Kelly’s go-go offense should be a lot of fun
An edited transcript of an interview with 49ers tight end Vance McDonald:
Q: How does it affect you, as a player, getting used to (coach Chip Kelly’s) tempo? A: It is a little bit of an adjustment. We’ve been doing it here for a couple of months, so it has become somewhat of the normal. We had joint practices and they were different than usual, so when we actually went back to our normal routine, if you will, it actually felt a little weird, you know, like huddling after a play. We were huddling like, “What are we doing standing here?” With the offense the way it is, it keeps defenses having to play basic, base defense, so it makes it easier for us as an offense, especially for us tight ends because we get some fun mismatches. Q: I guess it’s also got to feel pretty good having Chip because he really utilizes the tight end position. A: For sure. Definitely something people have been hitting me up in the offseason like, “Dude, Chip’s your coach now. You’re going to get so many opportunities.” It’s awesome that he brings that to the game, especially for us as an offense. Chip always puts us in a position to put a bunch of points on the scoreboard. Q: You have to be on the same page as the offensive
line, so is that tougher when everything is happening at warp speed? A: The first thing we start out with every day is talking about our communication; what did we miss, how did we do yesterday, how can we get better. It starts there every single day, and you have to be on the same page because you can’t miss anything and potentially kill the drive. Q: Chip loves to run the ball, so I’m guessing you’re not going to get a lot of playing time in a Chip Kelly offense if you’re not much of a blocker. A: That’s another thing we harp on. You see those big defensive linemen running across the field in a pursuit and right after that we’re snapping the ball right away, and in those moments when your receivers break off a big run, you need the receivers downfield to be blocking. That’s the difference between a 20-yard run and a guy getting behind the defense and scoring. Q: It looks from afar that (Colin Kaepernick) still hasn’t regained that arm strength. Does it look that way to you? A: Yeah, he looks slightly different, but when you consider all the health issues he’s had in the offseason, that’s natural. I have no doubt Kap is going to be back and turning heads again like he did. He’s still working through that, but he’s the same Kap. First one here, last one to leave. He’s always doing the extra things and getting those mental reps. He’ll never go into a game unprepared . ... In terms of a physical standpoint, he’ll be back in no time.