The 49ers couldn't get out of their own way early this season. After an embarrassing loss to the short-handed Arizona Cardinals in Week 9, San Francisco was 3-5 and sinking to the bottom of the NFC.
But six weeks later, things are different for Kyle Shanahan's team. The 49ers have won five of their last six games and now sit in sixth place in the NFC at 8-6.
Brandon Aiyuk's reemergence has coincided with the 49ers' turnaround that was sparked by rediscovering the type of team they want to be.
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"It's just the standard. We found our standard along the way," Aiyuk told 95.7 The Game's "Damon and Ratto" on Tuesday. "I think when we stick to the standard, and we play the brand of football that know that we can, I think it shows up in the win column."
For Aiyuk and the 49ers, they found their standard immediately after falling on their face against the Colt McCoy-led Cardinals.
"It was a Monday night game against the Rams," Aiyuk said when asked about the moment the 49ers got their groove back. "We came out of that game understanding that that's the type of football that we need to play on a weekly basis and if we do that we give ourselves a really good chance to win football games."
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San Francisco 49ers
After hammering the Los Angeles Rams in that Week 10 game, the 49ers notched wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons, with their only loss coming in Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Aiyuk and the 49ers must put their Week 15 win over the Falcons behind them quickly as they will face the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night in a crucial Week 16 tilt.
After starting 3-5, the 49ers rediscovered their standard and it has propelled them back into the playoff picture. If they can maintain their current level of play, they could be playing football deep into January.