Here is my Thursday column on Jim Harbaugh.

SANTA CLARA – It used to be so easy to get Jim Harbaugh to say too much.

He used to love creating side narratives before big games. He was the side-narrative king, the Charles Dickens of football coaches. Maybe he didn’t like the 49ers’ chances of winning that particular game and he tried to even the odds by making the game about something else.

Last year the week before the 49ers played the Giants, Harbaugh actually wrote down his side narrative and his P.R. staff e-mailed it to reporters an hour before Harbaugh’s Friday press conference. The final sentence of the statement was, “The Giants coaching staff’s sole purpose is to use their high visibility to both criticize and influence officiating.”

The officiating never was an issue in that game. The Giants beat the 49ers 26-3.

Before the 49ers played the Packers Week 1 this season, Harbaugh created two side narratives.

Narrative No. 1: The NFL should change its rules regarding the read option. The Packers said they were going to deck Kaepernick during this play. Harbaugh said they shouldn’t be allowed to: “My opinion is before the quarterback has declared being a runner, then he should be afforded the protection all quarterbacks are afforded.” And then he went on and on and got into specifics.

Harbaugh did the exact same thing he accused the Giants coaches of doing the previous season: He tried to criticize and influence officiating. Ironic.

Narrative No. 2: The Packers are a dirty team that will try to injure Colin Kaepernick: “You’re hearing all the tough talk right now,” Harbaugh said. “You’re hearing some intimidating type of talk, the same thing we were hearing a couple of years ago. It sounds a lot like targeting a specific player.”

The NFL didn’t change its read-option rule, but Packers’ linebacker Clay Matthews illegally hit Kaepernick out of bounds and seemed to validate Narrative No. 2.

The day after the game, Harbaugh still was stuck on Narrative No. 2. A reporter asked what he thought of Matthews’ illegal hit, a clothesline on Kaepernick out of bounds, followed by an open-hand slap to Joe Staley’s facemask. Harbaugh exploded with a 388-word response vividly describing the play and the hit, criticizing the way the referees penalized the play, and calling out Matthews’ manhood: “That young man works very hard at being a tough guy,” said Harbaugh. “He’ll have some repairing to do to his image after the slap.”

Harbaugh’s players seemed to follow his example. That week, Anthony Dixon challenged the manhood of the 49ers’ upcoming opponent, the Seahawks, calling them the “She-Hawks” in a tweet.

The Seahawks beat the 49ers 29-3.

After that humiliation, Harbaugh changed. He seemed to realize his side narratives hurt his team more than they helped it. He seemed to realize a head coach’s job is to focus his team on its upcoming opponent, not on what might happen or what happened the previous week.

This week, everyone expects the 49ers to beat the Packers. Even Packers fans expect the 49ers to beat the Packers – they still have not sold out Lambeau Field. If the game is about football, the 49ers should win. They’re the better team. But if the game is about the weather or playing on the road or some other side narrative, the 49ers could lose.

All week, reporters have flocked to Santa Clara trying to induce side narratives out of Harbaugh, trying to make the buildup to the game interesting.

Here’s how Harbaugh answered my question about the weather in Green Bay this weekend: “What the weather’s like won’t control how we play. We’ll go out and play hard, keep our bodies warm by playing hard. I played in a zero-degree-weather game and it didn’t feel any different than a 30 or 40-degree weather game.”

Harbaugh totally dismissed the idea that cold weather could affect an athlete. Mind over matter. Next question, please.

Q: “Some people think it’s a disadvantage for a West Coast team to play in Green Bay. Do you welcome that challenge?”

HARBAUGH: “Is it? I mean, do you have some study on that?”

Q: “You’re practicing in 60-degree weather. A lot of people think you’ll be at a disadvantage when it’s zero degrees at Lambeau.”

HARBAUGH: “I don’t know the study you’re referring to.”

Harbaugh used the Judge Judy method – she’s a favorite of his – to shut down that line of questioning. “Some people think” is hearsay, and therefore inadmissible. Next question, please.

A reporter tried a different approach to the same question. “Your team’s been a pretty good road team. Is there anything that defines a good road team other than just being a good team anywhere? Is there any characteristic or mental quality to that?”

“At this point where we stand, we’re not trying to explain or answer those questions in detail,” said Harbaugh. “Keeping it simple. Take our best players, we’ll go to Green Bay, and see if we can beat their best players. I’m just boiling it down Barney-style for myself. And, we’ll take that approach and see if it works.”

His point? The game is the game. There is nothing but the game. The game speaks for itself.

By the way, I always liked Barney. No side narratives.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for the Press Democrat’s website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.

SANTA CLARA — Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here is a transcript.

Both teams talked about how Week 1 there’s been an evolution for both teams. What do you see is the major difference of the Packers now and the way that they played last week and the weeks before that, as oppose to the team you saw Week 1?

“We saw a top-notch team Week 1 and they’re a top-notch team now.”

Stylistically, what’s the biggest difference?

“Stylistically, I don’t know any stylistically.”

You played in a lot of cold-weather games. What’s your advice to QB Colin Kaepernick in terms of throwing the ball in cold weather?

“He’ll be fine. He’s played up in Reno. They had some cold weather games there, cold and windy.”

What has it meant to have WR Michael Crabtree back and how is he doing getting up to full speed in the offense, getting himself integrated to where he was, for instance, last year when he was really peaking?

“I’d say fully, fully integrated.”

What has Packers RB Eddie Lacy brought to their offense as far as making them multi-dimensional?

“The obvious answer is, brought a lot. That was an easy one. That was an easy question.”

What is it about the way he runs and makes things happen that impresses you?

“He’s a very physical runner. He’s got really good vision. Ability to break tackles and make yards after contact. Has a sense for the end zone. All those things. Been a real good back right off the blocks.”

