The San Francisco 49ers offense took the field first in Super Bowl 58, and for a while there, the unit looked like a well-oiled machine, advancing down the field until the unthinkable happened. The Offensive Player of the Year, running back Christian McCaffrey, fumbled the football after a hit by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal. Defensive end George Karlaftis recovered the football for the Chiefs.
Reflecting on the gut-wrenching defeat, McCaffrey remarked, "You just look at the self-inflicted wounds we had, and we just beat ourselves."
Although the turnover did not immediately result in points for the Chiefs, it underscored a missed opportunity for the 49ers to capitalize on their strong start.
"Like I said, I keep saying it—self-inflicted wounds," McCaffrey emphasized. "Can't put the ball on the ground, first drive there. Gotta get points, and that's it."
Addressing the press post-game, clearly hurting from the loss, McCaffrey admits that he has no idea how long emotional recovery will take. He finished the game with 160 scrimmage yards and got into the end zone courtesy of a Jauan Jennings thrown pass on a brilliantly executed trick play.
None of that was enough to avoid defeat, though. It will be the mistakes that he remembers most.
McCaffrey and the 49ers will take some time to get over the heartbreaking outcome and then focus on working towards returning to the Super Bowl. Knowing that teams are always different from one year to the next, this group planned to spend last night together to start the healing process.
McCaffrey added, "Bad things happen, and it's all about how you respond. But right now, it sucks."