Kyle Shanahan urges 49ers to stay motivated

SANTA CLARA - Friday morning during a team meeting, head coach Kyle Shanahan urged the 49ers to practice harder and not quit on the season despite their 1-4 record.

“We talked about how we need to change the mindset here,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “We need to come to work every day and literally put everything into that day and get better.

“He used some examples of guys who have found that motivation and have been practicing their butts off. Guys like (running back) Raheem Mostert and (cornerback) Ahkello Witherspoon came in and just had a great day Thursday. He used them as motivation for the rest of us to practice like they did.”

Shanahan has to use any source of motivation he can, because the outlook for the rest of the season is bleak. Monday Night, the 49ers will play on the road against the Green Bay Packers, who are 10-point favorites. The following Sunday, the 49ers will play at home against the undefeated Los Angeles Rams, who will be big favorites, too.

Most football experts expect the 49ers to lose both games, and fall to 1-6.

Cornerback Richard Sherman never has played for an NFL team that started its season with a 1-6 record. He said Friday he feels responsible for making sure the 49ers don’t go there.

“As a competitor,” Sherman said, “as a person who wants to win every game going forward, you’ve got to make sure guys stick together and stay focused on the task at hand, and don’t start to lollygag and get loosey-goosey, and think, ‘Woe is me.’ I think the coaching staff has done a great job. Kyle and even (general manager) John Lynch coming in, speaking to them, making sure they understand that there is a sense of urgency guys need to continue to have.”

No matter how many games they lose.

The 49ers’ upcoming game against the Rams was supposed to be at night, in primetime, on national television. That was the original schedule. The 49ers planned to use the game as a platform to unveil their new statue of the late Dwight Clark for the entire country to see. It would be a national moment of honor for the 49ers.

But after they lost at home by 10 points to the winless Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, the NFL “flexed” their game against the Rams, meaning the league rescheduled it from Sunday night to Sunday afternoon. Made it just another regular, local game. Ruined the 49ers’ big party for Clark. Kicked them out of the night slot, and replaced them with the Kansas City Chiefs against the Cincinnati Bengals. The league thinks the 49ers just aren’t worthy to play in primetime.

More motivation.

“Everyone says we have a lot of injuries,” tight end George Kittle said. “We got kicked out of a Sunday Night football game, and no one expects us to win Monday night. Screw them. We’re going to do everything we can to show up, and we’re going to ball.”

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner echoed Kittle. “They think we’re going to get blown out,” Buckner said. “That’s what everybody thinks, because they took our Sunday night game away. The season isn’t going the way we thought it could. But at this point, it’s about how we’re going to respond to all the adversity. We have to stick together and pay attention to the small details to win.”

There was even talk in the league that, with Jimmy Garoppolo on the Injured Reserve list, the 49ers should trade for another quarterback to make them more attractive.

“San Francisco has (four) primetime games remaining on their schedule,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said recently. “Some people within the league are hoping that the Niners trade for (Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick) Foles, according to a source.”

Schefter also said the 49ers have no interest in trading for Foles, which means the NFL may flex more of the 49ers’ night games for afternoons.

What was Shanahan’s reaction to ESPN’s report?

“I laughed a little bit,” he said. “It’s very comical. That’s definitely the last of our worries.”

Shanahan dismissed the report during his press conference. But according to Buckner, Kittle and Juszczyk, the coach referenced the schedule change for the Rams game specifically during Friday’s meeting.

“Yeah, he mentioned it,” Juszczyk said. “He said anyone who has played in the league understands why they do that (flex games). I look at it as a slap in the face. People don’t want to watch us. So, you take on that underdog role, that us-against-the-world mentality, and you use that for motivation.”

At this point, the 49ers are willing to use just about anything for motivation.