No Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, no problem.
What's left of the San Francisco 49ers marched into SoFi Stadium and stole a massive road victory over their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams. It was a gritty performance from an injury-depleted club on a short week with no business prevailing, though the result wasn't an accident.
49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones stepped up for the previously-mentioned Purdy and guided the team to a thrilling overtime Thursday Night Football victory in Los Angeles. His efforts garnered a postgame interview, though he credited head coach Kyle Shanahan's motivating San Francisco with a powerful pre-game message as a swing factor.
Mac Jones has 49ers fans ready to run through a brick wall after revealing Kyle Shanahan's pre-game message
"[Shanahan] saw that we were underdogs," Jones said following San Fran's 26-23 win versus the Rams. "He was pissed. He just told me to let it fly, and I was like, 'You don't have to tell me twice.'"
All Shanahan needed to beat the Rams was a hobbled Jones and an incredible career-best outing from veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. That's a testament to the sideline general's tactical acumen, but it's also a sign that the Niners just wanted it more than their heavily-favored opponent.
Against all odds, the 49ers showed up fearless and ready to roll. They needed every ounce of Jones and his teammates' gutsy showing on the field, and Shanahan squeezed it out of them. San Fran ostensibly had a boulder-sized chip on its shoulder in a contest no one expected to be competitive, let alone an outright upset defeat.
Many laud Shanahan for his play-calling prowess, and rightfully so. However, X's and O's can only get you so far; moments like this remind us that he should be equally respected as a leader. His ability to galvanize Jones and the locker room made all the difference in the 49ers advancing to 4-1 on the season.
Jones completed 33-of-49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns while posting a 100.9 passer rating. Bourne caught 10 of his 11 targets for a personal single-game of 142 yards. Struggling second-round rookie Alfred Collins recovered a crucial fumble. Shanahan has his fingerprints all over their notable efforts.