SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Return of the Empire: 49ers 2-0 heading into Thursday Night Football

Sep 20, 2023, 12:41 PM | Updated: 1:43 pm

Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers waves to fans as he leaves the field after the g...

Harry How/Getty Images

Week 2 was more of a challenge for the San Francisco 49ers, pulling out the win, 30-23, against the L.A. Rams in SoFi Stadium. They’ll look to make it 3-0 to start the season Thursday, taking on the New York Giants.

On the latest edition of Return of the Empire, a 49ers podcast, Amil Fragoso and producer Kyle Ledbetter recap the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Rams and what went right for the Red & Gold on Sunday. Amil also breaks down some weak spots for the 49ers’ roster so far, and where they need to improve throughout the 2023 season. Finally, they look ahead to Week 3 against the Giants on Thursday Night Football, and who will be missing from action for both teams this week.

Plus, does quarterback Daniel Jones represent a challenge for Kyle Shanahan?

All that & much more on the Return of the Empire.

“Huge challenge,” coach Kyle Shanahan said about Jones Tuesday. “It starts with his legs. Anytime you have that speed and you can run the ball like he does. They’re willing to run him. He’s willing to run. He’s physical when he runs. He’s got the skillset to run away from people. So anytime you have a quarterback like that, the challenge that does just schematically, unlocking your defense and making you have to play a certain way is always a pain. And then he’s got the ability to play in the pocket and beat you that way too. So he’s getting better each year. We’ve all really loved him coming out and I think one of the main reasons he took them to the playoffs last year. He played really unbelievable there in that second half on Sunday.”

Episode 31 - Christian McCaffery Takes a Giant Step…
51 minutes

Topics Discussed:

  • Amil & Kyle’s takeaways from Week 2’s win over the Rams
  • Amil breaks down the usage for Christian McCaffrey
  • The latest on Brandon Aiyuk’s status for Week 3
  • Has Steve Wilks passed the eye test yet?
  • Kyle’s thoughts on the New York Giants following their Week 2 comeback
  • Does New York have a chance without Saquon Barkley?

The Return of the Empire podcast is a San Francisco 49ers podcast hosted by beat writer Amiliano Fragoso and producer Nate Littlefield for Sactown Sports 1140. Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Click here for more episodes of the Return of the Empire podcast.

Newsletter

San Francisco 49ers

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers leads a huddle in action during a game between the San F...

Amiliano Fragoso

San Francisco 49ers release 2024 regular season schedule

The San Francisco 49ers released their 2024 regular season schedule Wednesday afternoon, with six prime-time games on the slate.

1 day ago

Outside linebacker Aldon Smith #99 and teammate nose tackle Glenn Dorsey #90 of the San Francisco 4...

Amiliano Fragoso

Former 49ers OLB Aldon Smith details his struggles during his playing career

Former 49ers OLB Aldon Smith joined the Drive Guys Wednesday to talk about the 2024 Dwight Clark Legacy Series and all the event entails.

1 day ago

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy walks the sidelines before the MLB baseball game betwee...

Amiliano Fragoso

Watch: Brock Purdy throws out first pitch at Giants game Tuesday

San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy threw out the first pitch at the SF Giants' game Tuesday, delivering some high heat on the mound.

2 days ago

Chris Hubbard #66 of the Tennessee Titans during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Sta...

Amiliano Fragoso

San Francisco 49ers sign OL Chris Hubbard to one-year deal

Reports emerged Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers were signing veteran OL Chris Hubbard to a one-year deal.

3 days ago

Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field for their game against the Detroit L...

Amiliano Fragoso

49ers open 2024 NFL season against Jets on Monday Night Football

The 49ers Week 1 matchup has typically brought fireworks, with 2024 being no different. The NFL announced Tuesday that the San Francisco 49ers will host quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season. SF will play NYJ as the opening Monday Night Football game of the year, […]

3 days ago

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a 42-10 victory against the Dallas Cowboys ...

Amiliano Fragoso

Alex Smith calls Brock Purdy the ‘real deal’ entering Year 3 in the NFL

Alex Smith joined The Drive Guys Thursday to discuss the Dwight Clark Legacy Series and the current state of the 49ers' 2024 roster.

7 days ago

Return of the Empire: 49ers 2-0 heading into Thursday Night Football