Jim Harbuagh is one of the most entertaining, if not most strange, coaches in the NFL. He proved that yet again on Thursday.
The 49ers’ head coach spoke with the Tennessee media on Thursday to talk about the Titans, who the Niners will visit on Sunday. During the call, Harbaugh came out with more of his usual oddities when describing the Titans’ tenacious defense.
“They’re the best we’ve seen at clubbing, punching, stripping, lawn-mowering, just lodging it out from opponents,” Harbaugh said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s always a critical thing to our well-being to have ball security and not turn the ball over. It’s emphasized weekly, daily, but, yes, this week we have to emphasize it even more.”
There’s no way of knowing for sure, considering “lawn-mowering” isn’t listed anywhere in the theoretical football dictionary, but it seems pretty safe to assume that Harbaugh is talking about some sort of common technique used to cause a fumble. But the head coach wasn’t done with his “Harbaugh-isms” just yet.
While talking further on the subject of fumbles, Harbaugh discussed 49ers running back Frank Gore. Gore had something of a fumbling problem early in his career, but he’s become a reliable ball carrier in recent years, even going 255 straight touches without a fumble before a drop in Week 3 last season. The 49ers’ feature back did have one big fumble earlier this season, though, but Harbaugh explained curiously that he didn’t expect that to happen again this weekend.
“When that happens to Frank,” Harbaugh added, “you’re not going to sneak up on Frank again and hit him over the head with a bag of dung a second time.”
That’s right, Jim. You tell them — even if no one really gets what you mean.
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