Kyle Shanahan is Already Preparing for the Matchup With Titans

Week 16 is already on the mind of Kyle Shanahan.

That is not to say that Shanahan is overlooking the Falcons this Sunday. The 49ers are getting prepared for them as they normally have for every opponent this season. And the 49ers are not some vaunted team to be overlooking anyone.

But Shanahan is thinking a few steps ahead here. Once the game with the Falcons is over, the 49ers have to quickly turn it around and get ready for an elite Titans team on a short week. This is why when Shanahan was asked Wednesday if things change this week in any capacity as a Thursday night matchup approaches, Shanahan explained why and how.

“No, I think it does. Today we're walking through everything, which we would be doing anyways since it's that time of year. But if it was earlier in the year, I probably would've done it just knowing that we have to make sure we go lighter on these guys, having two games in this amount of time. I gave the players a victory Monday, which was our first one, on Monday.

"And that was coming from the east coast, but it was also knowing how much we're going to be around each other for 10 days straight, so that you can have the mental break a little bit and also to have them away from us so some coaches can do some of their busy work for Tennessee since next Monday will be a little hectic."

Shanahan is already preparing for the 49ers matchup with the Titans.

It isn't uncommon for teams to start looking ahead to their Thursday night opponent. In fact, that is a smart approach to it. There needs to be some scouting and preparation for that opponent for one day. Thursday night games are extremely wild for teams because of the short week. Everything is compacted or even eliminated in their routine preparation.

As Shanahan said, next Monday is going to be hectic. There isn't going to be much time to go through a Titans game plan, so whatever they can manage this current week will be a benefit.

To pair up with some game planning, Shanahan gave his players a rest on Monday. That is easily the most beneficial. The coaches were always going to prepare for the Titans anyway. But allowing the players to rest, while also going through a fairly light week of practice, is going to keep them fresher come gameday.

All of this is a great way to approach two games in 10 days for the 49ers following the Bengals victory. But it will be all for naught if they do not handle their business at home against the Falcons. Flying to Tennessee on a short week to play on a freezing night is going to be taxing on the 49ers. That could be a loss for them given how strong the Titans are.

A win against Atlanta will act as cushion for the challenge that awaits them in Tennessee.

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