Players, coaches in harmony
their start and Sunday’s win, he said, “Nope. We’re still pretenders.”
The Pretenders were a pretty good rock group, too, but they are ancient history. The 49ers are the flavor of this season, so far.
Shanahan’s offensive schemes had the Panthers’ heads spinning, and the 49ers’ defense — with Dcoordinator Robert Saleh on lead guitar — was like the opening act that steals the show. Seven sacks. Opposing quarterbacks have wilted against the 49ers.
The game was played beneath hazy skies, a sobering reminder that the Bay Area is under siege from Mother Nature, so the 49ers’ glorious afternoon, in the big picture, comes with an asterisk attached. But the show must go on, and it did, and the 49ers rocked it hard.
In the postHarbaugh era, the 49ers have been a team woefully short on playmakers. This season, they suddenly have playmakers coming out of the woodwork and into the hearts of fans.
The list of playmakers starts with Shanahan and Saleh, and includes general manager John Lynch. Lynch drafted defensive end Nick Bosa, who had three sacks in the first half to give him seven for the season. Then Bosa picked off a Kyle Allen pass at the end of the third quarter and busted tackles on a 46yard return. So if Shanahan deserves criticism, it’s for playing Bosa out of position all season. The kid’s clearly a wide receiver.
Lynch also snagged freeagent running back Tevin Coleman for a relative bargain $10 million (two years), and Coleman ran for 91 yards in the first half, and scored four touchdowns Sunday.
Don’t forget Tuesday’s big pickup, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who came in a trade with Denver. Sanders, acquired to bolster a weak widereceiving corps, caught a 4yard touchdown pass to open the scoring festivities.
The 49ers now have a glut of playmakers, including bobblehead boy George Kittle, who celebrated his doll day Sunday with six catches for 86 yards. His best play might have been Sanders’ touchdown catch when Kittle, near Sanders, almost stuck a hand in front of the ball, but drew back his hand to let his new teammate snag Jimmy Garoppolo’s pass.
All this is happening even though Garoppolo, signed to a big contract last season to be the leader of the 49ers’ resurgence, hasn’t really dazzled yet. He has been OK, and had a fat passer rating of 111.2 on Sunday, but he has been a game manager. It’s Shanahan’s playcalling and the overall execution that has the 49ers rollin’.
Sunday’s 388yard offensive performance cemented Shanahan’s standing as the NFL’s hottest offensive mind. Yes, it’s flexible cement, but Shanahan is the darling du
jour. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and the Rams’ Sean McVay can go take a break backstage while Shanahan does a long drum solo in the spotlight.
As for Saleh, rival bands are already scheming to steal him from the 49ers. He has become the Shanahan of defense. And Saleh has got himself a handful of genuine playmakers. Bosa, the new kid with the brash personality, is getting a lot of the glory, but this defense is far from a oneman show.
The other defensive end, Arik Armstead, had two sacks in the first half, and the 49ers’ fourman rush stacks up with the league’s best.
Caveat: Kyle Allen, despite his play in the Panthers’ four recent wins, is a raw secondyear player. The 49ers’ defense has feasted on nonsuperstar QBs. Between now and the playoffs, this D will be tested by Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Kyler Murray.
But when a new band is getting hot, it’s not defined just by record sales and tickets sold. There’s a special feeling and energy.
“I will never forget going out into the tunnel with these guys,” Sanders said of his first gig with the 49ers. “Everybody was laughing and smiling. I was like, ‘Man, this is football, this is fun. I am blessed to be here.’ ”
Rock ’n’ roll.