A year ago, Bill Belichick borrowed heavily from Vic Fangio's blueprints to throttle the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. Fangio's brilliant game plan in the Bears' 15-6 win over LA in Week 14 provided the backbone of New England's 13-3 victory in Super Bowl 53. Had Kyle...
Shanahan Must Answer for Another Super Bowl Collapse
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Kyle Shanahan will now have another Super Bowl collapse to answer questions about. After being peppered all week by reporters seeking to rehash that blown 28-3 lead to New England three years ago when Shanahan was offensive coordinator in Atlanta, Shanahan's first trip to the Super...
Chiefs-49ers: Toughest Super Bowl to Pick in Years
MIAMI — Even the oddsmakers aren't sure about this Super Bowl. That's how close the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers match up. The Chiefs are a 1-point favorite, which basically means a tossup. Indeed, by kickoff on Sunday, the 49ers could be the bettors' choice. There could be...
49ers' Dramatic Win Over Saints Comes at Heavy Cost
SANTA CLARA — San Francisco's most impressive win of the season came with a big cost. The NFC-leading 49ers lost center Weston Richburg to a season-ending knee injury and key defensive players Richard Sherman and Dee Ford for multiple games with injured hamstrings in Sunday's 48-46 victory at New Orleans....
Sloppy 49ers Beat Steelers 24-20 on Late Garoppolo TD Pass
SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers gave away everything but the game. Jimmy Garoppolo threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis with 1:15 remaining and the 49ers overcame five turnovers to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-20 on Sunday for their first 3-0 start in 21 years. "It's never perfect," cornerback...
49ers Return Home After Successful Road Trip to Start Season
SANTA CLARA — San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan believed the improvements the team made leading into his third season would make the 49ers a contender. The early results have been extremely positive, with San Francisco opening the season with back-to-back road wins for the first time since 1989, capped by...
Shanahan Defends 49ers’ Handling of Troubled LB Foster
SANTA CLARA — A day after the San Francisco 49ers released linebacker Reuben Foster following a domestic violence arrest, coach Kyle Shanahan said he and the team were unaware of a prior altercation in October between Foster and the same alleged victim. Foster was arrested Saturday night for an incident...