think he's just taking advantage of the time that he gets in there."

On whether he notices that Sproles hits the hole right away: "I notice that a lot of people don't see him and I see him coming out the other side. I think there are some advantages to how he plays the game and how he fits in terms of how we run the ball."

On why McCoy wasn't on the field following a timeout: "Yeah, we didn't – again, when we have a timeout we're just calling a play and going. So I'm not concerned with who the running back is, and I don't sit there and say, 'Hey, how come this guy isn't in or this guy isn't in.' You can go back to the question, 'Why isn't Darren in the game more?'  They are both playing very well.  They are both running the ball very well.  So either one of them, at that point in time in the game, I'm happy with both of those guys in the game."

On Duce Staley rotating the running backs on the late-game running calls: "It didn't even come up, to be honest with you. So it wasn't a, 'How come one guy is in, one guy is not in.'  There's never a time that I've been here in the five games we've played this season where it's been, 'Why is Darren in and why isn't LeSean in? Or why is LeSean in and why isn't Darren in?'  It's just that one of those guys is in and both of them are really good backs.  And again, our play calling doesn't change [and we don't say], 'Well he's in the game, let's run it this way. Or he's in the game, let's run it that way.'  They are both the same type of back in terms of what we're doing."

On linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the injury he sustained: "I don't talk to [the training staff] until after this meeting today."

On Ryans' availability and how it will change how he handles lienbacker Mychal Kendricks: "Again, I haven't talked to those guys. So it's pure speculation in terms of anything, so doesn't help to do that. So when I get that information, we'll get it to you."

On the Rams showing different looks against the run than what they did on tape: "Yeah, they played a little bit more man than I think anybody we had played going into the game.  We had seen - it's interesting, in the other game, San Francisco, played us almost exclusively in zone, Jacksonville played us almost exclusively in zone, the Colts and the Redskins played us half and half, and they played a lot more man than anybody we played.  But that was just the only difference going into it and they hadn't shown a ton.  They were probably fifty-fifty going into the game and they just showed a little bit more man going into the game."

On whether the Rams stayed in more base defense than usual: "No, they rotated in and out just like they did their other games.  There was a fair amount of nickel in there when [Rams DB Lamarcus Joyner] was in the game.  I think a lot of it was that we were in a lot more two-tight end [sets], especially when you're up 34 7 and you're running the ball a little more than you are throwing the ball. Your play calling and things like that change a little bit when you have a lead such like what we had.  You don't want to just turn the ball over really quickly to them."

On the level of success with inside zone-reads: "Well we don't run inside-zone read as much as you think we run inside zone read.  We run a lot of inside zone, but there's not a whole lot of reading going on.  So we're blocking edges, so the ball is just being handed off."

On whether he wants to run more read: "Depends on how people are defending it.  A lot of it has to do with a lot of different components, but our goal is to always get the ball in our running backs' hands.  Those are the guys that we are paying to run and those are the guys that we want running."

On how kickoff returns will be impacted if the team isn't healthy at that position: "Huff would be back there or [CB] Nolan [Carroll II] will be back there. We have a bunch of guys that can return. Darren [Sproles] can go back there, [CB Brandon] Boykin can go back there and [WR] Brad Smith has been back there. So that's not a real big concern.  We didn't get any opportunities to really return any, except when we thought they were in an onside situation [when they were] down three scores with just going into the fourth quarter. We had our hands team out there and that was the only chance we had to return it.  And we knew with [Rams K Greg] Zuerlein that he has such a strong leg, it was going to be a tough day and tough sledding in terms of returning because he has such a strong leg that you're going to get a lot more touchbacks."

On Foles' turnovers this season and whether his issues are correctible things: "I think so.  The one he threw [yesterday], it was a lower, flat ball; it should have been higher and outside.  He'll probably tell you that. He probably should have thrown on the first hitch instead of the second hitch.  He had one [yesterday]. One is too many, and he'll be the first to tell you that.  I don't see him throwing the ball in harm's way very often."

On whether Foles throwing five interceptions in five games jumps out: "No."

