The 49ers began the week preparing to face Derek Carr on Sunday. They found out before the start of the first practice of Week 17 that Jarrett Stidham will start for the Raiders.
Stidham, whom the Raiders claimed in a trade with the Patriots after Josh McDaniels became the team’s head coach, has never started a game. He has thrown for 342 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in limited action.
“I remember we really liked how he threw,” Shanahan said Wednesday of his evaluation of Stidham at the Senior Bowl, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “I liked him as a guy, just working with him. I never enjoy going to Mobile that time of year, so it’s just not a good feeling. It means you didn’t do very well, and you really want a break, and you don’t get it. But I do remember enjoying him.
“I know he was a talented player that we all believed was going to get drafted, and I was not surprised that New England took him.”
The 49ers are in contention for the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Shanahan insists they will not take the Raiders lightly and still are playing to win to the end of the season.
“I see some great players who can beat you,” Shanahan said of the Raiders. “That’s why I think they’ve had a chance in so many games this year, and they have been close. There’s just a few [plays] -- the ball bouncing a different way -- to being locked in as a playoff team right now.
“I know they’re sitting down their quarterback, who I think is a real good player, but they also got three big-time weapons there on offense. Their defensive end in [Maxx] Crosby is playing as, probably, the second-best defensive player in the league, at least that I’ve seen this year. I think he’s been unbelievable. So they’ve got some guys that can wreck games, so you better be on your stuff regardless.”