Pettine: 'There's not much margin for error'

[Cheesehead]

He's definitely been a welcome addition. I liked him coming out of San Jose and I knew he was a good returner. I always respect him as a player. Getting to know him, he's a great guy and he's really done a great job for us. I'm glad he's here.


That was a smart, heady play. He's got experience and has played in playoff games. As a veteran he needs to do those things. Seeing that path of the ball, if it's going to go in we want to let it go in.


(on Scott and how he pulled out of his slump from the last San Francisco game)


We just kept working repetitions. We tried to analyze the things that maybe were giving him problems and concentrate on them on a daily basis. Just pick one thing out maybe we thought he needed to change, and when he's comfortable with that to move on. Just his diligence repping it.


Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine


(on San Francisco's play-action game)


They're really good at it. That's a commitment that offensive system. If you don't feel comfortable just doing dropback passing on early downs, there are a bunch of offenses that have gone primarily to play-pass, and the Niners are one of the best at marrying up their runs to their play-passes. Other teams will fake a run that doesn't exist. They do a really good job each week, these are the runs, and these are the passes off of it. They do a good job fooling your eyes.


(on the players' leadership)


I've heard the quote before, bad teams have no leaders, the OK teams coaches lead, and the teams that have a chance to be really, really good is where the players have ownership. They have a really good sense of what it's supposed to look like. They understand what the standards are. But as far as the other things, attention to detail, effort, finishing, when a player can get on another player about it before a coach gets to him, that's when you know you're headed in the right direction.