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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
George Kittle believes this time will be different.
Four years ago, a young San Francisco 49ers squad lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. But now that Kittle and his teammates are back, a little wiser and more experienced with an offense averaging 29 points a contest — the most since that last Super Bowl team in 2019 (29.9 points per game) — he thinks they are ready to seize the moment.
“Our offense is just chugging a little more consistently,” Kittle told reporters this week. “And when you throw a guy like Christian McCaffrey on our team, that helps a lot. Nothing against our old running backs, but with all the things Christian can do, Coach Shanahan can open his playbook.”
With the addition of McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy, Shanahan has found adaptability, giving him a lot of options for how he can attack defenses.
But finding the best way to do that against one of the top defenses in the league will be a challenge for the 49ers, as Shanahan looks to break through and win his first Super Bowl — and San Francisco’s first in 30 years.
Here’s a look at what the 49ers must do to win it all.
Start fast with the first 15 scripted plays
The 49ers have shown resilience in two comeback victories this postseason, but that was not the blueprint to the team’s success during the regular season. And they will be hard-pressed to repeat that success against one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Patrick Mahomes.
San Francisco has done a good job of grabbing early leads and suffocating teams with precision offense and a defense that takes the ball away.
According to FOX Sports research, the 49ers had 12 opening drives that ended with a touchdown or field goal during the regular season, tied for the most in the NFL. And San Francisco finished 11-3 in the regular season when up at any point in the first quarter, tied for the most wins of all teams in this situation.
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/49ers-path-to-winning-super-bowl-lviii-strong-start-brock-purdy-taking-risks
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Publish date : 2024-02-09 19:22:04
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