Kyle Shanahan‘s press conference after the San Francisco 49ers‘ 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on October 19, 2025, gave us a fascinating little peek behind the curtain.

The big takeaway is that the coach actually overruled Christian McCaffrey right before a huge play late in the fourth quarter.

“Just something that we had on our call sheet for a third-and-long situation,” Shanahan said. “I felt like it was the first one we used in the game, and he actually tried to come out of the play, which we never allow. He came out a number of times again. We never sent him back once except for that play. I looked at him and said, ‘Go back as long as you’re not hurt. You knew the deal.’ And he went back, and it was a hell of a play, a hell of a throw.”

McCaffrey, who had already piled up 200 yards from scrimmage, responded exactly how his coach hoped. He ripped off a 15-yard gain on that third-and-13, setting up his game-sealing touchdown moments later. The perfect payoff to Shanahan’s call.

What makes the Niners victory more interesting is the fact that the team managed to secure the crucial win without both their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, and star linebacker, Fred Warner.

Their recent match and victory have put them at 5-1 and right alongside the Los Angeles Rams (5-2). They’re also keeping an eye on the Seattle Seahawks, who could match that record after Monday’s game. 

Kyle Shanahan challenged the 49ers to do something he hadn’t asked in two full years

Before the 49ers team even stepped on the field for the Sunday night clash against the Falcons, Coach Kyle Shanahan threw down a serious challenge inside the locker room for the boys: he wanted to see 40 running plays.

“I challenged [them], saying I’d like to get 40 runs called,” Shanahan said. “That’s not just an offensive thing. In order to do that you’ve got to play defense like we did tonight. You’ve got to play special teams like we did tonight.”

The offense set the tone early, powered by CMCs brilliance and the return of a key anchor. McCaffrey kept his historic streak alive, joining 49ers legend Roger Craig as the only players in team history to post 100-plus scrimmage yards in each of the season’s first seven games. Another week, another record. That’s just McCaffrey being McCaffrey.

But credit also goes to George Kittle, whose return and elite blocking fueled the ground game’s dominance. Even with Fred Warner sidelined, his leadership echoed through the defense, keeping the unit locked in and allowing the offense to control the tempo. It was classic 49ers football. Physical, disciplined, and perfectly orchestrated from the top down. And it delivered a statement win.