Kyle Shanahan witnessed another defeat for the San Francisco 49ers on the road, the team’s second consecutive loss since October 12th, leaving the head coach with no option but to emphasize the solid performance of the Houston Texans following the blowout received at NRG Stadium.
“Got beat today. Credit to them. They kicked our a—.” Shanahan said following the game. However, he insisted his team would treat the defeat as a learning opportunity, noting, “We’ve got to take it like men, come back a little p—d off, and come back better than we did this week.”
Shanahan took a philosophical stance about the 49ers’ injuries, noting that he’s grown accustomed to the issue over his career. He admitted, “Injuries are a part of the game. I used to be a lot more frustrated with them. I’m a lot more used to it over my career.” He pinpointed the real frustration as trying to adjust the game plan on the fly, stating the challenge is “trying to find answers throughout the game.”
Mac Jones and George Kittle join Shanahan in post-game talk
Following the 49ers’ road loss to the Texans, Mac Jones suggested the offense failed to sustain drives, saying their inability to get crucial first downs led to a domino effect. He stressed that by going three-and-out too often, the offense left the defense exhausted on the field.
“When you’re out there for so many plays, you get tired. Even if you just get a couple of first downs, it takes some pressure off the defense.” Jones said. “We’ve got to be better there. Our defense has come up clutch all year in those situations.”
Kittle offered a candid assessment of the 49ers’ struggles, particularly in the first half of their loss to the Texans. He acknowledged the offense was virtually nonexistent, stating, “The first half was tough. We had 12 plays until the last drive.”
He emphasized the unit’s failure to support their shorthanded defense, adding, “We didn’t do anything to help our defense in the entire first half. I thought our defense played really well with the pieces that were lost during the game.” Kittle concluded with a direct challenge: “Our offense has to score points.”
