SANTA CLARA — Joe Montana took a seat within the Levi’s Stadium auditorium, and because the 49ers’ all-time king spoke from his leather-cushioned throne, the subject of Tremendous Bowl aspirations arose.
“When you’re not anticipating to go to the Tremendous Bowl, one thing is mistaken, particularly when you will have a workforce just like the 49ers have,” Montana stated.
This, as you may guess, clearly got here 3 hours earlier than the 49ers endured a 44-23 blowout loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Montana is appropriate in that the 49ers’ “on a regular basis incidence, what we play for yearly” ought to be the Lombardi Trophy. He has 4 rings that he’ll sometime hand off to his 4 youngsters.
For “a workforce just like the 49ers have” now, sloppy errors should be eradicated, so-called play-makers should get ultimately zone, and the once-feared protection should get wholesome to beat a 3-4 begin for a second straight 12 months.
Listed here are the ten issues that caught my eye most, no less than after pregame sitdowns with Montana and a once-exiled Jim Harbaugh:
10. REBOUND VS. RAMS
One of the simplest ways to recover from a second straight defeat is to rebound towards a divisional foe. Wouldn’t you already know it however on deck is Sunday’s go to to the 49ers’ Southern California trip residence, SoFi Stadium, the place the Rams will look to beat a pro-49ers crowd. The 49ers have gained the previous seven regular-season matchups, although they did lose their final journey to L.A., when a mere Tremendous Bowl berth was on the road in January.
“Yeah, these division video games undoubtedly do carry a bit extra weight, so we’ve obtained to be able to go this week,” stated Jimmy Garoppolo, after prefacing his remark by noting they, in fact, need to win each sport as a reward for his or her weekly grind.
A 24-9 residence win over the Rams positive boosted the 49ers’ spirits after the earlier weekend’s 11-10 faceplant in Denver. Warning: The 49ers’ previous three wins at SoFi weren’t blowouts (20-7 in 2019, 23-20 in 2020, 27-24 in Week 18 final season).
“We now have a superb really feel for the Rams. They’re a superb opponent up entrance with Aaron Donald and the remainder of these guys,” guard Aaron Banks stated. “We’ll come out, preserve attempting to play bodily, play quick and end our drives with touchdowns.”
9. JET-CHIP-WASP AGAIN?
Regardless of the Chiefs referred to as on third-and-long within the fourth quarter Sunday positive appeared like an identical gut-punch to the 49ers because the “2-3 Jet Chip Wasp” play that resulted in a 44-yard completion to spark the 2019 Chiefs’ Tremendous Bowl rally. This time, with no Tyreek Hill to focus on, Patrick Mahomes unleashed a 57-yard completion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and the Chiefs parlayed that right into a landing to loudly reply George Kittle’s rating.
“It was robust. It was a superb probability for us to get off and get the ball again for our offense, which was enjoying rather well,” Bosa stated. “It was one possession at that time. However there are numerous performs early on that led as much as that being an enormous play.”
8. BIG PLAY BONANZA
To play off what Bosa alluded to, the 49ers’ protection allowed means too many huge performs, albeit towards the NFL’s highest-caliber offense that caters to huge performs.
The Chiefs racked up eight performs of no less than 20 yards. “Our protection prides itself on eliminating explosive performs and that’s what the sport felt like, simply explosive performs one after one other,” linebacker Fred Warner stated.
Valdes-Scantling’s 57-yarder was the longest, and a 45-yard landing by JuJu Smith-Schuster underscored the 49ers’ defensive give up. A really damning play: Jerick McKinnon’s 34-yard display screen catch-and-run after faking a block of Bosa, which Mahomes adopted with a 4-yard landing cross on the following play. It was the kind of play that obtained McKinnon an enormous contract from the 49ers in 2018, earlier than knee surgical procedures stored him out that season and in 2019.
7. GAROPPOLO’S INTERCEPTION
Jimmy Garoppolo and Mahomes every had 25 completions and one interception. The 49ers transformed Talanoa Hufanga’s decide of Mahomes right into a landing, on a Garoppolo cross to Ray-Ray McCloud. The Chiefs didn't convert on their interception of Garoppolo’s cross contained in the purpose line, as they missed a subject purpose after a McKinnon penalty nullified a Mahomes landing cross.
So, which interception was worse? Look, the 49ers wanted each landing they might get to maintain tempo, and Garoppolo’s gaffe blew a golden alternative, created by Sam Womack’s restoration of a muffed punt on the 12. Merely put, the 49ers shouldn’t have had Garoppolo passing on third-and-3. Heck, didn’t they only commerce for Christian McCaffrey, and wasn’t Jeff Wilson Jr. operating exhausting, too? Even Deebo Samuel fought exhausting for six yards on the earlier catch-and-run. In abstract: The 49ers, general, blew it.
6. SLOPPY PENALTIES
Broad receiver Brandon Aiyuk was dead-on correct when he stated: “We weren’t clear sufficient to hold with them. We knew what sort of sport it’d be and we damage ourselves.”
Sloppy errors are a typical thread within the 49ers’ losses. What's going to stick in Shanahan’s craw are the 15 penalties his workforce drew, solely 10 of which had been enforced. It stemmed from a poisonous cocktail of psychological and bodily errors.
There was defensive offside on Bosa (twice) and Charles Omenihu; holding calls on Mike McGlinchey (twice), Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams and Ty Davis-Value; false begins on Jeff Wilson Jr., Danny Grey and Jaylon Moore; unlawful contact on Charvarius Ward; unlawful formation on Williams; defensive holding on Jimmie Ward (with a forged); and the Jennings late hit on the second-half’s kickoff return.
