The San Francisco 49ers went from double-digit losses to Super Bowl participants in just one season. Which teams can accomplish the same feat in 2020?
Right now, there are 30 fanbases sitting at home lamenting a lost season as they watch the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs prepare to clash in Super Bowl LIV. Some have been grieving longer than others, as several teams had a greater chance at the No. 1 draft pick than a playoff berth by midseason. However, according to NFL operations, there is hope for these franchises yet:
"“Since 1990 — a streak of 30 consecutive seasons — at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs after not making the postseason the year before.”"
The 49ers were one of these select few, as they qualified for the postseason after going 4-12 in 2018. Yet, they accomplished a feat that is even more astonishing. They joined the exclusive group of those who’ve climbed from the NFL’s basement all the way to the Super Bowl.
San Francisco’s season may not seem like a classic Cinderella story, but it certainly qualifies. After tearing his ACL in Week 3 of last year’s contest versus the Chiefs, Jimmy Garoppollo was declared out for the year and the 49ers finished the season with the second-worst record in the league. The team had no offensive threat outside of George Kittle, a stable of running backs who were consistently hurt and a defense that had not lived up to their high draft capital billing.
Nonetheless, they turned it all around with key acquisitions. They drafted Defensive Rookie of the Year-favorite Nick Bosa with the second overall pick, brought in defensive playmakers Kwon Alexander and Dee Ford in free agency, and added offensive weapons Tevin Coleman, Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders. With Garoppollo rehabbing from his injury, the 49ers were poised to improve on their 2018 campaign.
Yet, no one expected the improvement to be this drastic. The 49ers fielded the No. 1 pass defense in the league, a dynamic run game that featured multiple backs, and a dominant pass rush led by the rookie Bosa.
Garoppollo was highly efficient, completing 69 percent of his passes and throwing for nearly 4,000 yards. San Francisco started the season 8-0, locked up home-field advantage throughout the postseason, and defeated both playoff opponents by a combined 34 points en route to Super Bowl LIV.
The 2019 49ers are not the first team to go from double-digit losses to a Super Bowl appearance in the following season.
Their earlier incarnation, the 1981 49ers, went 6-10 in the season prior to their Super Bowl XVI victory. The 1998 St. Louis Rams went 4-12 before winning a Super Bowl Championship a season later with Kurt Warner at the helm. The New England Patriots dynasty began the year after a 5-11 campaign; Tom Brady was inserted into the lineup following an injury to Drew Bledsoe and led New England to an 11-5 record and a Super Bowl title.
Given that the NFL is a parity-driven league and one yard can be the difference between owning home-field advantage and becoming a Wild Card team, it is possible, if not probable, that a few of the worst-performing teams in 2019 could end up in the playoffs in 2020. Some, like this year’s 49ers, have the potential to go from double-digit losses to playing on the NFL’s biggest stage.
I am going to look at five teams who finished with 10 or more losses in 2019 and make the case for why they are capable of making the ultimate turnaround, going from the NFL’s cellar to Super Bowl contender in one season. With the right offseason acquisitions and development by young players, these teams can make a 49ers-like Super Bowl run in 2020.