The San Francisco 49ers just keep on chugging along. Any other team that's dealt with as many injuries as the Niners this season would have most likely folded at this point. Not this team, though. Against all odds, the 49ers are 6-3 after nine injury-riddled weeks this season. Despite a few stumbles here and there, a division title is well within reach for this team.
How are they doing this? Well, Mac Jones, who's been a beneficiary of the 49ers' injury woes, has an answer. The backup quarterback said that Kyle Shanahan's next-man-up mentality and his commitment to developing the younger players have allowed this team to thrive despite missing multiple key stars.
“It starts with the culture, for sure,” Jones told Albert Breer. “Kyle [Shanahan], the way he sets the table for the team, he wants to develop everybody—from undrafted rookies to fifth-year quarterbacks on their third team. He wants everyone to be great. That’s what it’s all about. Kyle just does a great job, defense, too, and special teams, everybody has a system. And when you have a system you believe in and it works, these are the results.”
The 49ers have missed multiple key players on both sides of the ball. Jones has only gotten multiple starts this season due to Brock Purdy's injury issues. Jones is also working with a depleted cast: Brandon Aiyuk is yet to make his return from his ACL tear, Jauan Jennings has missed some time this season, Ricky Pearsall has been out since Week 4, and George Kittle has only recently made his return to the field.
On defense, the losses have been far more devastating. They first lost star pass rusher Nick Bosa early in the season with an ACL tear. Later on, they lost star linebacker Fred Warner, this time to an Achilles tear. Coupled with the various injuries the other players have sustained, you have a recipe for disaster. Instead, Shanahan has reinvented this recipe to turn the 49ers into a contender this season.
The 49ers are coming off a dominant win against the New York Giants. They opened the game with a 17-7 run and never looked back, eventually ending the game with a 34-24 score.
