Three Things We Learned From 49ers' 31-20 Super Bowl Loss Against Chiefs
Up 20-10 with less than eight minutes to go, the San Francisco 49ers were poised to be crowned Super Bowl LIV champions. That was until the team collapsed in the face of greatness, that is Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. The Kansas City Chiefs came back down from two scores to defeat the 49ers 31-20.
San Francisco just could not finish strong enough and are now licking their wounds from a heartbreaking defeat. With the 2019 season officially finalized, looking forward will be the next course of action for the 49ers. However, there are still some things to learn from Sunday night.
Here are three things we learned from the 49ers' Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs.
49ers Arrived a Year Early
Losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl proved one thing - the 49ers arrived a year early. If they were a team that was ready, then they would have handled their business. A 20-10 blown lead would not have taken place. Kansas City was just the better team because they were ready. It was their time, and not the 49ers.
Expectations for the 2019 49ers were a .500 team at best. No one foresaw this team exploding on the scene like they did this season, which is why it took so long for people to finally believe they were legitimate. It was quite the extravagant showing this team put on this season. While losing the Super Bowl will sting, it is not the end of the worl for the 49ers.
The fact that they ascended so quickly could be the start of a dynasty. This journey that they endured will only benefit the future of their young players. It'll help mold and fuel them to push them towards returning at this point next year. Returning to the Super Bowl is not an easy feat, but it is definitely within the realm of possibility for the 49ers to achieve.
Interior Offensive Line is a Glaring Weakness
One area of weakness that reared it's ugly head for the 49ers Sunday night was the interior offensive line. The group reminded everyone that they are not the most sound players. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had his way with them and proved to be a critical factor for why Jimmy Garoppolo could not convert on some key downs.
During the regular season, the interior offensive line struggled immensely in a few games against top of the line defensive tackles (Aaron Donald, Grady Jarrett). In those games, the 49ers allowed a ton of pressure on Garoppolo. The same way Jones was able to rattle Garoppolo on some throws. It's clear that the 49ers' glaring weakness is at interior offensive line.
With the offseason officially in full force - addressing the area will be key. In fact, it should be No. 1 priority entering free agency and the draft. All season long, Garoppolo has shown that pressure off the edge is not nearly as significant as interior pressure. Let's not forget that the 49ers want to attack the middle of the field in the pass game, which cannot be effective if interior pass protection is poor. Solidifying this weakness enhance the offense entering 2020.
Garoppolo's Vision Needs Improvement
Poor interior pass protection was the only flaw of the 49ers that resurfaced on Sunday night. Garoppolo's lack of vision and ability to read the field as the play unfolds came to light in this matchup. For those claiming that Kyle Shanahan should have ran the ball more, it was not his play-calling that caused the offense to spiral downward.
The play-calling was fine, as Brian Baldinger of NFL Network breaks down the tape above, notice how many missed chances there were by Garoppolo. It wasn't anything with inaccuracy issue or mechanics wise. He simply was just not seeing the field. Pressure in his face did cause him to miss some, which is understandable.
However, there were times where he was clean in the pocket and completely missed a receiver who beat his man. That is something Garoppolo has shown all season long. He tends to miss a guy because he makes the wrong read or just wants to get the ball out of his hands. It was put on full display on Sunday and will be something he needs to work on in the offseason.
