The San Francisco 49ers quickly demonstrated that their challenging training camp, marked by contract disputes and concerns about a Super Bowl hangover, would not hinder their performance this season.
In their season opener, the 49ers delivered a dominant performance even without their injured All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. With backup Jordan Mason stepping up, the 49ers ran effectively against the strong defense of the New York Jets and kept Aaron Rodgers under control, securing a 32-19 victory on Monday night.
This win followed a summer filled with discussions about star receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s contract issue, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams’ contract holdout, and the challenge of being only the second team in the last 50 years to win a Super Bowl the year after losing in the NFL title game.
“We have great leaders in this locker room and we have people who follow the leaders and we have leaders that echo what the coaches are preaching,” Williams said. “I think that’s the reason the locker room is able to stay focused.”
After a three-and-out on their first drive, the 49ers scored on eight consecutive possessions, thanks to 147 rushing yards from Mason and a flawless performance from Brock Purdy.
The defense forced three three-and-outs and had two takeaways in the first six possessions, showcasing a strong performance that did not surprise coach Kyle Shanahan given the way his players prepared.
“I’m with our team every day, so I know there’s lots of news stories and stuff with holdouts and things like that and when are people coming back, but our guys have been awesome in practice,” he said. “They’ve been very focused.”
