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It is still hard to talk about the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Niners were up 10 points in the fourth quarter before falling apart and losing 31-20. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo takes a lot of blame for his performance over the final 15 minutes. He went 3-for-11 for just 36 yards and an interception, with a rating of just 2.8, not to mention his overthrow of Emmanuel Sanders on a deep pass that could have won the game.
Even though Jimmy G. struggled, cornerback Richard Sherman says the quarterback isn’t the reason San Francisco lost, but the defense is.
Uncle Sherm joined the Murph and Mac show on KNBR and had this to say about the Super Bowl collapse:
“When I’m speaking about it, I can’t go back to anybody but myself. I gave up three grabs in that game. ... I could have played better. I need to play better. When you hear them blaming Jimmy, Jimmy doesn’t play defense. We had a 10-point lead. We get the guy a stop, we win the game ... Jimmy played fine. He did what he was supposed to do. We’ve got to finish that game out. I’ve got to finish that game out. I’ve got to do what I’m supposed to do. I’m an All-Pro player. I’ve got to play All-Pro down the stretch.”
Sherman added that the 49ers had the No. 2 scoring offense in 2019, so he doesn’t understand why as the quarterback, Garoppolo isn’t given more credit. He added that both the Niners’ and Chiefs’ coaching staffs are among the best in the league and a big reason why the two teams squared off in the Super Bowl.
I agree with Sherman that defense could’ve been much better in the fourth, that third-and-15 completion to Tyreke Hill will live in my nightmares for quite some time, but trying to hold Patrick Mahomes and the dangerous Kansas City offense for all 60 minutes is a tough ask. Sherman has always been known to be a good teammate, so him taking accountability and standing up for Garoppolo isn’t a huge surprise.
The Niners needed one big play in the fourth from the offense and didn’t get it. For better or worse, that usually falls on the quarterback. I still think Garoppolo will improve next season with a full summer to prepare rather than focus on rehabbing his knee injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have stated that he will be the teams QB into the future.
What do you think of Sherman’s comments?
Onto some more links:
Garoppolo finished 2019 No. 14 in quarterback fantasy rankings. Yahoo! Sports explains why Jimmy G. will be a top-10 producer in 2020.
Losing two Super Bowls in the last seven years sucks for us, but imagine how much it hurts for a Niners legend like Joe Staley. The big man joined Adam Schefter’s podcast and shared which Super Bowl loss hurt more. (h/t Dalton Johnson NBC Bay Area)
Even though they are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2020, the 49ers still have some holes in their roster. ESPN looks at which position is the biggest need for all 32 teams and says the Niners need some help to bolster their secondary.
First it was Peyton Manning, then Tom Brady and now Aaron Rodgers. All three quarterbacks have been linked to the 49ers late in their careers and with the Green Bay Packers selecting Jordan Love in the first-round, there have been rumors Rodgers won’t finish his career with the team. NBC Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson explains why San Francisco trading for Rodgers makes no sense.
An NFC West rival could be a whole lot weaker on the defensive side of the ball next season. ESPN is reporting that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney isn’t like to return to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.