Do you remember talking to WR Quinton Patton before in the run up to the draft, whether it be the Combine or afterwards? Do you remember a conversation or anything like that with him?

“Yeah. I remember several conversations.”

What was your impression with him? You talked about him being competitive the other day. Did you get that sense from him and just interacting that he was that type of guy?

“Mostly off of the film of his. College film, his Senior Bowl tape. That’s more where I got the sense that he was a very competitive player. He would compete for balls, compete during the route.”

When you think back at his college tape, was there a play, was there a game, that jumps out to you?

“Several. The whole body of work. Every time you watched him that’s what he was doing. Tight coverage or press coverage, competitive at the point of catch and during the route is what stood out to me.”

In Week 1 with WR Anquan Boldin having such a huge debut, what do you think back to that game and remember from the day he had in his 49ers debut?

“It was a great performance. Spectacular. And, there’s been many since.”

There was a time when it was a rarity for a team to advance from the Wild Card round and be the eventual champion or even make the Super Bowl. Lately it hasn’t been as rare. Do you have an explanation for that, why teams are getting better at that?

“I have some thoughts on it, but not an explanation, no.”

Does that recent success, does it bolster your team’s attitude or confidence at all knowing that these other teams have done it in the last eight or 10 years?

“I think our players want to play winning football, no matter what the circumstances. So, regardless of what’s coming forward. It’s not relevant. I think the most relevant thing is that we want to play, we want to coach and participate in winning football no matter what the circumstances, home or away.”

Your team’s been a pretty good road team. Is there anything that defines a good road team other than just being a good team anywhere? Is there any characteristic or mental quality to that?

“I’m sure there is. At this point where we stand we’re not trying to explain or answer those questions in detail. Keeping it simple. Take our best players, we’ll go to Green Bay, and see if we can beat their best players.”

Is that an explanation though? Keeping it simple? That not a lot of bells and whistles, you just kind of play a very basic, be able to play a very basic game of football.

“I’m just boiling it down Barney-style for myself. And, we’ll take that approach and see if it works.”

Is there anything you’ll do during the week to prepare your guys for the cold weather?

“This was asked, I got a chuckle out of it the other day. We’re going to practice today. Today’s going to be, we’ll attempt to make that our best practice of the year. And, the meetings that we have, make those the best meetings we’ve had the entire season.”

Looking back on last year’s playoff opener, were you curious to see how Colin would elevate his game for the playoffs going into it since it was going to be his playoff debut and what did that teach you about what kind of player he can be on a bigger stage?

“I think those things we knew going in. Definitely, he confirmed a lot what our thoughts were, that he was an outstanding, was/is an outstanding player. I’ve always had the sense that the big stage did not make him flinch. And, those things were confirmed.”

How do you feel about CB Carlos Rodgers’ status for this game? Where does he stand on that?

“I don’t really want to place a stance or a figure on it or define it at this point. We’ll see. Sore yesterday, better today, continue to see how the healing goes.”

If he couldn’t go, would CB Perrish Cox be the dime guy?

“I wouldn’t get into that at this point. There’ll be a practice today and there’ll be a challenge there for those players that would be backing up Carlos in this game or playing in this game.”

It seems like you guys have a pretty good luxury there. CB Eric Wright, who hasn’t seen a whole lot of playing time, but a guy who has 80 career starts. What have you seen from him since he’s joined the team and played and just how good do you feel knowing that he’s there for insurance?

“Well, like I said, the players that are involved, it’s a great opportunity and a challenge. And, we’ll go out there today on the practice field and that has a tendency to kind of scream to you, ‘play me, count on me in this game,’ or ‘don’t count on me.’ So, I’m excited about it. I’m excited to see that.”

Even this time of year there’s competition for roles?

“I always think that. I think every time of year, anytime a year there’s that. There’s different variables, depending on where your team is at or the health of a player could be one of those. But, I always think that practice predicts. How you practice is how you’re going to play in a game.”

Going back to Boldin, are there things that he’s done that you didn’t know about him when he arrived here or a few of the most impressive things that he’s done?

“It’s a very long list [Associated Press writer] Janie [McCauley]. I always try to boil it down. Anquan Boldin is a football player. Let me say it again, Anquan Boldin is a football player. And, that sums up everything. That’s the highest compliment you could give somebody that plays the game of football. My brother John [Harbaugh] said, ‘you will love Anquan Boldin. You will love the way he practices. He’ll take every rep. You’ll love the way he competes and plays in the game and the plays that he’ll make and the plays that he’ll make in the big games and you’ll just love being around him.’ And, check, check, check, check. So, there’s a pretty long list.”

Have you seen more of his personality?

“Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I love his personality. Serious about winning. Serious about being really good. He comes to work, he goes home, he comes back to work and kicks ass day after day. I love it.”

I know your approach is week-to-week, but having won six in a row, is that type of momentum tangible for you guys at this point heading into the playoffs? Do you feel that among the team?

“Again, I don’t know. I don’t know the tangibility of it. I know that this is win-or-go-home. And, we will put ourselves in the best possible chance we have of winning this game with our preparation and how we play on Sunday.”

It’s perceived by some that a west coast team going to Green Bay is at a disadvantage. Is that a challenge you welcome?

“Is it? I mean, do you have some study on that?”

Well, because you’re a west coast team, you’re practicing today in 60-degree weather. A lot of people think you’re going to be at a disadvantage when it’s 10 degrees at Lambeau Field.

“I don’t know the study that you’re referring to.”

No study.

“Just a tangible thought, or just a–?

Well, yeah, warm-weather team going to a cold-weather site. A lot of people think that might be a tough adjustment, no?

“I think you have my quote on that. We’re going to take our best players and see if we can go beat their best players.”