SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Eight months later, the pain of losing a second Super Bowl in five seasons to the Kansas City Chiefs has barely subsided for the San Francisco 49ers as they prepare for a rare regular-season rematch.
Memories of Chris Jones blowing up key plays with pressure, Patrick Mahomes creating plays with his arm and feet, and Travis Kelce getting open in key spots in Kansas City's 25-22 overtime win are hard to avoid as the Niners (3-3) watch tape of that game back in February in preparation for a visit from the Chiefs (5-0) on Sunday.
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“Everyone understands that we’ve lost the two Super Bowls to them. So I mean, that can give a little post-traumatic stress when you turn on the tape," coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. “I think that’s human nature. But you’ve got to make sure you don’t get caught up in that. This game has nothing to do with past games, that was last year.”
The game on Sunday marks the 10th time in NFL history the teams that met in the Super Bowl played again in the following regular season, with the defending champion going 6-3 in those games.
The 49ers don't want to dwell on that game and know a regular-season win won't make up for a Super Bowl loss. But they also can't avoid rewatching it in search of any tips that can help them this week.
“It’s definitely a little emotional," defensive end Nick Bosa said. "But at this point, it’s just a game so we’re just looking at the tape, trying to learn from it. A lot of similarities from last year. A few new guys, but a really good defense and an offense obviously has No. 15 (Mahomes) back there. So always dangerous.”
The loss in February stings in part because the 49ers had so many opportunities to come away with the franchise's first championship since the 1994 season.
San Francisco built a 10-0 advantage early and held three leads in the fourth quarter and overtime that Mahomes and the Chiefs were able to erase and eventually overcome thanks to coming up big in key moments.
Kansas City got pressure on Brock Purdy to force two key third-down incompletions that forced field goals in the fourth quarter and overtime. Kelce got loose for a 22-yard gain that set up a tying field goal at the end of regulation. Mahomes converted a fourth-and-1 keeper in overtime to extend a drive that ended with his game-ending TD pass to Mecole Hardman.
The most painful plays are the missed third-down pass at the end of regulation that Purdy said this summer still bothers him since it gave Kansas City time to tie the game and the inability to stop Mahomes on that fourth-down run.
After San Francisco kicked a field goal on the opening possession of overtime, the Niners could have won it with one stop on fourth-and-1.
Mahomes faked an inside handoff to Isiah Pacheco. Bosa crashed down on that play, which he said was his assignment, and Mahomes rolled to his right. When Logan Ryan stayed with Kelce, Mahomes kept the ball and ran 8 yards for the game-extending first down.
“That was tough especially because we have calls that can negate that,” Bosa said. “They ran the zone read a few times and we just didn’t find an answer to it. I definitely thought he was going to hold it or keep it, but I’ve got to do my job, especially in a big moment like that. ... We definitely have a plan for the zone read this time. Hindsight is 20-20.”
Linebacker Fred Warner said there were things San Francisco could have done better to stop that play but added that the game didn't come down to one snap.
“You want to be great in those critical situations to ultimately to end and win the game, but there are little plays throughout the entire game you could have said, `Aw, that was the one. That could have won it,’” he said. “You’ve got to look at all of them.”
Notes: Fill-in K Matthew Wright (shoulder, back) didn't practice. The Niners signed Anders Carlson to the practice squad this week for insurance. ... WR Jauan Jennings (hip) and DT Maliek Collins (knee) didn't practice. ... RB Jordan Mason (shoulder), WR Deebo Samuel (wrist), DT Jordan Elliott (knee), S Malik Mustapha (ankle) and CB Darrell Luter (pelvis) were all limited.
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