How 49ers can guard against the classic Super Bowl hangover
The San Francisco 49ers are trying to do the near-impossible: go from Super Bowl runners-up to Super Bowl champions.
Though the 1970 Dallas Cowboys, 1971 Miami Dolphins, and 2017 New England Patriots accomplished the feat, the 49ers must overcome the Super Bowl hangover that is sure to permeate the squad following their 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
Despite returning most of the roster from an NFC championship squad, the 49ers must overcome long odds to emerge as the last team standing at the end of the 2024 season. From finding a way to play their best ball down the stretch, to avoiding the injury bug stinging key players, to maintaining a championship focus throughout the grind of the regular season, Kyle Shanahan must help his squad navigate a windy road that will test the mental and physical toughness of both the coaching staff and the 53-man roster.
The players must absorb the lessons from previous playoff failures without allowing the losses to become an albatross around their necks. Shanahan, in particular, cannot attempt to erase the Super Bowl loss throughout the regular season. The brilliant tactician must resist the temptation to completely revamp his offensive approach to prove to his skeptics that he has learned from his big-stage failure.
While evolution is needed to thrive in the NFL consistently, the 49ers' sustained success under Shanahan with Brock Purdy at the helm (the QB is 17-4 as a starter in the regular season) should bolster his confidence in his scheme and game planning. Moreover, the franchise quarterback's performance and production as a two-year starter should make it easy for the 49ers to run it back without major changes to the system.
That said, league rivals have spent the offseason poring over the game tapes from the 49ers' previous season to see which tactics and schemes gave them the most problems. In addition, they have compiled comprehensive individual scouting reports to develop personalized game plans that enabled them to neutralize the 49ers' top players.
With that in mind, the 49ers must anticipate the impending tactics and build in counters that enable them to adapt and adjust to whatever arises. Great coaches and teams are always one or two steps ahead of the competition, and the 49ers must be on top of their game to navigate a challenging schedule littered with marquee matchups against title contenders.
From a team-building standpoint, the 49ers have a roster that lacks a glaring weakness at a key spot, but the team has some question marks at a few positions that elite opponents could exploit. That's why the team needed to resolve the Trent Williams situation before the regular season opener. The All-Pro tackle is a game changer at the point of attack, exhibiting strength and power while explosively uprooting defenders at the line of scrimmage.
Though Williams' holdout created another distraction while the team was dealing with another disgruntled player (Brandon Aiyuk) looking for a massive payday, the 49ers have seemingly worked past their "me-first" phase of the season in which players put their own interests over the good of the team. With Williams, Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey inking mega-deals to stay with the squad, several players are walking around the locker room, knowing their time with the 49ers is ending shortly.
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Being "on the clock" is not fun for marquee players, particularly those with impressive résumés (SEE: Deebo Samuel and Kyle Juszczyk), but the urgency could spark an energy within the locker room that leads to improved focus and attention to detail.
Urgency and pressure can also undermine the team's performance as players wilt under enormous expectations. Following Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers stumbled to a 6-10 record despite returning most of the pieces from the title run. Injuries and inconsistent execution torpedoed the team's chances and forced it to pick up the pieces the following season.
The 49ers hope to avoid a similar fate by trusting a core that knows how to win and dominate the NFC. With four NFC Championship game appearances over the past five seasons, it is hard to dismiss the 49ers' chances, but walking through the NFC with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles nipping on their heels could force the 49ers to wait awhile before they can avenge another Super Bowl defeat.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.