How intense ‘attention to detail’ created the 49ers’ winning culture Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
SANTA CLARA — How do you quantify something as intangible as the 49ers’ winning culture? For San Francisco, it starts with their fervent attention to detail that transformed the organization from an NFL laughingstock to a perennial contender under coach Kyle Shanahan.
Veteran Wide receiver Chris Conley He’s played for five different teams during his 10-year NFL career, but he revealed there’s something distinctly different about the 49ers’ approach to the game that separates them from other organizations he’s played for.
“It’s about the ball. It’s about the ball, it’s about doing whatever it takes to win,” Conley said. “The details are important here, and I’ve always been someone who loves when people harp on the details. Kyle (Shanahan) is one of the most detail-oriented coaches I’ve been around. I really can’t think of many others who are that detail-oriented. That attention to detail, that attention to intensity, intent is critical to putting on the (49ers) helmet.
“He (Shanahan) doesn’t make a mistake in telling people, ‘Hey, you’ve got to earn it.’ Everything here is earned. It’s all about doing things the right way and attacking them. That’s something I believe in, too.”
When Shanahan took office in 2017.The 49ers were coming off a 2-14 season and had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons before his arrival.
While it took a couple of years to get tangible results after gutting it to the ground and essentially rebuilding a roster from scratch, San Francisco now finds itself Consistently among the NFL’s elite — a direct byproduct of cultivating an environment that tempts seasoned veterans like Conley to fully engage.
“There’s no doubt what the offense is capable of doing here. To be a part of that, to be asked to be a part of that is an honor, and something you don’t take lightly,” Conley said. “At least I don’t, knowing how short and difficult opportunities are in this league.”
Conley, who has caught passes from several Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks during his career, has humbly adapted to a role with the 49ers that often assigns him less glamorous responsibilities, such as working on special teams.
That transition has been greatly facilitated by the “hands-on” approach that is rooted in San Francisco’s core philosophies, which align perfectly with Conley’s selfless approach Towards the game of football.
“I have all the confidence in the world that whatever they ask me to do, we’re going to get it done,” Conley said. “Plus, part of the DNA of being a 49er is reflected in the way I’ve approached the game my entire career.”
Since he began working at full speed to start the 2019 NFL season, San Francisco has a record of 54-29 (.650 winning percentage) in the regular season, including a 25-9 streak over his final two campaigns. Shanahan became the first head 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 extends to four appearances with the possibility of five during the 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 in the past five years, with a handful of heartbreaking plays demonstrating the slim margin between San Francisco being viewed as a dynastic force 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 hard to take solace in wildly successful seasons that ended just short of the ultimate goal.
That sustained success shouldn’t be ignored, though, as it’s incredibly difficult to consistently put together long NFL playoff runs, let alone do so with the amount of roster and coaching turnover the 49ers have had over the past five years.
San Francisco’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 seasoned players like Conley who are willing 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 brought them to the brink of immortality year after year, there is justifiable reason to remain optimistic that the final breakthrough (a Super Bowl victory) remains within reach.