How intense ‘attention to detail’ created the 49ers’ winning culture originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – How can you quantify something as intangible as the 49ers’ winning culture? For San Francisco, it all starts with its fervent attention to detail that has transformed the organization from an NFL laughingstock to a perennial contender under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Veteran wide receiver Chris Conley played for five different teams during his 10-year NFL career, but revealed that there is something distinctly different about the 49ers’ approach to the game that separates them from other organizations he has played for.
“It’s about the ball. It’s about the ball, it’s about doing what it takes to win,” Conley said. “Details are important here, and I’ve always been someone who loves it when people insist on details. [Shanahan] He is one of the most detailed trainers I have ever met. I really can’t think of many others that are this detailed. That attention to detail, that attention to intensity, that intention is essential to putting this [49ers] helmet on.
“He [Shanahan] Don’t make a mistake in letting people know, ‘Hey, you have to earn it.’ You get everything here. It all comes down to doing things the right way and attacking them. That’s something I believe in too.”
When Shanahan took over in 2017The 49ers were 2-14 and had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons before his arrival.
While it took a few years to get tangible results after dismantling it and essentially rebuilding a lineup from scratch, San Francisco now finds itself consistently among the NFL’s elite — a direct byproduct of cultivating an environment that entices seasoned veterans like Conley to fully embrace it.
“There’s no mistake about what the offense is capable of here. To be a part of this, to be asked to be a part of this is an honor and something you don’t take lightly,” Conley said. “At least not, knowing how short and hard the opportunities are in this league.”
Conley, who caught passes from several Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks during his career, has humbly adapted to a role with the 49ers that often tasks him with handling less glamorous responsibilities such as special teams duties.
This transition has tremendously helped the practical approach that is rooted in San Francisco’s core philosophies, aligning perfectly with Conley’s altruistic approach towards the football game.
“I have all the confidence in the world that whatever you ask me to do out there, we’re going to achieve it,” Conley said. “Plus, it’s part of the DNA of what it is to be a 49er, so a lot of that has resonated with the way I’ve approached the game my entire career.”
Since I started running towards the start of the 2019 NFL season, San Francisco is 54-29 (.650 winning percentage) in the regular season, including a 25-9 run over the last two campaigns. Shanahan became the first coach in NFL history to win multiple playoff games in each of his first three postseason appearances, a streak that is still alive and now stretches to four games with a chance to reach five during the season. 2024 season.
The 49ers have objectively been one of the best teams in the NFL over the past half-decade, reaching four NFC championship games and two Super Bowls over the past five years, with a handful of heartbreaking plays demonstrating the fine margin between San Francisco being seen as a force dynastic, rather than an extremely talented team that just can’t get over the hump.
Until the 49ers reach the top and hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy that has eluded San Francisco for nearly three decades, it’s difficult to take solace in the highly successful seasons that ended just short of the ultimate goal.
However, this sustained success should also not be ignored, as it is incredibly difficult to consistently make deep runs in the NFL playoffs, let alone do so with the amount of roster and coaching turnover the 49ers have had over the past five years. .
San Fransico’s unique culture transcends any one player, coach or executive. It’s not an idea, but rather a way of life, ingrained in the DNA of experienced players like Conley who are prepared to do whatever it takes to win football games.
Hope is something that never dies, and as long as the 49ers continue to believe in the values and principles that have led them to the gates of immortality year after year, there is justifiable reason to remain optimistic that the ultimate breakthrough – a Super Bowl win – remains within their reach. range.
