A circle of water greeted reporters as they flooded into the 49ers’ post-game locker room after their 31-21 win over the Giants. It was the first win of the season, and the wetness was evidence of what transpired in the moments right after the game.
The locker room was bedlam, and players celebrated by dousing 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch with huge vats of water. In previous losses, down-trodden players like guard Brandon Fusco said it was painful to see the looks on the faces of Lynch and Shanahan.
This scene was the opposite.
“It was ecstatic, enthusiastic, everything all of us wanted from week one, everyone excited,” linebacker Eli Harold said of the post-game scene. “Most importantly, the GM and head coach excited. It started on the sideline. … Losing nine straight, it sucks.”
The 49ers now have a week to bathe in the win and to recover. The team has placed a league-high 23 players on injured reserve since the start of training camp. But now, they will get some players back and they memory of what it feels like to win.