How Shanahan, 49ers are preparing for rainy game vs. Colts

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Here's the only thing we do know will happen Sunday night when the 49ers face the Indianapolis Colts at Levi's Stadium: It's going to rain ... a lot. 

Northern California is experiencing a torrential downpour, and Santa Clara is right in the thick of it. This, of course, wasn't a surprise to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers as they prepared for their Week 7 contest. 

“I heard it's supposed to start raining later today again and not stop until Tuesday," Shanahan said to reporters on Friday. "And it's supposed to be the worst at the start of our game, is what I have been told. So, I don't look at anything. People tell me stuff and you deal with it when it comes.”

As far as getting his team prepared for a wet field, it actually was quite dry during practice on Friday. However, Jimmy Garoppolo wanted to make sure he was ready for any kind of conditions and even consulted with the 49ers' third-string QB. 

"First time we did a bunch of wet ball stuff today," Shanahan said. "Jimmy wanted to try it out and work some different gloves and stuff to see. Nate [Sudfeld] gave him some ideas on some things that he's used and they tried that out. So, it seemed like they enjoyed it, but that stuff, really just for the quarterbacks, they can change a couple things, but that's all up to them and that stuff's all different.

"Everyone else, you deal with it and you see what type of game it is. You see who's staying in the ground the best, who your best mudders are and you figure that out as the game goes and you lean on them.”

Shanahan credited one of San Francisco's equipment managers he calls "Doc" with making sure the balls were wet Friday and that Garoppolo and Co. could get used to the tough environment.

Over his time as a head coach and assistant, Shanahan has dealt with a handful of rain games. He says there isn't a perfect formula in finding success during such games and you really have to monitor your players as the game goes on. 

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"I've been in some rain games that for some reason or another, guys have good footing, it doesn't seem like an issue at all," Shanahan said. "And I've been in others where no one can function, similar to our one in Washington a couple of years ago. And we'll see what this is like on Sunday.

"Hopefully the weather people aren't totally right, but I don't know whether it's an advantage or disadvantage, but I will after the game.”

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