The 49ers were in much higher spirits after snapping their three-game losing streak with a 34-3 blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium.
On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan detailed to reporters how San Francisco was itching to get back on the field after its Week 9 bye and how the win over Jacksonville was just what the team needed.
“I think we were excited,” Shanahan told reporters Monday via conference call. "... I think guys came back from bye week pretty pissed. We were really looking forward to this game. We were just going into this game trying to play as good as we could and not worry about anything else. That's kind of what we emphasized all week.”
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The 49ers were eager to play, leading the Jaguars by 24 points before the end of the third quarter.
Recently acquired star Chase Young excelled in his 49ers debut alongside fellow Ohio State alum Nick Bosa, helping the 49ers limit Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars to only 221 yards of total offense.
San Francisco outgained Jacksonville by 216 yards, but the most significant offensive news was the return of Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams, who both missed two games with injuries.
“Getting them back is just a boost for our offense mentally, just because they're two leaders of our team, they're both two captains,” Shanahan explained postgame. “... Trent, by no means, wasn't close to 100 percent. I thought it was pretty courageous of them just to be able to battle throughout that game. Our players, just knowing they were going to be out there always gives them more confidence.”
San Francisco 49ers
The tandem performed well in its first game back from injury, and Samuel even scored a touchdown.
Two weeks ago, the 49ers were not in the best shape mentally after losing three straight games despite a 5-0 start to the 2023 NFL season.
Heading into a Week 11 affair with the 4-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco is rejuvenated and ready to make a Super Bowl run.