No one from the Good Morning Football crew envisions the San Francisco 49ers having a Super Bowl hangover. The NFL Network hosts—Kay Adams, Nate Burleson, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt—went through the reasons why on Friday morning.
While Schrager noted San Francisco's ability to avoid complacency following a trip to the Super Bowl LIV, and seemingly replacing any offseason losses with fresh faces, Burleson focused on the team's running game, which utilizes a running back by committee strategy to wear down opposing defenses.
Brandt was surprised by the omission of one name—quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo—as a reason why the 49ers will not suffer a letdown in 2020. The GMF host notes that Garoppolo is just 28 years old, and has only been through one full season as a starting NFL quarterback. Before last year, he had only started 10 games.
"There's a dynamic here where it's all (head coach Kyle) Shanahan; he's the quarterback here," Brandt said. "And it kind of felt the same way when Matt Ryan won the MVP of the NFL and everyone said, 'Well, Kyle Shanahan really won it.'"
Brandt is well-aware that Garoppolo missed one of the biggest throws and opportunities of his career when he missed a wide-open Emmanuel Sanders against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Hitting the veteran receiver likely would have sealed the win for the 49ers.
"It was not a great Super Bowl but it was very, very good season for a guy whose best football is still way ahead of him," Brandt added.
Shanahan in February suffered through his second Super Bowl collapse, with the first as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta.
"Kyle Shanahan never got a chance to avenge 28-3 (Falcons vs. Patriots in Super Bowl LI)," Brandt said. "That was on his watch, and then he leaves to go to San Francisco, takes the head-coaching job.
"For Shanahan this year, it's avenging 20-10, which was his lead in the Super Bowl (LIV). He can do something about it, and I think he's going to do it with a quarterback whose best football has yet to be played in a very, very young 28-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo."