It may seem like there was nothing good to take away from last weekend's embarrassing 43-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but that's not how head coach Kyle Shanahan sees it.
"There was so much stuff that we did bad that is fixable," Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area this week. "And surprisingly, there was a number of encouraging things. (I know) that would be hard to believe, and I know people don't totally want to hear that."
An embarrassing defeat like that is challenging for any fan to overlook. This week has seemingly been about placing blame via social media. The 49ers, however, are moving forward. Shanahan didn't review much of that loss with his team this week. He left that to his assistant coaches. But there were encouraging things upon which the team can build.
One of those encouraging things was Raheem Mostert's performance. The running back had missed two games with an MCL sprain and looked like his regular self against the Dolphins.
Once again, Mostert had an absurdly high average yards per carry. He averaged 8.18 yards per attempt on his way to 90 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Mostert also had three receptions for 29 yards, bringing his total yards up to 119. He has racked up over 100 total yards in each of his three game appearances this season.
"He was very impressive," Shanahan said of his featured running back. "He looked like he picked up right where he left off. I mean, he's got a chance to take it the distance every time when we give him a good lane, and he was going for that every time. And he was running physical too, breaking tackles and going. I'm sick that I didn't get him the ball more.
"But yeah, I was happy with our run game. I have our analytics people tell me stuff all the time. They give me a printout. They said, for whatever it's worth, that was the most efficient run stats in situations we've had since like 1980-something. I know we've ran the ball pretty well here in the last few years. So whatever that stands for, I don't know, but it felt that way."
Shanahan didn't have an opportunity to continue his ground assault. By halftime, the 49ers were down 30-7, and the coach had pulled quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who struggled with the ankle injury he sustained weeks earlier.
"I felt like we could run the ball pretty well, and I definitely got away from it for some obvious reasons," Shanahan continued. "I can't do that. We've got to make sure no matter what the score happens (to be), I balance it out, and give us a chance to do what we do best, and also take some of that pressure off the O-line and the quarterback."
Kyle Juszczyk: Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel's vision makes the 49ers dangerous
By David Bonilla
Jul 21, 2021
Kyle Juszczyk spent his first four NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017. The best fullback in the league re-signed with the team in March, ensuring he remains in the Bay Area through the 2025 season.
It sounds like Juszczyk has no regrets about the decision to remain with head coach Kyle Shanahan. It's an offensive scheme that suits him and takes advantage of his unique versatility. Juszczyk may not have had the same opportunities with another organization.
"I definitely have had the most fun in San Francisco because I am a little more featured," Juszczyk said this week on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast. "'Featured' is different as a fullback. I'm not the featured halfback or the No. 1 receiver. ...
Jets coach Robert Saleh shares what makes 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan so unique
By David Bonilla
Jul 20, 2021
When it came time for the New York Jets head coach to speak to his team following an early offseason practice, Robert Saleh stood there behind his players, waiting to hear what would be said. Then he remembered ...
"Oh shoot, that's me," Saleh said to himself.
The story is similar to San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan nearly forgetting to name team captains before his first preseason game.
"Honestly, if someone hadn't asked me, I probably would have been sitting there looking out at the coin toss and wondering why no one was out there," Shanahan said on
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced the following names of individuals who will be part of the team's 2021 Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Saleh is the cousin of former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
The program's objective is to use the experience to give talented coaches opportunities to observe, participate, and gain experience in coaching with a goal of landing a full-time NFL position. The program was designed as a vocational tool to
49ers' Kyle Shanahan: 'There's no open competition right now' between Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance
By Kirk Larrabee
Jul 27, 2021
Trey Lance may well find himself as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers before the season's out, but he clearly won't be starting training camp that way based on what head coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday.
The 49ers obviously plan on Lance eventually being the starter over incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo after trading up to select him with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But as of now, the job remains Garoppolo's to lose.
"There's no open competition right now in terms of they're getting equal reps with the same group," Shanahan told reporters Tuesday, one day before the start of camp. "Jimmy's coming in as the one and Trey's coming in as the two."
Lance