On what he's seen from the tape in terms of quick fixes for the offense: "No, I don't see anything as a quick fix.  I think everything is just -- we have to continue to just go to work.  You're playing with a different combination [on the offensive line]. It's Lane's [T Lane Johnson] first game back, so now he's next to [G/T] Todd [Herremans]. [T Matt] Tobin was in there for the second game. I think you've got a couple different guys up front getting used to each other.  There were some communication issues, not many, but a couple communication issues where we fanned where we shouldn't have fanned and should have kept it inside.  There was one time we jumped offsides because the center didn't snap the ball in time because he was re-correcting the point. You know, things that didn't happen when [C] Jason [Kelce] was in there.  There's little tiny things along there, but there's not just one magic quick fix where you walk into the staff room and say, 'Hey guys, if we do this then everything is straight.' We just have to continue to work on it and get better.  The positive is that we are working from a situation where we are 4 1 and trying to get better but, as I said yesterday, [whether it's] 4-1 or 1-4 it doesn't mean that you don't address the problems that you have and we're still not as consistent on the offensive side of the ball as we want to be."

On whether being 4-1 but having a struggling offense is a strange position to be in: "No, I don't think it's strange.  I think we've got our defense [that] really yesterday, I thought for three quarters, played outstanding.  I think we're getting really good play out of our special teams and it takes all three phases to win a game in this league and I think we are getting really good play on our defense right now and our special teams right now.  We just need to be more consistent from an offensive standpoint."

On the improvement he's seen from C David Molk since Kelce got hurt: "I think he's gotten better.  It's his second game playing.  Obviously he doesn't have the wealth of experience that Jason had at the position where he had such great command of doing everything. But I think Molk has really held his own in there."

On what's been so successful with the punt blocks, the scheme or the players: "I think it's a combination of both.  I think [special teams coordinator Dave] Fipp and [assistant special teams coach] Matt Harper do a really good job of scheming things up in that game, in the punt game itself. You have got some guys in there that are really going after it.  [TE] James Casey has been an outstanding special teams' four-core player for us for two years here and I think has really gone unnoticed for a while.  I think he's getting his due.  [TE] Trey Burton has really stepped up it and has been a huge addition for us and the ball actually I think kind of came under James's armpit and then Burton's hand was on the other side of it.  We also got some push from [LB Bryan] Braman on one side. [S Chris] Maragos is in there. We have a lot of guys that take a lot of pride in being special teams players.  Our core special teams unit is a bunch of guys that really take a lot of pride and understand the impact that they can have on a game and it's showing out there."

On whether there are changes to be made at outside corner: "No, if you look at it, I think for three quarters we played really well on defense and in the fourth quarter we didn't play well. But in the fourth quarter, we had 26 snaps, Boykin was in on all 26 snaps and on 21 of those snaps, Nolan Carroll was in because we were in dime.  All of our corners were in.  They are on the field.  I think our guys are there.  They just have to do a better job of making a play on the ball.  You look at the one fade stop that probably the one route that's going to beat you on the one with [CB] Cary [Williams] in the end zone is that we are in a zero blitz. He has to take away the inside, he plays over the top because the kid is running to the fade and the quarterback makes a nice throw to the back shoulder. Sometimes you've got to give them credit.  But I think the question is about Boykin and Boykin, we had 26 snaps in the fourth quarter and Boykin was in for 26 snaps in the fourth quarter.  If we put Boykin out wide, then now what are we going to do?  Who are we going to play at nickel?  I think some of that also is what's going on at linebacker. With DeMeco down, we really only had one healthy linebacker so we were in a lot more dime at that point in time.  Are we going to take Boykin, throw him out at corner and then take one of the corners out of the game and then bring another linebacker in, then I think you're going to expose yourself in some different areas."

