The San Francisco 49ers probably felt pretty good about themselves after starting 5-0 out of the gate. Things turned around quickly for the confident team, which lost three consecutive games before breaking their losing streak this past Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 49ers, now aiming to build on their recent win, are set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend. San Francisco hopes to improve their record to 7-3. The losing streak served as a wake-up call, a reminder that you can never be complacent in the NFL.
"We definitely got a rude awakening," tackle Trent Williams said this week. "And luckily, it came in the middle of the season, as opposed to some of those must-win games down the stretch and then working into the playoffs."
Williams continued, "We kind of learned that lesson early, and as you start 5-0, it's kind of hard to imagine losing three in a row, right? But this game has a way of humbling everybody, and I think we got our slice of humble pie."
The 49ers didn't look like themselves during their three-game skid, and the players still grapple with the reasons behind the subpar performances.
"I wish I had an answer for it," linebacker Fred Warner said. "It's kind of hard to put my finger on it as well because I'm like, that just wasn't us. It wasn't that everybody wasn't trying hard. It's just that it wasn't up to our standard at all three levels.
"A lot of things get covered up when you're playing hard in terms of tackling or even if a guy misses the assignment. If you're playing fast, you're playing violent, some things get covered up that way. So I feel like the play style, more than anything, was something that we needed to get back to, and I saw that throughout the tape on Sunday."
Williams acknowledged the urgency of avoiding a fourth consecutive loss and that victory against a formidable Jaguars team was much-needed.
"I think it did put a halt on us having to have our backs against the wall or having to be in some must-win situations that obviously carry a lot of stress with them," Williams shared. "So I think that's the only thing we can get out of last week. It's still a week-by-week league. The main focus is going 1-0 this week and 1-0 the next week."