How intense ‘attention to detail’ created 49ers’ winning culture originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — How do you quantify something intangible like the 49ers’ winning culture? For San Francisco, it begins with its fervid attention to detail that transformed the organization from an NFL laughingstock into a perennial contender under coach Kyle Shanahan.
Veteran wide receiver Chris Conley has played for five different teams during his 10-year NFL career, but revealed there’s something distinctly different about the 49ers’ approach to the game that separates them from other organizations he has played for.
“It’s about ball. It’s about ball, It’s about doing what’s necessary to win,” Conley said. “The details are important here, and I’ve always been someone who’s loved when people harp on detail. Kyle [Shanahan] is one of the most detailed coaches I’ve been around. I can’t really think of many others who are that detailed. That attention to detail, that attention to intensity, intent is integral to putting that [49ers] helmet on.
“He [Shanahan] makes no mistake about letting people know like, ‘Hey, you have to earn it.’ You earn everything here. Everything is about doing things the right way and attacking it. That’s something I believe in, too.”
When Shanahan took over in 2017, the 49ers were coming off a 2-14 campaign and had missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons prior to his arrival.
While it took a couple of years to get tangible results after tearing it down to the studs 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 entices seasoned veterans like Conley to completely buy in.
“There’s no mistake about what the offense is capable of here. Being a part of that, being 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 how hard opportunity is in this league.”
Conley, who has caught passes from multiple Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks during his career, humbly has adapted to a role with the 49ers that often tasks him with handling less glamorous responsibilities, like special teams duty.
That transition has been aided tremendously the all-hands-on-deck approach that’s ingrained into San Francisco’s core philosophies, aligning perfectly with Conley’s selfless approach toward the game of football.
“I have all the confidence in the world that whatever it is you ask me to do out there, we’re going to get it done,” Conley said. “Also, just, part of the DNA of what it is being a 49er, a lot of that has resonated with the way I’ve approached the game my whole career.”
Since hitting the ground running to begin the 2019 NFL season, San Francisco is 54-29 (.650 winning percentage) in the regular season, including a 25-9 run over its last two campaigns. Shanahan became the first head coach in NFL history to win multiple playoff games in each of their first three postseason appearances, a streak that still is alive and now extends to four appearances with a chance to make it five during the 2024 season.
The 49ers objectively have been one of the NFL’s best teams over the last half decade, making it to four NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls over the last five years, with a handful of heartbreaking plays demonstrating the razor-thin margin between San Francisco being viewed as a dynastic force rather than an extremely talented team that simply can’t get over the hump.
Until the 49ers crest the summit and hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy that has eluded San Francisco for nearly three decades, it’s difficult to take solace in the wildly successful seasons that ended just shy of the ultimate goal.
However, that sustained success shouldn’t be ignored either, as it’s incredibly difficult to consistently make deep runs in the NFL playoffs, let alone do it with the amount of roster and coaching turnover the 49ers have over the last five years.
San Fransico’s unique culture transcends any single player, coach or executive. It’s not an idea, but rather a way of life, ingrained into the DNA of seasoned 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 brought them to the doorstep of immortality year after year, there is justified reason to remain optimistic that the final breakthrough — a Super Bowl win — remains within reach.
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