As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for their upcoming clash with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, they’re forced to revisit a painful chapter in their history—Super Bowl LVIII. The 25-22 loss to the Chiefs in Las Vegas still stings, but this Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium is a chance to move forward. For the 49ers, the looming rematch is about much more than redemption. It's about charting a new path and not getting bogged down in the past, no matter how difficult it may be to shake off those tough memories.
But there’s no doubt: playing the Chiefs again does bring back some haunting memories. "I think everyone understands that we've lost two Super Bowls to them," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged. "That can give you a little post-traumatic stress when you turn on the tape." Despite the emotional weight of the past, Shanahan knows his team has to stay grounded in the present. "You've got to make sure you don't get caught up in that. This game has nothing to do with past games," he emphasized. "That was last year."
Come Sunday, it will have been 252 days since the 49ers last saw their Super Bowl dreams vanish, while the Chiefs added another championship to their impressive dynasty. For Kansas City, little has changed. They’re still a powerhouse, with Patrick Mahomes leading the charge and a roster stacked with talent. However, things look different for the 49ers this season.
San Francisco has seen plenty of turnover, particularly in key areas. Gone is defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, replaced by Nick Sorensen. Brandon Staley was also brought on as assistant head coach to provide more support. The 49ers are also battling through a slew of injuries, which is nothing new for them. Running back Christian McCaffrey is sidelined with Achilles tendinitis. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, offensive lineman Jon Feliciano, and kicker Jake Moody are all out of action as well. Each of these players—aside from Hufanga—was a starter in that painful Super Bowl loss.
The roster shake-ups don’t stop there. The 49ers also lost key players in free agency, including defensive linemen Arik Armstead and Chase Young, as well as safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. While the team is dealing with these changes, they’re laser-focused on making sure this Sunday’s game doesn’t become consumed by the ghosts of Super Bowl LVIII.
In fact, that’s the mentality echoed throughout the locker room. Tackle Trent Williams made it clear that, for him, there’s no shot at revenge. "It’s not like we can get payback for losing the Super Bowl. That ship has sailed," Williams said following the 49ers’ recent victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s an attitude shared by the rest of the team as well. "I mean, it’s probably not as dramatic as everybody else is thinking," linebacker Fred Warner added. "It was what it was. We’ve moved on. It’s a new season, a new game, new teams, new players. We’re just trying to play up to the best of our ability."
Yet, make no mistake: a win over the 5-0 Chiefs would be a sweet moment for San Francisco. Since Shanahan took the reins as head coach in 2017, the Niners are winless against Kansas City. They’ve faced off four times, including those two heart-wrenching Super Bowl losses where the Chiefs managed to claw back from double-digit deficits. It’s been a frustrating trend, and this weekend could be the perfect time for the Niners to break it.
Interestingly, this matchup will mark the 10th time in NFL history that a rematch of the previous year’s Super Bowl takes place in the regular season. Historically, the defending Super Bowl champs have the upper hand in these games, winning six of the previous nine. Just last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were able to flip the script by defeating the Chiefs in Week 11, providing a bit of hope for the 49ers.
One thing that makes this showdown particularly challenging is the timing. The Chiefs are fresh off a Week 6 bye, giving them some extra rest and preparation time. Meanwhile, the 49ers did have a "mini bye" after playing on Thursday night last week, but they still won’t have the same rest advantage Kansas City enjoys. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has a near-legendary record after bye weeks, boasting a 21-4 record in the regular season following his team’s break. That’s the best in the NFL since bye weeks were introduced in 1990.
Despite the daunting opponent, Shanahan is keeping his team focused on the here and now. With a 3-3 record, the Niners need a win to keep their playoff hopes strong. "We're playing a really good AFC opponent," Shanahan said. "We're .500 right now. We want to stay on top of our division and get a win."
And while the Chiefs may have the upper hand in recent matchups, the Niners aren’t walking into this game with a sense of hopelessness. "It's definitely a little emotional, but at this point, it's just a game," said defensive end Nick Bosa. "We're just looking at the tape, trying to learn from it. A lot of similarities from last year, a few new guys, but really good defense and offense. They obviously have [Mahomes] back there, so always dangerous."
For Bosa and his teammates, the goal is simple: execute, learn from the past, but don’t get stuck in it. There are new faces on both sides of the ball, and even though the core of the Chiefs’ juggernaut remains intact, the 49ers know they have a chance to play spoiler to Kansas City’s perfect season.
The key for the Niners will be staying focused on themselves, playing to their strengths, and not letting the weight of past defeats cloud their judgment. As Shanahan wisely pointed out, "You think about that stuff going into it, but in terms of the way it plays out in the game, it really has no correlation. You try to make sure that it doesn't."
This Sunday may not be for the Lombardi Trophy, but for the 49ers, it’s still a chance to reestablish themselves as contenders and, maybe, to exorcise some old demons in the process.
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