Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders could have been sitting at home on Sunday, watching the conference championship games. Instead, thanks to a trade from the Denver Broncos to the San Francisco 49ers, he was playing in one of them.
Now, Sanders is preparing to play in his third Super Bowl, and he gives a lot of credit to running back Raheem Mostert for getting him there.
Mostert finished the game with 29 carries for 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 37-20 and advance to Super Bowl LIV.
"Man, what a great opportunity for him," Sanders told ESPN's Josina Anderson after the game. "A lot of people didn't know who he was. Now, he comes out in the NFC Championship Game, one of the biggest games, and balls like that. Over 200 yards rushing."
Added Sanders: "Yeah, we're going to take the Mosterati, Maserati (to Miami), we're going to take it all out there."
Sanders played in Super Bowl XLV during his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He left the game with a fractured foot and the Packers beat the Steelers 31-25.
Five years later, Sanders got to play in Super Bowl 50, this time with the Denver Broncos. He emerged as a champion.
Now, he hopes to do so again with the 49ers.
"It's a blessing," Sanders said. "Truthfully, I'm going to enjoy this one, but at the same time, the only thing is we've got to go out and win it. Miami's going to be fun, but we've got to go out there and handle business.
"I remember in 2020 when I went to the Super Bowl, I said, 'I want to make it to the Super Bowl.' Then we went out there and lost. And then in '15, I said, 'I want to win a Super Bowl,' and we ended up winning.
"Right now, my mentality is we've got to go and win a Super Bowl. It's good to make it there, but we've got to go and win it. That's the only thing that's on my mind."
