Kyle Shanahan shares final updates ahead of 49ers-Eagles Wild Card matchup “On Wednesday you were less optimistic about Jacob Cowing playing, but after watching the last few days, any change of mind there?
“No.”
Does Ricky fall into the boat of a player who didn’t practice this week who could have a chance to go on Sunday?
“Yes. Yep. Ricky’s been doing this this year. Jake’s just different. This was his first practice this year was this week. He didn’t get any in training camp either.”
49ers’ improved special teams reflect Brant Boyer and the man who helped save him (paywall)
“And that means they are also a reflection of Ted Boyer. He was a World War II veteran who was wounded at Iwo Jima and helped instill qualities such as toughness and discipline that now define Boyer.
Brant Boyer has a strong relationship with his parents, but they divorced when he was young, a reason he had a difficult childhood filled with constant moves. At 13, it was agreed that he would live with his grandparents, who could provide stability on their mink ranch in Henefer, Utah (population 838), to a seventh-grader needing direction. Idleness wasn’t a thing with Ted, a rancher who was also a heavy equipment operator and built and remodeled homes in his spare time.
And Brant stayed busy when he wasn’t playing sports or attending school. He baled hay, trained dogs and poured cement and worked a jackhammer on construction crews. There wasn’t much sleeping in: He was routinely stirred awake at 6 a.m. by the sound of his grandpa’s cowboy boots descending to his basement room. During those rare times when Brant lazed at home, perhaps sprawled on the couch after a workout, his grandmother might hurriedly hand him a vacuum if his grandpa was pulling in the driveway.
His grandparents, devout Mormons, were also passionate about service. They regularly took mission trips to Albuquerque, N.M., where they developed a close connection with the Navajo people.
“That’s what grounded me so much,” Boyer said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without my grandparents. I learned how to work and how to, hopefully, be a good person. Thank God for those people.”
His grandparents provided an anchor, and Brant also provided a life-changing gift. Shortly after he came to live with them, Ted and Thea’s youngest son, Chad, 27, died in a car accident when he was struck in an intersection.
“Brant was their world,” said Boyer’s wife, Melissa. “Obviously, nothing will ever get you over losing a child. But I think, during that time, they needed Brant as much as Brant needed them.”…..Boyer’s ability to lead and connect is a big part of his coaching success. Special-teams coordinators are tasked with getting a disparate group to commit to a common goal. That includes rookies who were college stars along with past-their-prime veterans who aren’t thrilled about running down on punts after running with the starters.
Asked how Boyer gets buy-in, Neal discussed how his coach is a former player who can relate and empathize with the stress and pressure of their profession, building trust that allows him to coach players hard. Melissa discussed his genuine interest in their lives and dreams beyond football and the end-of-the-season dinner they host for players and their wives or girlfriends.
Morstead, 39, a 17-year veteran, smiled when it was noted how many NFL coaches in a cutthroat business profess to care deeply about their players.
“Well, I think that’s the whole point: He doesn’t,” Morstead said. “I’ve never heard him say, ‘Man, I really care about you guys.’ His actions show how much he cares about the guys in his room and wants the best for them.”
In response, Boyer’s players have played like a reflection of their coach, a reflection of the man who helped save him long ago.“
49ers vs. Eagles: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions (paywall)
“Kawakami: Eagles 24, 49ers 17. Do the 49ers have a path to victory on Sunday? Sure. They’re a gutsy team that has proven it can dig out tough games. They’ve got players who can lift everything. But given the mass accumulation of 49ers injuries, the Eagles just have too many good players and too many advantages to predict anything else.
Lombardi: Eagles 27, 49ers 24. Back to Square One. I picked the Seahawks to narrowly beat the 49ers back in Week 1. Purdy’s crew, much closer to full health back then, proved me wrong. And that wasn’t the first time the 49ers defied the odds. No one will forget what happened in Week 5 at SoFi Stadium. Does this depleted squad have enough magic left to build a bridge to Fred Warner’s return? I’ll say no — and we’ll see how the 49ers respond.“
49ers badly need Trent Williams vs. Eagles — both to open holes and to set the tone
“The 49ers never practiced at full speed before the Seahawks game. Instead, Shanahan opted for half-speed sessions that were held later in the day than usual so players could get extra sleep.
“It’s (hard to say) where it showed up — maybe fatigue or whatever — but it showed up,” Kubiak said. “We didn’t get to practice full speed for a couple weeks, which I think maybe does show up in some of your technique, your fundamentals, maybe some of your timing in the pass game.”
Juszczyk said that the first practice of the week always elicits groaning from players, who wonder how they’ll get through a grueling session. Midway through, however, they start to feel a lot better and realize that a tough practice was just what they needed. He said the team probably could have used a practice like that heading into the Seattle game.
“Of course, that’s just hindsight being 20-20,” he said. “At the time, we were like, ‘We feel so beat up. We need this rest.’ But now looking back, I wish that on Wednesday I would have pushed it a little harder.”
This week is different. The 49ers had an extra day to recover. And they had full-speed periods Wednesday with more on Thursday.
“I think the juice in here (Wednesday) was fantastic, high energy,” tight end George Kittle said. “I’m feeling that from the guys, whether it’s being excited from the playoffs or just having that extra day of not having to focus on a game plan or watch a ton of film. Just letting your mind ease before all of this builds up — I think it’s really good for our team.”
Five 49ers to keep an eye on vs. Eagles in win-or-go-home playoff matchup
“This could be a game that sets up well for Kittle to make catches in the middle of the field and turn in big yards after the catch.
Kittle also figures to be a huge factor in the run game, as the 49ers will look to attack the Eagles on the edges with their zone-run scheme.
The 49ers were not good in the regular season at getting around the corner, but Philadelphia’s defense had issues dealing with those outside plays in the regular season.“
Brock Purdy aims for another successful return to Philadelphia in 49ers-Eagles
“The 49ers’ return trip to Philadelphia in the 2023 regular season served as a springboard for the No. 1 seed and, ultimately, a trip to the Super Bowl.
So, Purdy and the 49ers felt as if they had already put the devastating playoff loss behind them.
But the subject resurfaces this week, as the 49ers get set to travel Friday for their first-round playoff showdown.
“People out there, they seem to fixate on ’22,” Purdy said. “That must have had a more lasting impression on people, which, I mean, understandably, it’s the NFC Championship versus a regular-season game.
“But I think ’23 just proved that we were able to bounce back and it’s not an impossible task to go in there and win.”
Where did 49ers’ pass rush go? Former Eagle Bryce Huff explains going into game vs. his old team (paywall)
“Especially since Nick went down, when Mykel (Williams) went down, I’ve definitely been getting a lot of chips, double teams for sure,” Huff told the Chronicle on Dec. 26. “But like I said before, that’s out of my control. If I were to sit around and just mope about not having enough sacks, I would just be hindering myself from helping the team. I got to put the team before myself and before my stats.”
49ers’ Trent Williams expects to start Sunday, but can he finish as he’s pushing the limits?(paywall)
“It’s always going to be a little bit — a little bit of a concern,” Williams said. “I mean, obviously I’m kind of pushing the limits on the time that’s required for it. So it will probably be in the back of my mind for a little bit. But once you get out there and the juices get flowing and adrenaline, I don’t think it should be a big problem.”
