Published 16:55 IST, January 28th 2020
49ers road to Super Bowl 2020: Jimmy Garoppolo's quest for 'real' Super Bowl ring
The San Francisco 49ers have been an impressive side with a huge improvement on their dismal 2018 season. The 49ers will be up against the high-flying Chiefs.
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The San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs up next in Miami for the Super Bowl 2020. After 17 weeks of action, the 49ers finished with a 13-3 win-loss record, ultimately ending the regular season tied for the second-best record in the National Football League (NFL). Regardless of the outcome, the trip to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will be consequential for head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. The San Francisco 49ers are just the third team in the history of the NFL to reach the Super Bowl a year after winning four or fewer games in the previous season. The 49ers had a dismal season in 2018 as they finished third in the NFC West with a 4-12 win-loss record.
San Francisco 49ers: Road to Super Bowl LIV
Week 1 saw star quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo make his return for the 49ers after a long off-season rehab. Garoppolo did not have an especially productive outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers’ defence grabbed headlines on the day as the 49ers registered a 31-17 win. A trip to Cincinnati was up next for the 49ers. The Bengals were unlikely to prove to be a stern challenge for the 49ers with Garoppolo finding his feet early in the season. The 49ers quarterback racked up 296 yards and threw for three touchdowns as the 49ers came out on top with the scoreline reading 41-17.
Road to Super Bowl 2020, Week 3: Jimmy Garoppolo comes to the fore as 49ers eke out narrow victory against Steelers
The 49ers had an eventful outing in their first home game of the season. Kyle Shanahan’s men had it easy in the opening weeks, but the Steelers proved to be formidable opponents on the night. However, the 49ers’ Nick Bosa and Dee Ford-led defence stood strong as Jimmy Garoppolo found Dante Pettis in the dying minutes to secure a first home victory of the season. The foundations of defensive resilience were laid in that game. The Cleveland Browns could have possibly seen the Week 4 result coming as the 49ers registered an emphatic 31-3 win on the night.
Road to Super Bowl 2020, Week 10: 49ers slip up
The 49ers’ dominance continued all the way until Week 10 when they faced the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson was the man who was credited with breaking the 49ers’ dominance as the Seahawks mustered a 27-24 win in overtime. That blip, however, lasted barely a week as the 49ers got over their demons to secure consecutive wins against the Cardinals and the Packers.
Road to Super Bowl LIV, Week 13: 49ers suffer their second defeat of the season
Up against arguably the most impressive side in the league, the 49ers were the marginal underdogs for the visit to the M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens, led by MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson pushed the 49ers all the way till the very end, with Jackson almost willing the Ravens to victory late on. A visit to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome then beckoned for the 49ers. The Saints’ offence had acquired an almost Ravens-like reputation into Week 14. However, Kyle Shanahan dug deep into his playbook, with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing four touchdowns to lead the 49ers to a narrow 48-46 victory.
That resurgence against the Saints seemingly took its toll on the 49ers as they succumbed to their final defeat of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons. Wins against the Rams and the Seahawks then followed as the 49ers made their way to the post-season. As a result of their regular-season exploits, the 49ers enjoyed a week off before their post-season duties. They faced a Minnesota Vikings side fresh off effecting an upset against Drew Brees and the Saints. While the Vikings were high on confidence, the 49ers were rejuvenated by their short break as they registered a comfortable 27-10 victory in the Divisional Round.
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Road to Super Bowl 2020, NFC Championship: 49ers bully Packers into submission as 49ers
Raheem Mostert was the man of the hour at Levi’s Stadium as Kyle Shanahan adopted an old-school approach against the Packers. With Mostert running the show, the 49ers raced to a 27-0 lead by halftime. By halftime, Mostert had rushed for 160 yards and had three touchdowns as the Packers looked set to suffer one of the heaviest defeats in a Championship game. Overturning a 27-0 lead proved to be too big of an ask for the Packers as the 49ers kept them at bay to progress to Super Bowl 2020.
16:55 IST, January 28th 2020