Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers were 1-2 heading to their Week 4 showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, so they really didn't need any motivation to bring their A-game to the contest. Clearly, however, reminding them of last season's NFC Championship game helped.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan made his team watch their conference championship loss against the Rams heading to the Monday Night Football meeting, and it surely worked as Garoppolo and the rest of the 49ers played with a lot of intensity and determination.
As Garoppolo said it, Shanahan's decision gave them an extra boost.
“Just watching that film, you feel the emotions … Just watching the film, it's silent, but you can take yourself back to that spot and put yourself in that emotional state you were in. I think that's good for competitors; I really do. I think after last week, too, it gave us a little motivation,” Garoppolo shared, per 49ers Webzone.
George Kittle shared the same sentiment as Jimmy Garoppolo. While he admitted he is not fond of watching the last game of the season, getting reminded of the beating they took from the Rams lit a fire inside him.
“Just rewatching it this week definitely adds a little fuel to the fire. They're out there talking a little bit of smack about it, and you're like, ‘Last year is last year. We're just going to do our best to give it to you this year,” Kittle furthered.
The Rams beat the 49ers in the NFC title game 20-17 on their way to winning the Super Bowl. While their latest regular season meeting is less important than the one they lost, San Francisco can definitely hold their heads high with their dominant 24-9 win against the defending champions.
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