In the 49ers case, it’s how in the heck did we ever let the Big One slip away?
The 49ers had a Super Bowl LIV victory in their grasp last February — a win that would have completed one of the greatest seasons for any NFL team so far in the 21st century — but they couldn’t close the deal, surrendering a 10-point lead in the final seven minutes of a horrifying loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It left the 49ers muttering a lot questions to themselves, and others asking a lot of questions about them after an otherwise glorious season that vaulted San Francisco back among the NFL elite. Those questions repeated on both sides throughout the offseason.
But now the 2020 season has arrived, and with it comes a clean slate. The questions regarding last season no longer matter. It’s all about the here-and now for the 49ers.
And the present, even for this quality team, poses a series of questions that will need answers as the 49ers begin their quest to return to the Super Bowl — and this time win it.
As San Francisco prepares for its September 13 season opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals — a game that’s likely to be played in an empty Levi’s Stadium devoid of fans — here are 10 questions the 49ers must answer to gauge the season the waits for them ahead.
Can 49ers shake Super Bowl hangover?
This story is from the September 2020 edition of Niner Report.
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This story is from the September 2020 edition of Niner Report.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
Set 49ers lineup still has several new starters
Calling all cornerbacks
Loss of Verrett exposes 49ers’ thin depth at CB
Always finding their way to run
49ers system accomplished at developing homegrown talent
ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Resilient veteran Verrett to miss rest of season
TOP 10 Rookie running backs
THE BACK LIST
STOCK UP STOCK DOWN
DEOMMODORE LENOIR | AMBRY THOMAS
Will Mostert run for 49ers again?
Raheem Mostert was primed this year to be the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, featured as the lead performer in San Francisco’s grinding rushing attack while making his climb among the league’s top running backs.
THE WONDER OF WARNER
49ers make All-Pro star highest-paid LB in NFL
Making the right choice at QB
In the weeks that follow after you read this — and perhaps sometime even sooner than that — Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the 49ers organization will make a titanic decision that will have present, future and perhaps even everlasting implications for the franchise. It will chart the course for the team’s pivotal 2021 season while determining whether San Francisco really does have the juice to return to powerhouse status and again be considered a legitimate contender to get back to the Super Bowl.
TOP 10 Linebacker seasons
Fred Warner vaulted to stardom with a spectacular 2020 season — and the 49ers rewarded him this summer with a $95.225 million deal that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in NFL history. By today’s standards, Warner’s performance last year was worth the money as he posted an Approximate Value of 19 — matching the highest score ever recorded by a San Francisco defender according to a Pro Football Reference formula that puts a single number on each player-season across all positions since 1960. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman (twice) also had seasons with an AV of 19 as they dominate this list of the greatest individual seasons by a linebacker in 49ers history.
