Budda Baker Press Conference – 9.18.25 | AZ Cardinals

So, what uh what stands out with this 49ers offense? I know you probably don’t got a plan for both quarterbacks, but where what do you what does your mindset start with them? Um, of course, it starts with the run game. Christian McCaffrey, you know, he’s their you know, their uh guy. They get the ball a lot. Uh run game, pass game. So, it all starts with of course stopping the run. With Garrett’s loss, how do you how do you guys make up for him and and just how tough is that to see him go down like he did? Yeah, very tough to see uh G go down, you know, little friendly fire on my end and um you know, next guy up mentality. Um, of course going to be a big loss, but the guys who are in will be ready and we’ll have great plan with the guys that you know are playing. Two games into the year, how would you assess how the secondary played so far? Um, you know, we’re 2 and 0. Um, you know, I think when it comes to, uh, you know, really letting a mini explosives, um, you know, getting our hands on a couple footballs, PBUS, and, uh, just just trying to get some INTs, get some more turnovers so we can get the ball back to our to our uh, to our offense. So, um, you know, excited that we’re 2 and 0. We got a great challenge in the 49ers playing um, divisional opponent at third place. So definitely excited for the game, excited for the week of preparation. How much does chemistry just play a part on that back end with the corners? Uh just knowing how what everybody’s going to do, knowing where they’re supposed to be, how much does that play a part in what you guys do? Yeah, chemistry plays a big part in what we do. Uh the communication that each of us have to have and to all be on one accord, it it plays a big part. So um you know, the guys that we have playing are going to be ready. We have a great plan and excited to go execute it. Christian McCaffrey didn’t play in either matchup last year, but in 2023, he had two really good games against the Cardinals. How do you contain him? Yeah, I mean, you know, if you if you remember, I I didn’t play that game either, you know. So, um, you know, he’s a great running back, you know, one of the best in the league and, uh, a guy that we are going to have to know where he is at all times because of, you know, how the offense has ran through him. So whether that’s a run game, pass game, we all got to be on one court and doing our job and um, have a great plan to try and stop them. Shanahan is known for his play calling and design and all that stuff and making you guys have false eyes and all that kind of thing. Yeah. Do you as a player who’s gone against him now a number of times? Yeah. Do you does it get easier as a defender or is it always like a new thing every time you play them? Yeah, I mean it’s always a new thing. It’s always, you know, uh different personnels each and every year. Um, you know, Kyle does a great job of running his his style offense and the little details that he changes up with the with the personnel that he has. And uh, same thing with us. You know, we have different personnel, so we do different things as well. So, it’s going to be a battle of uh, you know, personnels and and scheme. And, um, you know, on the defensive side, we’re just going to take one play at a time and uh, try to execute our game plan and see where it goes. You talked about wanting to force more turnovers. What do you think needs to happen to kind of make that happen? Oh, I mean, you know, we got a lot of guys with, you know, a lot of PBUS and uh, you know, just instead of PBU, get those INTs, you know. So, um, if the ball’s in the air, I always preach about it. The ball’s in the air and it goes to you, you got to snag it. Um, so it’s just a matter of, uh, just taking it one play at a time, you know, being very detailed in our calls and when that ball’s in the air instead of pbuing it, you know, to pick it. Both JJ and Nick kind of said this week like they were torn sometimes with how they’re going to how they called the second half and between the head and the heart and and the gut and what they wanted to do. And obviously the Panthers were able to get some yards as a defender. How how hard is that for you as you’re as you’re going through it? Do you ever get to the you want to say, “Hey, let’s do this instead.” You just do it like what’s what’s the emotion going like when you’re going through it like Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. you know, my emotion is just uh just whatever call that Nick calls, you know, just try to do it to the best of my ability. And um you know, it’s good for our coaches, you know, when we are in those situations. You know, when you’re in a close game early and then um you know, you have certain play calls and then when you’re winning, you know, sometimes you have those uh other play calls that you might want to do cuz you’re up ahead so much. But you know for us it’s just to try to execute whatever plays that they have called. But um you know whatever is in our game plan let’s just stick to the game plan. So that’s something that you know we we all you know learn and for us for them to come back uh handle adversity as a player to not you know point fingers but to only just take it one play at a time and do the best that we can in each and every call. And um you know it it held to that last drive but at the end of the day you know we won 2 and 0 and um you know it was a great learning experience for all of us. He’s not able to go. What have you seen from Mac Jones on tape? Yeah, Mac. Jones, he he does a great job of uh you know getting the ball out and um you know sitting in that pocket and you know throwing it to his guys and um you know trying to do the best of his ability of that Kyle Shanahan offense. Um we understand that it’s a it’s an intricate offense. So, for a QB to kind of be new there, of course, there’s going to be, you know, some some details that are, you know, he might miss, but he’s done a great job of uh keeping him in the game and scoring points when he’s needing to score points, and um that’s all you can do as a quarterback. They won, and you know, kudos to them. Does he look a lot different to you than the guy that you guys faced in 2023? when uh when he was at the Patriots um well the scheme’s you know the scheme’s different so uh you know it’s kind of totally different. You can’t even really look look on that because the scheme’s totally different. So um he’s he’s making his correct reads and um you know doing what he can to the best of his ability. Um not trying to not taking sacks and getting that ball out, getting the check down. So, he’s doing a great job of all that and um we’re definitely excited to play either of the two. What did you see out of uh Denzel and Kel just stepping in last week? Yeah, just uh you know, just to be able to go out there and step in and, you know, next guy up mentality. It it shows to them, you know, being pros. I know Denzel’s a rookie, but he, you know, he had a a real good game. You know, some details that he could have fixed like we all could have. And um you know just to have a full week of practice with all the guys has definitely been special and um we’re going to continue to take it one day at a time and um you know have a have a great practice tomorrow and you know see where it goes. I know it’s super early in the season obviously but have you kind of been taking a look around the standings already at this point even I mean it’s it’s crazy how the NFC West it’s like basically nobody’s lost a game almost pretty much. Yeah. What does that say about the division in your mind? Yeah. I mean, me personally, I haven’t paid attention to it. Um, you know, early on this season, I don’t really think of, uh, you know, I don’t really look at the standings cuz, you know, 3 weeks, it it could be completely different. So, for me, it’s just to, uh, you know, focus on the team that, you know, focus on the present, be where your feet are. Um, you know, we had a good win and now we’re going to a divisional opponent and we’re just trying to be 1 and0 each and every day. And then come Sunday, we’ll we’ll execute our plan and uh see where that goes and back to it, you know, on that Thursday night game. So, it’s just one day at a time. Very excited to play a divisional opponent in the 49ers at their place. Um uh you know, I think it’s their home opener, so definitely will be a lot of fans out there. Just very excited to go out there and um just execute our game plan and see where that takes us. Any extra juice just knowing it’s division one, guys? Um, you know, there’s always extra juice. Each and every week is you get more juice as you go just because it’s a new opportunity to, you know, play the game and a new opportunity, new g play calls, new, um, scenarios and and, uh, you know, for me personally, um, going against a new, um, you know, offensive scheme each and every week and just the I love the process of the details throughout the week. And then on Sunday, just have fun.

S Budda Baker joins the media from Dignity Health Training Center.

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