NFC Notes: 49ers, Saints, Seahawks

49ers

• 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said the team was concerned about DB Jimmie Ward‘s pulled quad. “It’s a pretty big concern. I don’t know yet but when you talk about pulling a quad, it’s very similar to pulling a hamstring, so we’ll see if that’s the case.” (Nick Wagoner)

Saints

It’s never ideal when the backup quarterback comes into the game. Former Colts QB coach Tom Moore once famously said they never gave Peyton Manning‘s backup snaps because “we don’t practice f—ed.” But Saints backup QB Trevor Siemian came in and steadied the ship for New Orleans against the Buccaneers and helped them hold on for the win. 

“Think about this,” Saints HC Sean Payton said via NBC Sports’ Peter King. “You’re Trevor Siemian. You gotta prepare to play Tampa Bay. You really have to get your mind ready to go in the meetings, go to practices, and then you gotta do it the next week and you might have to go two or three years, and maybe you never play. You gotta prepare like you’re gonna play, but tell me—what if you were a firefighter, prepared all the time to go fight fires, and there never was a fire for two, three years. You never get to fight a fire. Then one day, there’s a fire, and if you’re not really ready, that house is gone. Burned down. So here, Trevor Siemian’s gotta prepare like he’s playing, because he’s gonna regret it, really regret it, if he’s not ready. Unique job. Know what I mean?”

• Payton said he cried when he saw QB Jameis Winston in the locker room. Winston suffered a significant knee injury during the Saints win over the Bucs. (Rod Walker)
• Payton confirms that QB Trevor Siemian would’ve still come in even if QB/TE Taysom Hill was playing. (Just)

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said the plan is for RB Chris Carson to start practicing after the bye. (John Boyle)
• Carroll mentioned QB Russell Wilson has a chance to play vs. Green Bay in two weeks: “He’s going to be really close.” (Bob Condotta)