49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh Has Been Absolutely Gushing About How Well His Team Practiced This Week
If you handicapped the Super Bowl based solely on Harbaugh's assessment of his team's practices, you'd think the Ravens were toast.
Here's what he said Thursday morning about the Wednesday practice (via PFT):
“I would really like to have a photocopy of yesterday. That’s what I would like to have today. The execution at practice, the energy at practice, a photocopy — a mimeograph — of what we had yesterday, that would be outstanding.”
According to Guerry Smith of CBS Sports, he went on to praise players all the way down to the scout team. Here's Harbaugh gushing about about seldom-used defensive back Ricky Jean Francois:
“We couldn't block him [Wednesday]. We could not block him. So there were quite a few positives going on, and like I said, we'll see if we can't get a photocopy of that [Thursday].”
Again, that's a back-up who has barely played this year.
And what did Harbaugh get on Thursday? A photocopy of that perfect Wednesday practice (via PFT):
“I thought yesterday was outstanding, but today was a photo copy of that. In some ways, it was maybe a little better. I’m real pleased, real pleased.”
Jim Harbaugh is pleased. Or at least he's acting like it to instill his players with a final dose of confidence right before the big game, which is smart.