Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who was in the broadcast booth for Monday night's game in Mexico City between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, said he is "a huge buyer" of the former as a legitimate threat in the NFC. The team is filled with star power and playmakers, evident by its dominant 38-10 primetime win. However, that's not necessarily the main reason the analyst has believed in the Niners for several years.
"A big reason for that is because of [head coach] Kyle Shanahan," Aikman said on ESPN's SportsCenter after the game. "If I was in a position to hire a head coach, and I could hire anybody I wanted, Kyle Shanahan would be that guy. The way he's able to utilize his personnel ... I think, as we mentioned in our game, John Lynch, their general manager, has done a terrific job as well of assembling the players."
The 49ers outscored the Cardinals 21-0 in the second half of Monday night's contest. They have outscored their last three opponents 54-0 in the second halves of those games. San Francisco won its third consecutive game, improving its record to 6-4 overall and 4-0 within the NFC West.
"But they play a style of football that you just don't see around the league," Aikman continued. "It's an old-school style. I'm not surprised by that, knowing Kyle's background with his dad (Mike Shanahan) and running the football.
"But they are physical, and in a league today, where there's so much emphasis on players' safety, and not much contact, not many padded practices during the week, they play the game as I used to know it. Not many teams can match that if they're not accustomed to seeing it. I like them a lot."
Next up for the 49ers are three games at Levi's Stadium. They will face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, then the Maimi Dolphins, and close out the home stint with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before heading to Seattle to face the Seahawks.