5. NATIONAL TIGHT END DAY
The NFL’s playful recognition of “Nationwide Tight Finish Day” introduced its two greatest to Levi’s Stadium. George Kittle and Travis Kelce didn't disappoint. Get this: They each had six catches for 98 yards. Kittle is the one one who scored, and his 15-yard landing on third-and-10 pulled the 49ers inside 28-23.
“Our offense has to place up factors, particularly when going towards an offense that they’re going to place up 30 to 35 a sport, it doesn't matter what,” Kittle stated. “We are able to’t depend on our protection to carry guys to 10 factors week in, week out, regardless of how good they're.”
4. QUARTERBACK MATCHUP
Interceptions apart, Mahomes regarded a lot extra in command and cozy than Garoppolo, who's 0-3 towards him.
I used to be curious to listen to teammates’ impressions of Garoppolo amid this matchup, so I individually requested rookie guard Aaron Banks and McCaffery, and each had comparable responses.
Mentioned Banks: “Constant. Similar man, begin to end. He controls the huddle. He does an awesome job.”
Mentioned McCaffrey: “He’s cool, calm, and picked up. He doesn’t blink. An awesome chief. And environment friendly.”
McCaffrey added that Garoppolo was “tremendous useful” to him main into the sport.
3. McCAFFREY’S DEBUT
Garoppolo confirmed he hung out after observe with McCaffrey and got here away impressed by Sunday’s debut, saying: “I do know among the performs he had by no means even heard earlier than when he was within the huddle, so there was some explaining to do however I believed he did rather well. It’s undoubtedly a bit spark for us.”
McCaffrey opened with runs of 10 and 9 yards up the center on the opening drive. His different six runs went for 19 yards, mixed. He additionally had two catches for twenty-four yards in a 21-snap salute.
“Hear, this was a bizarre week for me and for them. I didn’t know what to anticipate,” McCaffrey stated. “I had a sure listing of performs that had been up. For me, it was mentally specializing in controlling what I can management.”
That mindset certainly was instilled in him from his father, Ed, a large receiver on the 1994 workforce that gained the Tremendous Bowl. Earlier than the sport, Ed informed me how his son had spent the previous week making ready to face the Buccaneers (who misplaced to the McCaffrey-less Panthers on Sunday). Requested what he considered Kyle Shanahan referring to him as his childhood hero, Ed McCaffrey stated that “he’s my hero now” for buying and selling for his son.
By the way in which, Banks stated he had “no clue” about how McCaffrey ran, including: “I don’t give a rattling who’s behind me. I’m attempting to do my job to the very best of my capacity. I’m not going to dam more durable for him than I might Jeff or Ty or Deebo. … (McCaffrey) is an All-Professional expertise and excited to have him.”
2. BEYOND BOSA
Nick Bosa obtained the one and solely sack of Mahomes, and it positive appeared well timed, approaching the Chiefs’ first snap after Kittle’s landing pulled the 49ers inside 5 factors. It additionally got here in a uncommon one-on-one matchup for Bosa, who blasted in from left defensive finish. There wasn’t a lot blasting from anybody else this sport.
Mahomes was not hit till a Kevin Givens shot halfway by way of the third quarter. Drake Jackson tore up the center and nearly introduced down Mahomes for an 18-yard loss, solely to see Mahomes lob a completion to Travis Kelce at midfield.
Mahomes ate up the 49ers’ cross rush, equally together with his fast launch or pocket persistence. He didn't scramble as soon as previous the road of scrimmage. That's appalling and an indictment on the 49ers’ different cross rushers who couldn’t profit from Bosa’s double groups.
1. FOURTH-QUARTER HIJINKS
This stat is solely stupifying and explains loads in regards to the 49ers’ annual pitfall: They’re 0-27 underneath Shanahan when trailing by no less than 4 factors to begin a fourth quarter, in accordance with The Related Press.
Garoppolo technically has 10 fourth-quarter comebacks in his 49ers tenure. The largest deficit he’s overcome got here within the 2012 regular-season finale: After coming into the fourth quarter tied at 17 (exempting it from the aforementioned stat), the Rams took a 24-17 lead late within the fourth quarter earlier than the 49ers prevailed in time beyond regulation.
When Garoppolo discovered Kittle for a third-and-10 landing cross within the fourth quarter, it regarded like a promising begin to fairly the fourth-quarter comeback. In attendance: Montana, who had 31 profession fourth-quarter comebacks, and Jim Harbaugh, who had 15 in a profession that carried the nickname “Captain Comeback.”
I suppose what makes one other missed fourth-quarter comeback sting additional is the opponent. Mahomes and the Chiefs, in any case, rallied from 10 factors down within the fourth quarter of Tremendous Bowl LIV to topple Garoppolo and the 49ers.
Montana, in his pregame deal with, did defend Garoppolo: “I simply assume they did the appropriate factor in maintaining him. If you have a look at it, when he’s wholesome, he’s gained video games for them. You possibly can’t say that in regards to the different guys they tried to interchange him with. Does he match the system? He does to a sure diploma, as a result of it’s not a run-option kind offense. You don’t want a man that may run. Typically you simply have to show a bit extra of what you’re in search of from coach to participant. His capacity to make this workforce formidable offensively does greater than the blokes that they had up to now.”