The San Francisco 49ers are again within the Tremendous Bowl for the second time underneath head coach Kyle Shanahan after beating the Detroit Lions, 34-31, in the NFC title recreation. Nearly as good because the Niners have been this season, it’s taken perseverance, dedication and a bit of luck in these playoffs. They’ve performed with hearth 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 couple of years in the past, dropping Tremendous 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 in every of their key gamers in that recreation 4 years in the past. Kansas Metropolis parted methods with Tyreek Hill, and Jimmy Garoppolo is not underneath middle for San Francisco. And having Christian McCaffrey within the backfield can also be a serious addition for SF.
Regardless of being 4 years faraway from that recreation, the Niners who had been on the sphere in that first assembly keep in mind how they’d that recreation within the bag earlier than it slipped away. So, that first-half efficiency in opposition to the Lions on Sunday received’t reduce it in opposition to 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 sluggish begins on offense and protection the previous two weeks. This crew 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 underneath his belt.
Nevertheless, that is seemingly probably the most welcomed situation for the 49ers, as most groups don’t get this chance. They’ve the prospect to proper what went unsuitable of their final Tremendous Bowl look in opposition to the identical franchise, quarterback and head coach. It’s arduous sufficient to get again, however to additionally return in opposition to the crew you need to’ve crushed is serendipity.
With that stated, San Francisco can not begin this Tremendous Bowl in sleepwalk mode. Detroit rushed for greater than 130 yards within the first half in opposition to San Fran. If the Niners play like that in opposition to 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 identical lure as Baltimore. Let McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel carry the offensive load with sprinkles of Purdy mud.
As long as the protection reveals up and performs persistently 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 achieve this after they needed to have it in opposition to the Lions, there needs to be little doubt that he can reply the decision. Getting out of the beginning blocks has been San Francisco’s subject within the final two contests. Fixing that’s the key to them bringing house Vince Lombardi’s trophy for a sixth time.
