The 49ers are coming off a 33-6 win in which they ran roughshod over the New England Patriots, a feat made more impressive by the fact that San Francisco was without several of its top offensive weapons. Limited primarily to players who were their original fourth and fifth-string running backs, the 49ers still managed to put forth a dominant performance on the ground.
Jeff Wilson rushed 17 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns on his way to being named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. JaMycal Hasty added a career-best 57 yards on nine carries in only his third career NFL game.
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It was yet another example of coach Kyle Shanahan's ability to adjust on the fly and get the most out of those who were available. And it's that ability that NBC Sports' Peter King believes gives Shanahan a chance to follow in the footsteps of the opposing coach he just beat.
"Kyle Shanahan, the reason why he is ... why he has a chance, and I mean a chance -- put that in italics -- he has a chance to be the young Bill Belichick, this generation's Belichick -- he's got a chance -- is that he just figures out a way," King told 95.7 The Game's "Damon, Ratto & Kolsky" on Tuesday. "And he says to [running backs coach] Bobby Turner, 'Hey Bobby, get your running backs ready and then, by the way, go find a couple more that we might have to use if these guys get hurt.' And Bobby Turner just gets them ready, and they end up playing really well.
"So, my hat's off to the 49ers, to the coaching staff and to those players for what they did in Foxboro."
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There arguably isn't any higher praise in NFL coaching circles than to be compared to Belichick, who might be the best to ever do it, but the 49ers' win over the Patriots only served to boost Shanahan's case.
It will take many years of sustained success to build a comparable résumé, but if he truly is this generation's Belichick, he just might find a way.