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The 49ers are 6-0 in their last six games against the Rams, and the relationship between 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Rams head coach Sean McVay has been pushed further into the spotlight because of the former’s domination of the head-to-head series. Shanahan doesn’t want too much credit though for having ownership over his disciple and the 49ers’ Southern California rivals.
There’s been some speculation since San Francisco’s comeback in Week 18 from a 17-0 deficit that Shanahan has gotten inside McVay’s head, but the 49ers head coach isn’t buying that idea.
“I think that’s kind of silly,” Shanahan said. “I think a question like that is just giving Sean and myself way too much credit. We’re coaches, like watch what’s going on that field and some of the players out there and the people that are competing. To think that it’s about Sean and I, I know he doesn’t feel that way and he knows I don’t feel that way. So the entertainment of this business is cool because it brings a lot of fans and brings a lot of money for everybody, but I think that’s kind of pretty ridiculous. I don’t give coaches that much credit.”
It seems like Shanahan and the 49ers coaching staff should get at least a little bit of credit for putting players in positions to succeed against a very talented team like the Rams. He’s right in that players execute and that’s what makes a difference in games, but McVay may call a game differently or game plan a certain way in an attempt to gain the edge LA has lacked over San Francisco the last three years.
Whether Shanahan is in McVay’s head ultimately won’t matter if the players don’t play well though. If the 49ers get turnovers, convert on third downs and in the red zone, they’ll probably win. If they’re committing turnovers, not getting first downs and settling for field goals, they’ll probably lose. There’s no amount of Shanahan-McVay rivalry that can alter those things.