Nick Wagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Two days after getting right into a heated postgame alternate with Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh reiterated that his feedback final week about “authorized sign stealing” had been meant as a praise however acknowledged he may have chosen his phrases higher.
“It's all good,” Saleh stated Tuesday. “No matter occurred on Sunday would not change how I really feel. In my coronary heart, I genuinely was attempting to present a praise, and I personal the truth that I in all probability used the flawed alternative of phrases, however nevertheless you wish to phrase it. I imply, they're actually, actually good at placing their gamers in place to achieve success. As coaches, we're at all times chasing leverage. They're attempting to have profitable leverage. We're attempting to take leverage away and everybody within the league is looking for each avenue they'll.
“As a coach watching their tape, I acknowledge the quantity of hours that should be spent to have the ability to construct formations and outline each little indicator they'll to present their gamers an opportunity to be in a profitable place. That is exhausting and each workforce does it. Some do it higher than others and it was my method of acknowledging that these guys are actually, actually, actually good at it.”
Saleh went on to go with the job Coen is doing as coach of the 3-1 Jaguars, who handed the 49ers their first lack of the season Sunday.
“I feel Liam's doing a hell of a job,” Saleh stated. “I actually do. You may inform that that workforce's actually taking over his persona and I hope they got here out of the sport wholesome, and I want him the perfect of luck all through the remainder of the season. I want I may have discovered a better option of phrases, however my intent was at all times to go with that soccer workers.”
After Jacksonville's 26-21 win Sunday at Levi's Stadium, tv cameras caught Saleh and Coen yelling at one another and having to be separated, presumably from Saleh's feedback the earlier week about how good the Jaguars had been at legally stealing alerts from opponents.
Saleh and Coen, the highest two candidates for the Jaguars' head teaching job within the offseason, didn't initially greet one another at midfield after the sport. On Tuesday, Saleh stated he was in search of out Coen on the sector to clarify himself and praise him for the way he has the Jaguars taking part in when the argument escalated.
“The intent was to say precisely what I simply stated that I feel he is doing a very nice job, which I do,” Saleh stated. “That soccer workforce is taking part in and taking over his persona. They're taking part in violently on the offensive line and their operating backs are operating actually arduous and I feel they're doing a extremely, very nice job. I simply wished to let him know that I recognize the way in which he is going about his enterprise along with his soccer workforce.”
After Coen walked previous Saleh with out acknowledging him, he circled again towards Saleh whereas Jaguars middle Robert Hainsey restrained him. Saleh responded and exchanged phrases with Jacksonville offensive sort out Walker Little as a Niners workers member held him again.
In a video captured by Motion Sports activities Jax, Coen was heard shouting, “Hold my identify out of your mouth. Hold my identify out of your f—ing mouth,” to which Saleh replied, partly, “I'll f— your world up.”
After the sport, Coen twice declined to elaborate on the alternate, saying solely that it was “not an enormous deal” and that they'd “preserve that between us.”
Per customized, Saleh was not obtainable postgame however spoke about it Tuesday because the Niners put together for Thursday evening's recreation towards the Los Angeles Rams.
Saleh stated Tuesday he and Coen haven't reached out to one another since Sunday and stated once more he wished he had chosen phrases apart from “sign stealing” to make his level concerning the job Coen, Rams coach Sean McVay and others do in poring over recreation tape to search out benefits for his or her groups with out breaking the principles.
“Clearly, I did a poor job with the phrases,” Saleh stated. “I imply, if I stated the phrases movie examine, I do not suppose we're actually speaking about this. However I used sign stealing and that is why I used to be so adamant about legally. I used to be simply struggling for the phrases, however for Sean, identical factor. These guys are the perfect on this planet and that is why they're there.”
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan, who tried to douse any potential pressure Friday by stating that Saleh was attempting to pay Coen a praise and saying he should not have used the phrase “stealing,” stated Tuesday he largely thinks Sunday's kerfuffle was a lot ado about nothing.
Requested Tuesday which NFL coaches may take Saleh in a battle, Shanahan laughed and stated “Simply me” earlier than agreeing he would take the Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell “over lots of people.”
“Saleh's too good often however appeared like somebody struck a chord the opposite day,” Shanahan stated. “I do not suppose there's any fights occurring. It was type of comical now to look again at it.”
