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The goal is simple for the San Francisco 49ers going into the 2020 NFL season: Win the Super Bowl.
After being seven minutes away from capturing the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy, the Niners are eager to get back, and finish the job. 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked during the Niners State of the Franchise event about a potential Super Bowl hangover:
“I know we were good enough to win that Super Bowl, and we didn’t. That’s something we have to live with. That’s why the state of the franchise now is we have to get right back to that moment. We have to get right back to that fourth quarter and get to have a lead, and we’ve got to finish the job. It’s been weird with this quarantine and being in the offseason. I still feel like 2020 just started. Now we’re a month away, and I can’t wait to get started.”
NBC’s Mike Florio was critical of Shanahan’s comments on the most recent episode of Pro Football Talk Overtime. He feels Shanny’s remarks were irresponsible, and add an extra layer of pressure on his players:
“The worst thing you can do going into a season is set unrealistic expectations, and the worst message you can send to your locker room is we want to fast forward to the point where it went of the rails for us last year. When you start thinking about that moment and getting back to that moment, I guarantee you, you’re never going to get back to that moment ... When I saw those quotes, I was blown away because I would expect it from Freddie Kitchens. I would expect it from a lesser coach.”
To be fair, Shanahan did acknowledge that the 49ers will face a different set of challenges in 2020. He acknowledged that teams will play the Niners tougher, and even if they play better than they did last year, they still might not make it back to the Super Bowl.
Chris Simms, who was on with Florio, stood by his close friend Shanahan.
“He’s confident, and he does set goals like that for himself. Even with him saying broad statements like that, first off, he’s a different coach than most,” Simms said. “He is. He’s a little bit more honest. He’s wired a different way. He’s extremely honest with his players, and his team, and everything that way.”
Florio did praise Shanahan following his criticism, saying the 40-year-old is already one of the best coaches in the NFL, and could very well be one of the greatest in league history.
The 49ers will have their work cut out for them. The 2018 New England Patriots are the only team to bounce back and win the Super Bowl, after losing in it the year before. That was the first time a team has done that since the Miami Dolphins achieved the feat way back in 1972.
Still, San Francisco is loaded with talent, and nothing less than a championship will be considered a successful season.
On to some links:
Running back Raheem Mostert was a pleasant surprise for the Niners last season. NBC Bay Area’s Scott Blair wrote about why Mostert should serve as an example to the special team players on the roster.
The Niners are rumored to be in on All-Pro safety Jamal Adams. Fandided’s Peter Panacy looks at three possible trades the 49ers could orchestrate to bring Adams to the Bay Area.
All-time sacks leader Bryant Young will be enshrined into the 49ers Hall of Fame. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows did a nice piece profiling the star defensive lineman.
Offensive lineman Trent Williams was well sought-after this past offseason. 49ers Web Zone’s David Bonilla recaps what made the Niners so attractive to Williams.
Receiver Jauan Jennings recently signed his rookie contract. Fansided’s Jeremy Wohlfar looks at what the seventh-round pick has to do to crack the final 53-man roster.
From around the NFL:
What is the best possible roster that can be put together under the 2020 salary cap? NFL.com’s Anthony Holzman-Escareno puts together a star-studded squad.
Which franchise had the best offseason? Josh Edwards of CBS Sports gives his list of top-10 NFL teams that improved their roster going into next season.