On whether he wanted to see more time come off the clock in the fourth quarter with the ball: "We are still trying to stay in rhythm at that point in time at the beginning of the fourth quarter because there's still a lot of time on the clock.  We were not in full four minute mode at that point in time and we actually did move the ball. With 12 minutes and I think 48 seconds on the clock, Nick scrambles for the first down and then we fumble.  You are not really thinking at that point that we are trying to take it down to one and be in a four minute offense when you still have 12 minutes to go in the game."

On how many periods are allocated to special teams each day: "Depends on the day.  At least two every day."

On whether he knows how conventional that is around the league: "I haven't really spoken to them about how much time they have spent on special teams, so I can't answer that question for you.  I'm not being evasive, but I've never asked them, like, 'How much time do you spend.?'  We were really good at teams when I was at Oregon and we spent a lot of time on them, and I believe the same thing here.  I think especially in this league where everything is so close, there's very, very rarely blowouts anywhere.  The game is usually coming down to a possession or two. The hidden yardage that can be found in the special teams game is something that I think you need to address because it's the one play where you can drastically change field position one way or another, whether it be with a good return or whether it be with a great cover.  You can flip the field in this league and it's so hard to gain yards in this league that I think it just makes sense to spend a lot of time on teams and to make sure that you can get any advantage you can from a special teams standpoint."

On whether he noticed anything about the 49ers' practices when he visited them with Jim Harbaugh: "When I went down there, I'm talking offense.  I watched Seattle practice before but I never sat there and said, 'Hey, when are their special teams integrated,' because I wasn't going there thinking about special teams.  I'm not being evasive.  I just never asked anybody when they practice it.  Some people practice at the beginning of practice.  Some people practice at the end of practice.  There's a million different theories.  Our practice format is what we set up when we were at Oregon and we are very, very similar to what we did there and that's what we felt is the best way to do it.  I shouldn't say it's the best way.  It's the one I'm the most comfortable doing, I feel like is the best way for me to say it."

On whether he feels fatigue has been a factor on defense down the stretch: "I don't.  They had 76 plays, we had 70 plays on offense.  I think we were both on the field about the same amount of time.  I know you guys always look to the time of possession [and it] is different but if they are standing in the huddle I don't know how that fatigues anybody.  Now if they are running 90 plays and we're running 50 plays, then that's a big problem.  It's always plays run to me and that's the way I look at it.  But because someone huddles and someone doesn't huddle, I don't think that's the big number to look at, the time of possession.  But it's the play differential that's the big thing and obviously when we lost to San Francisco, we didn't have the ball very much offensively and that's on our offense and not getting enough first downs and San Francisco did have the ball.  So it's a combination of our offense getting more first downs because we want to get more plays."

On what he's seen from linebacker Casey Matthews: "I think yesterday specifically, Casey played well.  He did a really nice job.  He got a little bit more snaps.  Usually we are splitting snaps between him and [LB Emmanuel Acho], but Ach got the wind knocked out of him so he missed a few in there.  I thought Casey, as you would hope, the more experienced, the more plays he's gotten out there, I think the better he's gotten.  He's got a real good understanding, he's got a really, really good football mind. He's in position to make plays.  We know what he can do.  He's an in the box type guy and [defensive coordinator] Billy [Davis] has done a really good job of trying to put him in position to make those plays.  I think if we ever have to get Casey in a situation where we are splitting him out and he has to cover a slot or things like that, that's not his strength.  His strength is playing between tackle, tackling and diagnosing plays and making tackles.  I think you've seen him improve with the extended playing time he's gotten. We are happy with what Casey has been doing so far."

On what the cornerbacks need to do better in terms of turning around, or playing through hands: "I think it's a combination of both but we have to do a better job.  The one thing we can do at the corner spot, and Billy would be the first to tell you and even the corners would be the first to tell you, we have to do a better job playing ball when it's in the air.  I think they were very, very close and they're right there to make a play but when the ball is in the air, we have to make a play.  And there's times when your back is turned to the quarterback, you have to see the receiver and when his hands go up, your hands have to go to his hands.  You know, when you go back and look at the tape, it's not like guys are running clean down the field.  It's, we're very close but that's the difference.  Being close isn't good enough.  We have to make a play when we're back there.