Following their 30-12 victory over the New York Giants on "Thursday Night Football," the San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a rare weekend off from football. Many of the players referred to the time off as a mini Bye Week and took the opportunity to enjoy the lineup of NFL games on Sunday.
"It was huge (to have some extra time off). It was a lot of time I got to spend with family, teammates and just reflect on the game," wide receiver Jauan Jennings said. "Also, just to be able to watch football, it was huge. I definitely needed it."
"I feel like it's hard not to (watch football) on Sundays if you are not playing," cornerback Isaiah Oliver said. "You're going to end up watching whether it just be a couple games here or there."
One game Oliver paid close attention to was the Dallas Cowboys-Arizona Cardinals game that resulted in the 28-16 upset of one of the frontrunners of the NFC East. The 49ers are set to host the Cardinals in Week 4 and after securing their first win of the season, the team will be riding into Levi's® Stadium on a high.
"(The Cardinals game) was one I definitely watched," Oliver said. "They came out, and they fought hard. They played really well. We understand that will be a big matchup, a divisional game. It's always tough playing a division rival."
The 49ers are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2019 season and are playing complementary football early in the year. San Francisco's defense was their calling card for the first portion of last season before the offense hit its stride following the mid-year trade for Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey. In 2023, both sides of the ball are surging through the first three games.
The defense is top three in yards per game allowed (258.3) while the offense has put up 30 points in each contest.
"We're shaking and baking. It's what we do," Jennings said. "I feel like our offense has always been this good. Our defense kind of steals the show, but that's all right. We play against those guys everyday at practice, so we understand how hard it is. They make us better, and we do the same.
"That's all we focus on, taking what we do on the practice field into the game."
