The 49ers enter Week 4 with momentum and a spotlight that keeps getting brighter, and this time the attention is squarely on a matchup with the Broncos. San Francisco has put itself in position to keep the good times rolling, but the test ahead is the biggest one yet.
One of the more revealing moments from the week came when Kyle Shanahan explained the thinking behind the hook-and-lateral call against the Cardinals. His answer made it sound less like a carefully scripted design and more like a gambler’s swing when the situation demanded it.
“There’s not much of a rhyme or reason when it comes to hook and lateral,” Shanahan said. “You just hope everyone pays attention to one guy and see if you can sneak him around….
It’s more just like a screw-it play,” Shanahan said. “Let’s just see what happens because we’re in a bad situation.
Let’s just see if we can get a cheap one on them.”
George Kittle also had some pointed words while talking about former teammate Talanoa Hufanga. Kittle called him “instinctual,” but he didn’t exactly treat him like a safety who can’t be fooled.
“He’s going to guess right once in a while,” Kittle said, “but he also guesses wrong.”
There was also a disciplinary note for Fred Warner, who was fined twice by the NFL for unnecessary roughness against the Cardinals. One of the fines came for a “hip drop tackle” in the fourth quarter against McBride, a play that was not flagged at the time and cost Warner $17,911. Those were the first two fines of the season for Warner.
On the injury and roster front, the 49ers are set to get Matthew Judon into the mix in Week 4. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris opted for a player he already knows well at the position, and Judon was elevated from the practice squad. Romello Height and Keion White were limited in Friday’s practice.
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For the 49ers, the appeal is less about asking White to carry a heavy weekly load and more about the idea of a change-of-pace runner who fits alongside bigger personnel decisions at the position. His profile suggests a player who can complement a more physical inside option, which makes him the kind of draft name worth tracking as the process moves forward. [Read more 🡒]