The San Francisco 49ers are again within the Tremendous Bowl for the second time beneath head coach Kyle Shanahan after beating the Detroit Lions, 34-31, in the NFC title game. Pretty much as good because the Niners have been this season, it’s taken perseverance, dedication and just a little luck in these playoffs. They’ve performed with fireplace in each postseason video games, narrowly escaping the Packers and Lions. Now the 49ers have two weeks to wash up and shut the holes of the earlier two as a result of leaving any opening for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will finish badly.
After all, San Francisco is aware of this as they came upon a number of years in the past, losing Super Bowl LIV to Mahomes and the Chiefs after taking a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter. Whereas each groups have modified, among the core items are nonetheless in place from their final assembly on the NFL’s largest stage. Each squads moved on from one among their key gamers in that recreation 4 years in the past. Kansas Metropolis parted methods with Tyreek Hill, and Jimmy Garoppolo is now not beneath middle for San Francisco. And having Christian McCaffrey within the backfield can be a serious addition for SF.
Regardless of being 4 years faraway from that recreation, the Niners who have been on the sphere in that first assembly bear in mind how they’d that recreation within the bag earlier than it slipped away. So, that first-half efficiency towards the Lions on Sunday gained’t minimize it towards Mahomes and Andy Reid in Las Vegas.
San Francisco allowed the Packers to hold round within the divisional spherical, and if not for 2 big-time interceptions by Dre Greenlaw, the NFC Championship Recreation would’ve been performed in Detroit. The Niners have gotten off to gradual begins on offense and protection the previous two weeks. This workforce has felt the wrath of Mahomes earlier than and is aware of he’s by no means out of any recreation with 4 extra years of expertise beneath his belt.
Nonetheless, that is probably essentially the most welcomed situation for the 49ers, as most groups don’t get this chance. They’ve the prospect to proper what went fallacious of their final Tremendous Bowl look towards the identical franchise, quarterback and head coach. It’s laborious sufficient to get again, however to additionally return towards the workforce you already know you must’ve overwhelmed is serendipity.
With that mentioned, San Francisco can’t begin this Tremendous Bowl in sleepwalk mode. Detroit rushed for greater than 130 yards within the first half towards San Fran. If the Niners play like that towards KC, that Reid-Mahomes combo could put them to mattress early. Get behind the Chiefs, 24-7, and it’s probably lights out. Brock Purdy might want to make performs, however the 49ers can’t fall into the same trap as Baltimore. Let McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel carry the offensive load with sprinkles of Purdy mud.
As long as the protection exhibits up and performs constantly all through, the Niners needs to be able to win the sport. There’ll come a time when Purdy must make a play, however after watching him accomplish that once they needed to have it towards the Lions, there needs to be little question that he can reply the decision. Getting out of the beginning blocks has been San Francisco’s situation within the final two contests. Fixing that’s the key to them bringing house Vince Lombardi’s trophy for a sixth time.
