The San Francisco 49ers entered Week 7 with just one game over 100 rushing yards—a 119-yard effort in their season-opening win against the Seattle Seahawks. Between that performance and Sunday night's 174-yard outburst against the Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers failed to eclipse 83 yards on the ground.
Some pointed to tight end George Kittle's return from a hamstring injury as the spark for San Francisco's run-game resurgence. After all, both games in which Kittle has played this season have produced over 100 rushing yards.
However, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes the success goes beyond one player. What does he attribute to the 49ers' rushing success against the Falcons?
"A lot of things. It's not just one thing," Shanahan said on Wednesday. "I thought we blocked a little bit better, I thought we ran a little bit better, I thought we called some better looks. I thought we were really good on third down, which kept us out on the field.
"I thought our defense really slowed them down, even in the second half, when they went down and scored seven, and I could feel them getting some momentum, and the offense needed to answer, and they went three-and-out, which really worried me because I could feel their momentum. But then, they ended up going three-and-out right away, which allowed us to still control the game and keep it the same way.
"So, a lot of factors went into that. To me, how the lack of them threatening to score in the second half that much, and our consistency in running it and our consistency in passing it. I thought we threw the ball well, especially on third down, which kept us out on the field and allowed us to keep getting those runs."
Have the 49ers found their identity?
The 49ers improved to 5-2 with Sunday night's 20-10 win over the Falcons, maintaining their spot atop the NFC West standings. The victory came against a hot Atlanta team looking to extend its winning streak to three games.
So, did San Francisco's decisive win signal that the 49ers have rediscovered their identity?
"I think we establish an identity every week," Shanahan explained. "There are lots of different ways to win, but I didn't totally know this team when we first started. Like a lot of times, I remember the Week 1 Saturday night meeting, I usually show some stuff from the year before and things like that, and trying to establish how I want it to look. It was the first time I didn't show anything from years past.
"I don't want to show things from years past. I don't want to base this off anything. I want you guys to show me who we are, and our identity is what we put on tape. I show that a lot on Mondays. I show that a lot on Wednesdays and Fridays, and I remind them on Saturdays.
"I've been very happy with the tape I've been able to show these guys on Saturdays to remind them who they are and to show them what it looks like, and I expect it to look better each week."
Credit all around
Star running back Christian McCaffrey—who rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns—credited the entire offense for the 49ers' success on the ground. Like his coach, McCaffrey emphasized that team identity isn't something fixed; it's something earned week after week.
"The guys up front did such a good job, the receivers did a good job blocking, [QB] Mac [Jones] did good," McCaffrey said. "Everybody played a big role in that game, but I think, when it comes to establishing your identity, you have to do that every week. That's not something where you just have it, and now you're good to go for the rest of the year.
"It's a mindset that has to happen all the time. That's what's tough about this league, is you have to be very resilient—mentally, emotionally—throughout the week so that, come Sunday, you're in the right head space to continue to do it."