SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Bear in mind these guys? It hasn’t truly been lengthy because the San Francisco 49ers appeared like this, performed like this, stomped round on nationwide tv like this and appeared so very fitted to one other Tremendous Bowl run like this.
However sure, all people wanted some reminding. After this lengthy, anxious summer season of contract wrangling, near-trades, near-tragedies and lacking stars, the 49ers wanted to get again on the sector and get to banging across the New York Jets to open the common season.
The end result: Even after Christian McCaffrey was a shock late scratch as a consequence of a calf harm, the 49ers delivered a crunching, environment friendly 32-19 victory at Levi’s Stadium on Monday evening that was a sign to the remainder of the league and outdoors critics and a clarion name to themselves. The 49ers went by means of a bizarre summer season. Shedding McCaffrey briefly was a jolt. However they’re nonetheless fairly good. They took the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to extra time within the Tremendous Bowl in February and led till the Chiefs’ successful landing.
The 49ers have tons of stars. They’re powerful and explosive. They’re elite. They will do issues like, say, blast out 180 dashing yards on an excellent Jets protection, identical to they did Monday. The 49ers can do loads of issues that just about no person else can. Bear in mind?
“It simply means loads to have the boys again collectively, have the band again collectively,” Jauan Jennings mentioned. “And we had a helluva live performance tonight.”
Trent Williams is launched to the group earlier than the sport towards the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium. (Darren Yamashita / Imagn Photos)
Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams have been again in motion after settling their contract disputes within the final week or so. Ricky Pearsall was smiling in sweats on the sidelines, not rather more than every week after struggling a gunshot wound throughout a theft try. And if there have been any doubts concerning the focus of this staff in any case this, they have been gone as soon as the 49ers gathered for follow early final week.
What may’ve torn the 49ers aside solely made them happier to be again collectively.
“I walked in, I’m like, man, all people is, like, laser-focused, all people’s flying round,” Williams mentioned Monday evening, describing the temper of the staff when he returned early final week. “Not loads of joking occurring. We’ve acquired loads of new gamers within the locker room that’s already enjoying at (the extent) we count on round right here. Checked out all of the younger guys within the draft. I do know clearly we had a very good roster final yr. I didn’t know that they may enhance it. However for my part, we’ve improved.”
Time will inform on that one, however I don’t suppose the 49ers are feeling some false euphoria right here. They’re feeling a little bit of actual euphoria after a lot may’ve been misplaced this summer season. Whereas Kyle Shanahan isn’t a touchy-feely type of coach, he needed to be rigorously monitoring the staff’s temper, particularly in the previous few weeks. And Shanahan advised an offensive group assembly over the weekend that he knew the staff was prepared for this by feeling the power and perspective throughout follow final week.
“When Kyle mentioned that, it simply reaffirmed every thing I used to be feeling,” Kyle Juszczyk mentioned.
Probably the most spectacular half was, after all, doing it with out McCaffrey, final yr’s NFL Offensive Participant of the Yr. However Shanahan tailored by enjoying to backup Jordan Mason’s strengths. The passes to McCaffrey have been out. The downhill runs by Mason have been in. And repeated on Mason’s option to 28 carries for 147 yards and a TD.
“I advised Christian that actually the one good factor that got here out of him not enjoying is that our playbook shrinks just a bit bit,” George Kittle mentioned. “I’m at all times a fan of the shrinking playbook. Kyle could make all these superior performs; the cool factor about Christian is he can do all this stuff that nobody else on this planet can do. However we actually simply ran the simplest outdoors zone all day. Whether or not it was a weakside run at Trent or Colton (McKivitz), or we had two tight ends in there and simply working outdoors zone. It labored actually, rather well.”
It didn’t all go completely Monday, as Shanahan was fast to level out. With out McCaffrey, the 49ers offense needed to work its approach right into a groove with Mason getting his first begin at working again. However as soon as they acquired going, after Fred Warner’s compelled fumble arrange the primary of six Jake Moody discipline targets, the 49ers simply stored going and going.
All work, no luck. pic.twitter.com/zGORAUg0Np
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 10, 2024
They did it the pure Shanahan Manner, pounding out their first lengthy landing drive by working 10 occasions in a 12-play drive to take their first lead, 13-7. They did it on protection by stuffing the Jets’ working sport and fully limiting Aaron Rodgers. They did it by avoiding turnovers. They did it with Brock Purdy making all the mandatory throws and not one of the dumb ones.
And so they did it in a approach they know they’ll repeat. As a result of this was a repeat of about 20 or 30 different occasions they’ve received video games this manner during the last 5 years. There isn’t any assure the 49ers can maintain doing this, or whether or not they may end up with a Tremendous Bowl title. They may undergo extra accidents. They may falter within the center or, once more, on the finish.
However for now, they’re nonetheless powerful. They’re nonetheless bodily. They nonetheless have a quarterback who does the best issues. They nonetheless have stars in every single place on the roster. They nonetheless hear to one another. They’re nonetheless tied collectively. And in every week or two, they’ll have McCaffrey again, too.
“We’ve acquired nice leaders on this locker room,” Williams mentioned. “And we’ve acquired individuals who observe the management. We’ve acquired leaders that echo what the coaches are preaching. That’s the rationale our locker room was capable of keep targeted.”
However wait: Did the 49ers virtually commerce Aiyuk mere moments earlier than he lastly agreed to the four-year, $120 million deal that introduced him again into the fold late final month? Fox Sports activities’ Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that the 49ers had determined to commerce Aiyuk to Pittsburgh earlier than he went into Shanahan’s workplace and mentioned he would agree with the 49ers’ final provide. And that it took Shanahan interrupting the 49ers’ commerce preparations to cease the method and get Aiyuk’s contract wrapped up.
Is that this true, Kyle?
“I imply, most of it, yeah,” Shanahan mentioned Monday.
Whew. Buying and selling Aiyuk after these bizarre negotiations wouldn’t have been an effective way to enter the common season. I don’t suppose even the 49ers’ tight locker room may’ve brushed that one off. However then issues have been settled. The 49ers, by some means, put the items again collectively. And so they turned Week 1 right into a celebration and, they positive consider, the signal of issues to come back.
(Prime picture of Brandon Aiyuk: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Photos)
