How Jimmy Garoppolo Plans to Turn a Super Bowl Loss Into a Positive
The San Francisco 49ers saw their magical 2019 campaign come to a disappointing close in a dramatic loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. It was a contest that they had control of heading into the fourth quarter before falling apart in the final few minutes of regulation. In the wake of the loss, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has drawn plenty of criticism towards his miscues in the contest. Garoppolo has finally discussed the disappointing downfall, which he has voiced that will impact his career positively moving forward.
49ers’ Super Bowl 54 loss to the Chiefs
In the days heading into Super Bowl 54, the Chiefs were pinned as the slight favorites in the contest. However, it was San Francisco that largely dictated the flow of the game.
The 49ers took a decisive edge in the third quarter to take a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The tables turned in that quarter as the Chiefs’ offense came alive behind star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who helped orchestrate a pair of drives that resulted in a touchdown pass in each instance to give them the lead.
The 49ers had their opportunities to either expand their lead or respond to the Chiefs’ scoring drives, but punted the ball away or turned it over downs. Kansas City drew the final blow that secured the win after Damien Williams recorded a 38-yard touchdown run.
It was a contest that seemingly fell out of the 49ers’ hands holding a 10-point lead with over eight minutes left in regulation. That said, it’s a loss that Garoppolo is hoping that can fuel him with motivation moving forward.
Jimmy Garoppolo motivated by Super Bowl 54 loss
The 49ers’ impressive campaign came to a disappointing close, and as with any loss in the Super Bowl or playoffs, the blame game is one that gets passed around. It has seen Garoppolo be a primary target for their shortcomings as he struggled throughout the game with his decision-making and throws.
There were many instances where he simply missed another open target down the field on certain plays, such as George Kittle or Emmanuel Sanders with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. There is also the poor management of their drives in the second half after taking the lead that saw them move away from the running game. Beyond all that, Garoppolo is hoping to utilize the emotional letdown as a source of motivation moving forward, according to Cam Inman of The Mercury News.
“I don’t know, I keep telling myself, ‘You’ve got to remember that feeling when the confetti was coming down, just remember that moment and let it fuel you for the offseason. Just come back stronger, more ready for next year.’ ”
Garoppolo also voiced that it’s a game that he can improve on many areas, but didn’t want to harp on the mistakes from the Super Bowl. He also stated that he realizes how difficult it is to make it back to that stage of the playoffs, but has full confidence that the 49ers have the players to put them in the position to reach that point.
It’s a tough loss to swallow, but Garoppolo appears to be more than confident he and the team can learn and grow from their shortcomings in the Super Bowl.
49ers have a bright future ahead
It will take some time for San Francisco to bounce back from the Super Bowl loss, but it should overshadow the talented roster that they have put together. There are some orders of business to take care of with their roster, such as re-signing Sanders, Jimmy Ward, and Kyle Juszczyk.
There will be questions around Garoppolo’s ability to carry the load offensively, but next season is a chance for him to prove that throughout the 2020 campaign. It will be a more difficult task, with the NFC West only improving with the likes of the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals all getting better.
Reaching the Super Bowl may far from a guarantee, but the 49ers have the roster that can help them reach that point once again.
