
During the 49ers’ four-win season a year ago, the club did not have a feel of a team that was hopelessly out of contention from the early stages of the season.
Suzy Kolber, who hosts pregame, halftime and postgame coverage ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” sees the good and the bad from teams. As part of the coverage and telecasts, she meets with key individuals from both teams before games.
The 49ers appeared twice on MNF last season after Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending knee injury. The 49ers were expected to be a contender a year ago, so they were slated for five prime-time games. They were twice flexed out of Sunday night games, but they appeared twice on MNF.
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C.J. Beathard and the 49ers played well in a 33-30 loss at Green Bay in Week 6. Four weeks later with Nick Mullens at quarterback, the 49ers lost 27-24 to the New York Giants at Levi’s Stadium.
Kolber, appearing on The 49ers Insider Podcast, said coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch deserve credit for keeping everyone on the same page despite winning only 10 games through their first two seasons together.
“You can tell so much about the vibe of a team and really take the team’s temperature,” Kolber said. “Everybody is still upbeat and enthusiastic even when, obviously, times were tough. That just says so much about the leadership when, no matter what’s going on, everybody is still on the same page.”
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The 49ers could be expected to make a major leap this season with Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon returning from ACL injuries. The 49ers have also taken measures to upgrade their defense with the free-agent acquisitions of edge rusher Dee Ford and linebacker Kwon Alexander. The 49ers can also add an impact player with the No. 2 overall selection in the draft.
“The expectations are real,” Kolber said. “I’ve always really admired Kyle and how creative he is and what he’s able to achieve. The vibe is great. And even in the midst of a backup (quarterback) and, maybe, a backup to a backup, you still got a really good feeling.”