NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell kicked off his pre-Super Bowl LIV news conference by mentioning the dramatic turnaround by the San Francisco 49ers this season. The Kyle Shanahan-led squad looks to depart Miami with the franchise's sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The 49ers took a lot of people on the outside by surprise. Almost everyone felt the team would be much-improved, possibly even competing for a playoff spot. But the best record in the NFC and a trip to Super Bowl LIV just a year removed from a four-win campaign? That was unexpected.
"The 49ers epitomize the hopes of all NFL fans," Goodell said. "The 49ers appearance in the Super Bowl comes just one year after they went 4-12 — a great turnaround. In fact, of the eight teams that advanced to the Divisional rounds this year, seven of those eight were new teams from the playoffs last year, including the 49ers."
San Francisco will face the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday for the right to call themselves Super Bowl LIV champions.