The 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is one of the few players who will continue working in Week 2 of the season despite injuries.
- RB Christian McCaffrey is battling a calf injury and Achilles tendinitis and is day to day
- OL Aaron Banks suffers from a calf bruise
- WR Jauan Jennings is day-to-day due to an ankle injury
- LB Dee Winters (ankle) and DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) have a “chance” to return to training this week
- S Talanoa Hufanga, who is recovering from an ACL injury, will continue to work in practice and the head coach said he has a “chance” to play in Week 2.
Shanahan provided insight into the nature of the Achilles tendonitis and how it contributed to the team’s decision not to have McCaffrey play Monday night.
“Things like that come and go,” Shanahan said. “When it starts to make itself known, you have to be very cautious. Christian is very meticulous about things like that. If it was a playoff game, he made it very clear to me that he thought he could do it. But when you hear something like that and it’s not a playoff game and it’s Week 1, especially when you’re dealing with lower extremities like that, it was a tough decision.”
Offensive player rookie Dominick Puni impressed in his NFL regular-season debut, translating his commanding play from the preseason to Week 1 primetime football. Puni started at right guard, played 72 offensive snaps and allowed one pressure in his first appearance.
“I thought it was a really good first game for him,” Shanahan said. “It wasn’t perfect by any means, but that’s how he’s been every day since he’s been here. I’ve talked about him a lot here. He’s been like that in practice. He’s been like that in the preseason and he looked the same in Week 1. The guy seems pretty consistent and real.”
All-Pro Left Tackle Trent Williamswho missed all of training camp and the preseason, made a remarkable return to action, playing 70 offensive snaps and allowing just one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. There were question marks Monday night about how the 15-year veteran would look when he returned, and Williams showed in his first full week back that he can play at a high level.
“Watching him at practice on Tuesday and how he was at practice on Thursday was a good sign that he was going to do well in the game,” Shanahan said. “We didn’t know what his breath was going to be like. We knew he was in shape, but shape in football is a whole different thing. I know we made some long drives that became a challenge for him as we got closer to the end. But I also think running the ball that much helps, too.”
In a postgame interview with NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz, Williams explained how he felt after the encounter.
“I had to put in an IV. I was cramping,” Williams said. “Other than that, it was pretty good. (We had) a couple of long rides… (I had) an adrenaline rush. I have great teammates. We love to compete. We love to compete with each other, so it kept me going.”
