Sourdough Sam
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- Mar 20, 2019
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INDIANAPOLIS -- It may not have been the ideal finish, however the San Francisco 49ers had a remarkable season in 2019, climbing from a 4-12 record in 2018 to NFC Champions in a year's time. The 49ers became just the third team in NFL history to make the Super Bowl after winning four-or-fewer games the prior season, joining the 1999 St. Louis Rams (4-12 in 1998) and the 1988 Cincinnati Bengals (4-11 in 1987).
San Francisco underwent five-straight non-winning seasons and a variation of turnover before crafting their own recipe for success. That formula included building its roster for sustained success with a load of young, cornerstone players through the draft and veteran talent who fit the bill of the right "football character."
It's impossible for teams around the league to not take notice of San Francisco's turnaround spearheaded by the leadership of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. In Indianapolis for the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, several teams referenced the 49ers model of success, including their own NFC West counterparts. Here's what coaches and general managers around the league had to say about the 49ers resurgence and the outlook on San Francisco's future.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll on what's impressed him about San Francisco's turnaround:
"They've drafted really well. They've got a lot of guys. (Seahawks general manager) John (Schneider) noticed it a couple of years back, that they were starting to build up the numbers even though their record didn't show it. Just looking at the guys coming through the ranks, they have a very good roster. The quarterback, you know, Jimmy Garoppolo, really made a big impact on solidifying the whole style of their team. I don't think Kyle could have done a better job of turning this thing. He did a fantastic job, leaving a mark on his style and the way he does things.
"Their offense was really emblematic of all of the years he's been a coordinator calling plays. I thought he did a fantastic job. But I think it's the accumulation. And they had to pay the price for that. And it took them a while to get it done. But they did choose their players well. They put together a really good defensive group. Particularly, the guys that they put together up front. That's a tough group to deal with.
"And I think John Lynch has done a great job just keeping the whole thing in order, not getting distracted by the lack of success they had. And, also showing that they didn't get distracted by the success they've had, which is just as likely a problem. Very impressive group. As we've seen in our division, we've been through some cycles here, already. The cycles have kind of come and gone. It's a very, very tough division again. There's no doubt about it. And I don't think anybody wants to play us (NFC West). It will make us better."