Robert Saleh, Klay Kubiak, Mac Jones preview 49ers-Texans Week 8 matchup
“Here’s everything they said.”
Rapoport delivers expected update on 49ers QB Brock Purdy’s status vs. Texans
“”It sounds like this week, not quite yet for Brock Purdy.“
Veteran center Matt Hennessy latest 49ers backup called to step up after injury
“Playing in this scheme has kind of been a dream of mine,” Hennessy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think it’s the coolest thing in the world. And just watching it from afar, it was something I always wanted to be a part of.”
49ers general manager John Lynch confident Brandon Aiyuk will return this season
“Oh yeah, there’s hope he plays. More importantly than hope, there’s evidence he’s making really good progress,” Lynch said. “He has been putting in the time and I think it’s coming near as to when he’s going to be out there.”
Christian McCaffrey looks like his OPOY self. But can he survive his extraordinary workload? (paywall)
“The 49ers monitor players’ fatigue levels by looking at data from sensors in their shoulder pads that document a player’s movement. When it comes to skill positions like running back and receiver — and McCaffrey is a blend of both — the training staff pays close attention to the speed data. If a player’s top speeds in practice or games start to dip, it can indicate fatigue.
“I think the biggest thing … is, what is their baseline?” Kyle Shanahan said. “And we’ve got an idea of everyone’s baseline. When a guy can’t get to his baseline, why is that? Is it because he has an injury? Is it because he’s sore? Or is it because he just has dead legs and fatigue? Those are the things that help you look into it.”
How Kyle Shanahan has kept the 49ers together in what might be his best coaching job yet (paywall)
“Offensive tackle Trent Williams said the videos aren’t even the best part of the Wednesday meetings.
“He does a really good job of educating the whole team and basically lays out everything he thinks that it’s going to take to win the game coming up,” Williams said. “He describes all the strengths of the people we’re playing, how they win, how they’re so successful doing what they do.
“It’s actually one of the most informative meetings I’ve been a part of. I’ve learned so much about football just in that meeting alone since I’ve been here, so I think that’s a huge help for the whole team — offense, defense and special teams.”
The “What it takes” meetings last about 45 minutes.
“It just gives you confidence in the game plan and in your coaches and teammates that we have it figured out,” Williams said. “Maybe there are some things that we’ll have to abandon or a new wrinkle that we’ll have to add against this certain team, and we all leave nodding our head, on the same page.”
How center Matt Hennessy became 49ers’ latest super sub at a critical time (paywall)
“Hennessy is listed at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, but that weight is likely generous. Hennessy agreed when it was noted this week he was undersized for his position and he went on to explain how he’s compensated since he was a third-team AP All-American in his final season at Temple.
“A tremendous amount of it is just leverage,” Hennessy said. “And you realize how important that is. I realized it early in my NFL career, because in college I just kind of got away with it. … I didn’t play a lot of guys who were super physically overwhelming, but in the NFL you learn you’ve got to play with speed, leverage and strength, despite not being huge.”
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