Can you evaluate your offense now that you have been through preseason and everything?
“I think it is what we choose to do. We are going to try to play the kind of offense and the type of football that we want to play. It is complimentary football. So offense complimenting the defense, the defense complimenting the offense [and] special teams bridging the two. Part of that will be explosive [and] take shots, part of that will be [to] run the football; whether that keeps up with somebody else I don’t know that answer.”

What is your message to the fans to get them to come out here and support on Sunday?
“Oh just what it has been. This is the Bay Area’s team and we are going to do our part. We are going to do things the right way on and off the field. I think that’s what this area wants. That’s the kind of team they want. We are going to go play good football. We need your help. That can be and has been an awesome home field advantage - that stadium when it is packed. The heat, the elements, and the fans—that’s what makes for home field advantage. So we all want the same thing, right? At the end of the day we all want to win championships and we can all be part of it which is fun.”

You have emphasized from day one the need to protect the football and was that the greatest area of need when you evaluated this team?
“It was a big area. I don’t know if it was the greatest. There may have been some bigger nonspecific football issues that needed addressed, but it is one of them.”

You have talked a lot about football being the ultimate team sport, but can you overestimate the importance of Josh Freeman’s play is for the success of this team?
“A quarterback without a doubt is an important part, but I really believe that the whole 11 on offense make it happen [and] the whole 11 on defense. Does the quarterback...is his 11th the big 11th? Sure is, but everybody has got to do it. I think Josh (Freeman) is an important part to this team, but I don’t think he has to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. He needs to go do his job just like the right guard has got to do his job and all the way down the line.”

Do you take the same approach with the defense facing the Panthers this week? Is the priority to put pressure on Cam Newton or is it to stop the run?
“Well, Cam Newton is kind of - stop the run and put pressure on him. They will run what is the zone read game where their back’s in the shot gun and Cam (Newton) is reading it and he is running it. He is also throwing off it. So there is a lot of different things [that] he does for that offense. It is going to have to be an all encompassing effort. He is certainly one of the elite athletes in the league. So we need to make sure we have different things to account for him. Someone asked the question earlier in the week about how do you shut him down? I don’t think you do. I think you just try to limit him.”

With the transaction you have another cornerback back and you seem kind of heavy at that defensive back position and on the offensive line are you concerned at all about the depth there?
“I think we still have ten guys on the offensive line so how you choose to do it if it is eight and two you know eight active and two on the practice squad, but I feel good where we are. At the end of the day you are only going to dress seven or eight anyway. So we are able to practice. We are not putting a load on anybody. Defensive back we have a couple guys that have nagging little things and you know they are going to play three wide outs and they are going to do those things. We are going to have to be able to have enough defensive backs to defend them. We just want to make sure that we the guys in house that can do it and Mac (Brandon McDonald) is a guy who was with us and knows what we are doing and did a good job when he was here. It doesn’t shock me he is back. He is a guy that I thought all along might be coming back. Just a little faster than maybe I first thought.”

What strikes you about Carolina’s defense especially they seem strong at linebacker?
“Well they are and with (Jon) Beason back they will really be strong. It is an attacking style defense. They are going to blitz. They are going to come at you in every different way and they run well.”

How does that rookie (Luke Kuechly) look on tape?
“Very good. Doesn’t surprise me.”

You are familiar with him then?
“Very familiar. Yes.”

What can you say about what your defense will look like?
“I think we will be a good mix. I think we will mix pressure and coverage. Movement and static defense. I think –to me the key is just don’t be sitting ducks. One time you are doing this [and] the next time you are doing that. Just change up. I think sometimes when you just change up a little bit people assume that’s pressure. That’s not necessarily pressure. It is just changing up a little.”

How prepared do you think this team is for opening week and how excited is Sunday going to be for you when you step out there?
“It is going to be exciting. We are not nearly as prepared as we will be this time next year, but we are a heck of a lot more prepared then we were five [or] six months ago. So that’s part of being a new group, a new staff, a new team, but we will be prepared to go play the game Sunday I promise you that.”

How bothersome to you is it that that NFLRA referees will not be on the field for the games?
“I can’t control that. That is out of my control. I don’t worry about stuff I can’t control.”