Here is why the 49ers will not be able to finally let go of their burden until the final sizzle of the NFC title game…
New Henderson, Nev. It’s been a while since the first game, but Super Bowl LVIII is in fact a rematch.
It’s now beyond time. Teams now exist in different ways. This isn’t the same titans colliding.
However, the 49ers should be fairly pleased with themselves for reaching this stage. They’re back after losing on the verge of the Super Bowl for two years in a row. They’ve gotten over a hump that has become bigger every season.
To some, it’s just a small victory in the chase of something bigger. Overall, it is insufficient. Even though winning the Super Bowl is fantastic, the work is not yet done.
According to receiver Deebo Samuel, “I don’t think there will be any weight off our shoulders until that clock says zero-zero and the Niners are on top,” on Thursday.
He’s accurate. If there was pressure to get to the Super Bowl, playing in the game will only make it worse.
It takes an individual-by-individual procedure to balance this reality. Each person finds motivation in different ways, therefore none of the participants will have trouble finding the motivation they need to work. However, controlling pressure and expectations on a personal and team level is still essential for success.
In fact, the 49ers have recently demonstrated their ability to perform well under duress. They’ve mounted fierce comebacks to overcome two playoff deficits at home, creating massive surges of momentum that have culminated in exhilarating victory.
If only it weren’t so hard, though.
According to Kyle Juszczyk, “I always find myself looking at the positive sides of it,” on Thursday. “Although we didn’t play through to the end, we now know what it takes to return and prevail in a crucial match.
“Now that I have that tool under my belt, I’m like, okay, everything is OK. Let’s get going quickly, carry out our routine, develop that lead, and remember that we still have that in our holster in case we need it.”
The Niners should never have to shatter the glass in order to get the fire extinguisher. They are aware that they can overcome a disadvantage, but they also understand that if they depended too much on it, they would be harming themselves.
Start quickly is the response. Avoid falling asleep during the most important game of their life.
We all realize that you can’t go into the Super Bowl thinking, ‘Hey, we’re just a superior football team.'” Safety Tashaun Gipson stated on Thursday, “We’ll be able to recover from 24-7 and make these spectacular comebacks, both schematically and skill-wise. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. This Kansas City team is excellent. The AFC’s top team is that one. This game could easily result in a lot of adult men crying in the locker room if you don’t play with your best foot forward the entire time.
“The message is very clear: we know we have to get going quickly and we can’t afford to slack up. Football is football, and plays will be made. They have the league’s highest paid quarterback. They possess one of the league’s top tight ends. They are experiencing so many positive things. It’s going to be a difficult game, but in the end, we can’t dig ourselves a hole or bury ourselves because it’s simply not realistic to think, “Hey, we can come back,” during the Super Bowl. It may not always be too late. Therefore, all we need to do is show up and play our style of football to prevent those problems.”
Gipson, who started his career in Cleveland with a terrible Browns team that took three years to reach double digits in wins—in the combined seasons—is probably the one who will value this Super Bowl trip the most. He put his total victories in orange and brown on Thursday somewhere in the mid-teens (it turned out to be 19). Given his extensive background playing for inferior teams, it makes sense that Gipson never thought he would be considered for the Lombardi Trophy.
But now, eight years later, he’s here.
“I have Super Bowl parties each year around the game. I don’t see myself participating in one,” Gipson remarked. And you go through so much in your career, so it seems unbelievable to be here right now. I’m just attempting to process everything.
“Dude, that helps me appreciate it. To each his own, however I am aware that many people detest media (sessions) and going above and above. This entire process seems like something that only happens once in a lifetime. The men present may be the only ones here for the time being. Therefore, why not cherish these times? since there is no certainty.”
Some 49ers do not perceive it as pressure. All they know is that they have work to accomplish. And the Super Bowl serves as little more than motivation for those like Gipson to put in more effort. He stated on Thursday that “the gears have just been grinding.”
He went on, “We knew we were a good football team.” “At the beginning of the year, our expectation was to be here. Our current squad is essentially the same as it was last year. Hey man, this group of guys can’t settle for anything less than a Super Bowl. since we are aware that next year won’t be the same. Oh, it’s so amazing that we are here. Winning, nevertheless, is the ultimate objective. So, drills are a little more challenging. It’s understandable that Coach Shanahan becomes a bit agitated when practices don’t go well because, while it’s exciting to be this close, the important thing is to finish. Second-place trophies are absent. We’re focused on winning the big one.”
The big one is incredibly ephemeral, as is football success in general. There is only one club that is content at the end of the season, as Shanahan stated on Thursday.
The 49ers are content with their Super Bowl experience. It won’t be settled, though, before satisfaction arrives.
When you win, you feel liberated. It relieves that pressure for a brief moment,” stated Juszczyk. “But you’re correct; we must prevail in the Super Bowl. And that would certainly release the greatest amount of pressure.
“Because if we go out there and we don’t win,” he said, pausing momentarily as though his recollections of the Super Bowl loss suddenly sprang to mind. “We’re all going to claim that our squad was the winner. Thus, there is that pressure that returns immediately.”