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3 Reasons to be Optimistic the 49ers Won't Experience a Super Bowl Hangover

The Super Bowl hangover is real, but it shouldn't affect the 49ers.

In 2019, the 49ers were the talk of the league, recording a nine-game improvement after posting a record of 4-12 in 2018. Last season, their magical run led them to a 13-3 record and a trip to Super Bowl LIV, but the end result was far from what they had hoped.

Needless to say, the rug was pulled out from underneath the 49ers as they let a 10-point fourth-quarter lead slip away. It's games like these that some players may not get another shot to redeem, and history shows that the 49ers' chances of getting back to the Super Bowl will be daunting. 

Just eight teams have gotten back to the Super Bowl after losing the previous season. And just three of these eight teams were able to come away as Super Bowl champions. 

However, this isn't unfamiliar territory for Kyle Shanahan. He experienced a similar defeat during his time as offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons. Since then, he has built a reputation that ranks near the top of offensive minds throughout the NFL, while building the 49ers' roster from the ground up.

The odds are stacked against the 49ers, but based on the current complexity of their team, there are many reasons to believe they will not have a Super Bowl hangover.

Here's why:

1. The 49ers' developing youth

A major component that allows the 49ers to stay among the best teams in the NFC is their talented youth. Since Shanahan and John Lynch took over in San Francisco, they've hit on several draft picks, and that has been the largest turning point for the new regime. 

Defensive end Nick Bosa became an immediate difference-maker in Year 1 and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, but 2019 was just the start of what could become a consistent all-pro career. 

But it's not just the early draft selections of Bosa and second-round pick Deebo Samuel who've appeared to pan out during the early stages of their career. Linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw look like bonafide starters in the NFL for years to come.

Building a solid foundation for the long haul is done through the draft and that's what the 49ers have done since Shanahan and Lynch have taken over. Their mixture of veterans to go along with their last couple of draft classes is a solid blend for continued success.

2. Plugged their major holes

The two biggest pieces the 49ers lost were defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. However, Shanahan and Lynch did well for themselves in replacing their two biggest losses, adding replacements in Round 1, selecting Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk. 

For the most part, the majority of last year's team is returning in 2020. It appears the 49ers staff wanted to 'run it back' with a similar formula that they used last season. 

Adding Kinlaw helps replace Buckner, as Kinlaw will attempt to anchor the middle of the defensive line. And Aiyuk will replace Sanders, but is likely to pencil in as the teams' third pass-catching option — both moves theoretically plug their major holes. 

Not to say that these two will come in and play to the level of Buckner and Sanders right away — the young players probably will take time. But at the very least, the 49ers have added two players who have huge potential in their most vulnerable areas.

3. Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan

Jimmy Garoppolo isn't Patrick Mahomes, nor is he Russell Wilson for that matter. But one thing he is: a winner.

Since being traded to San Francisco, Garoppolo has won 21 games and lost just six. 2019 was his first full season under center and Garoppolo got within one-quarter of football from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. 

He doesn't exactly light up the stat sheet, but when it becomes crunch time he seems to find a way to win more often than not. Plus, having Shanahan definitely doesn't hurt, as he's one of the more innovative football minds in the league.

Garoppolo and Shanahan clicked from the get-go. They clearly trust one another, and success has followed. Regardless of how they're viewed as a pair, the two of them have been nothing short of spectacular.