49ers notes from KFFL

The San Francisco 49ers have come close to hoisting the franchise's sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. They fell just short during the 2012 season, losing 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens. Seven years later, they fell short again, collapsing in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl and watching as the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated a championship. Last season, the 49ers were a play or two away from returning to sports' biggest stage, falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game. San Francisco can't get over the hump. On Monday, the Bay Area celebrated the Golden State Warriors' seventh championship as thousands of fans swarmed Market Street for the parade. It's an inspiring sight for the championship-hungry 49ers. "Yeah,

Two massive games. Two double-digit 4th quarter leads. Two heart-breaking losses. You can stop right there and fans of the San Francisco 49ers know exactly what you're talking about. Painfully, the franchise that once referred to itself as "Camelot," and became the first NFL team to win five Super Bowls, has experienced some difficult losses. There were three consecutive heartbreaking losses in the Jim Harbaugh days. And now Kyle Shanahan's 49ers have lost two big games, Super Bowl LIV in February 2020, and the NFC Championship Game earlier this year. And we're not even discussing the dark years when the team struggled under the likes of Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan, Jim Tomsula, and Chip Kelly. Those names make me want to throw up. Whether it's that

Fans like to play "What If," wondering what things might be like had their favorite team opted for a different choice at a pivotal moment. Fans aren't the only ones, though. Take former San Francisco 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, for instance. His missed interception of a Matthew Stafford pass intended for receiver Van Jefferson in the NFC title game might have sent the Niners back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. "That's a play I should make in my sleep, and I didn't make it," Tartt said after the game. "... I know that was a big play in the game, a big opportunity for me and for the team, and as a player, I just feel like I let my brothers down." Had Tartt made the play, maybe the 49ers win their sixth

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report listed what it believes is the one offseason regret for each NFL team. For the San Francisco 49ers, it was the team not locking wide receiver Deebo Samuel to a contract extension earlier—before the receiver market exploded earlier in the offseason and Samuel requested to be traded. One 49ers star wishes his team had taken care of Samuel earlier, avoiding the offseason drama altogether. Samuel reported to the team's mandatory minicamp earlier this month but didn't participate in the on-field work. "Hindsight is 20-20, right?" tight end George Kittle said this week on the