As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for their Week 7 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, memories of Super Bowl LVIII linger.
The painful 25-22 overtime loss still stings, but the 49ers are determined to look ahead.
The upcoming game at Levi’s Stadium offers a chance for redemption, though the 49ers face an uphill battle against a team that’s defeated them four times in recent years.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan recently addressed the emotional weight of those losses.
“I think everyone understands that we’ve lost two Super Bowls to them, so I mean that can give you a little post-traumatic stress when you turn on the tape,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
But Shanahan is refocusing his team’s mindset.
“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,” he said.
It’s been eight months since Kansas City dashed San Francisco’s championship dreams to claim its third title in four years.
Though the Chiefs’ core remains largely unchanged, the 49ers have shaken things up.
They promoted Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator, replacing Steve Wilks, and added Brandon Staley as assistant head coach.
This regular-season matchup may lack the high stakes of a Super Bowl, but don’t think for a moment that the 49ers wouldn’t relish a win.
Since Shanahan took the helm in 2017, San Francisco has struggled against Kansas City, going 0-4, including two Super Bowl losses when it surrendered leads.