It was ugly, after a season when it was mostly easy. For Kyle Shanahan, that's the sort of callous-building resiliency the 49ers have to show in the playoffs.
Now, the 49ers' next question is whether they'll have Deebo Samuel available in their NFC Championship game with the Detroit Lions.
Deebo's status
Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Deebo Samuel at least avoided a worst-case scenario on his left shoulder, but that there wasn't too much info besides that to provide.
"It wasn't broken, so that that was a real good sign," Shanahan said. "But still hurting too much for us to really have an idea of how it's going to heal up this week. So we just gotta be patient, see how he feels on Wednesday, and based off if its' improving, it will give us a better idea whether he has a chance for the game or not."
Samuel injured that same left shoulder against the Cleveland Browns, when he suffered hairline fracture and missed two games.
Shanahan said that the game plan will obviously be affected by his availability.
"Yes. I mean, if we know he's not available, which I think hopefully we would know that by Wednesday, Thursday, Friday," Shanahan said. "At least in those three days then it makes it easier, at least from a gameplan standpoint, you don't have to do much, but if there's any chance [he can play], which I think we'll have a better idea by Wednesday, obviously there'll be things in there for him."
Shanahan also said that while spotters flagged Samuel for a potential concussion, there was no concern of that on the 49ers' sideline. It was solely a shoulder injury. That Browns game in which Samuel was initially injured sparked a beef between him and Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. More on that below.
How Purdy played
As the discourse around Brock Purdy gets increasingly silly (on both sides of the spectrum, after a game in which he played poorly, then finished clutch), the opinion that likely matters most to Purdy is Shanahan.
Shanahan saw it how most reasonable folks did, which is that Purdy, like Jordan Love, was affected by the weather, but that wasn't the only thing to blame.
"I think [the rain] did [affect him] a little bit with a couple," Shanahan said. "Even just watching Love, watching the first play of the game that he had on that swing route, the ball slipping, throwing in front of the guy and there's a couple that got him. So there was definitely a few they got Brock, a few that he probably just missed trying to throw around a guy so it doesn't get tipped, and a couple that you just can't explain that just do happen. Usually have a couple in the game, but then you had a couple more with weather and a couple more just not being exactly on on the throw and he had a few too many of them."
That wasn't where Shanahan stopped. Despite all those miscues, he saw Purdy coming through when it mattered.
"But he also made some hell of a throws too," Shanahan said. I mean dropping some of those balls over that middle linebacker to get to Jauan was unbelievable. The low-and-away ball the to B.A. on third down when they had pretty tight coverage on it, and it was a hell of a throw and a hell of a catch that kept us out there after the drop. So he did a lot of good things too. By no means was he perfect, but it was really cool, when we needed him to be at his best, he was. So he gave us the best chance to win at the end."
That Samuel-Gardner-Johnson subplot
If Samuel does play, it would provide more fuel to the fire of a major subplot: the beef between him and Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Gardner-Johnson was a major midseason acquisition by the Philadelphia Eagles last year, and signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Lions in the offseason.
The beef started after the 49ers' loss to the Cleveland Browns, in which Samuel suffered that hairline shoulder fracture, but was involved in a pregame scuffle, along with Brandon Aiyuk. Trent Williams came in and ended things, with Gardner-Johnson chiming in on Twitter, writing the following:
"U see Deeboo Run Typical WR behavior … THEN ACT HARD WHEN TRENT SAVE HIM"
Samuel responded by posting the clip of former Bears receiver Javon Wims punching Gardner-Johnson, and the two went back and forth. Gardner-Johnson later responded on Instagram Live, saying the following:
"Bro, don't be friendly when you see me. Because you be so flashy, you better hope all that talk you be doing when we see y'all, whatever round it may be - because I can guard you. You can't run routes, you're a running back. You're a running back. I ain't even gonna sit here and play with you little boy. Just because you got a little bag, people gave you a little clout, man, you ain't nothing. Stop playing."
Samuel went back at Gardner-Johnson on the Up & Adams Show, saying that it sounded like Gardner-Johnson was jealous of his contract.
"He just sound like he's mad I got a little bag and a lot of money and no one knows who he is."
For as silly as beefs are, both Samuel and Gardner-Johnson are monumentally important players for their units. If Samuel's healthy, it's hard to imagine those two won't get after it.