Patrick Taylor Jr. made the most of his on-field opportunities.
The 49ers running back explained his mindset stepping in for an injured Isaac Guerendo in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 38-13 victory over the Chicago Bears.
“Just preparing throughout the week,” Taylor told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt. “Like coach [Bobby Turner] says, ‘When you get the call, be ready to ball.’ And I got the call, so I was ready to ball.”
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Taylor scored his first touchdown in a San Francisco uniform to ice the game with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter. The 49ers' offense had no trouble cutting through the Chicago defense, racing out to a 24-0 halftime lead. For Taylor, the difference between Sunday’s victory and the previous two blowout losses was a focus on executing the game plan.
“Coach stressed this week about guys making plays, and guys did that today,” Taylor told Britt “We took it one play at a time, making sure we own the ball. We were in tune on the details and limiting the penalties. We came out and played well.”
Taylor was far down the running back depth chart to start the season, but with injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason and now Guerendo, he appears poised to take over the bulk of the backfield duties.
Being thrust into a larger offensive role isn’t a big deal for the 26-year-old, who explained how the team approaches the litany of injuries this season.
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“It’s a next man up mentality,” Taylor told Britt “And the thing about it is that we’re so deep with the offensive line [and the rest of the offense], all these guys can play. They can play at a high level. So, there’s no fall off when guys go down.”
San Francisco came out with a sense of urgency, scoring on the first possession to take the lead and never look back.
The win keeps the team mathematically in contention for a playoff spot but the road ahead will be treacherous. The 49ers would need to win out and get some help to make the postseason, as they sit two games back of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.
Next is another must-win game against the Los Angeles Rams on “Thursday Night Football.” With Guerendo’s status uncertain, look for Taylor and the rest of the San Francisco offense to pick up the slack.