SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Since coach Kyle Shanahan arrived in 2017, the San Francisco 49ers' night-before-the-game meetings have become a sacred space for established team leaders, former Niners greats, general manager John Lynch or Shanahan himself to deliver whatever message needed to get the team's collective mind right.
For the better part of the past five-plus years, whatever was said in those gatherings seemed to work. Since 2019, only two NFL teams have won more games (including playoffs) than the 49ers.
But on the heels of two of the worst losses of the Shanahan era -- blowouts to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills by a combined 53 points -- the 49ers were barely hanging on to playoff hopes last week.