Jim Tomsula feverishly coaching defensive linemen who were drafted by Scot McCloughan. Vernon Davis accelerating past opposing linebackers on deep passes. Greg Manusky, bifocals balanced at the end of his nose, calling plays for the defense.
When the 49ers play Washington on Sunday, they'll be looking at an earlier version of themselves.
When Davis still was with San Francisco in 2015 the storyline was that he had become too consumed with his "brand" -- from acting to an art gallery to his Jamba Juice franchise -- and the 49ers traded him to Denver for a sixth-round pick.