National media puts 49ers on red alert for 2023 season
The San Francisco 49ers are projected to be the class of the NFC this season. The Niners, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, are highly regarded as the best two teams in the conference. As one prominent Marvel character once said, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Ben Parker (Spiderman's uncle) was correct about that, and it applies […]
The San Francisco 49ers are projected to be the class of the NFC this season. The Niners, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, are highly regarded as the best two teams in the conference. As one prominent Marvel character once said, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Ben Parker (Spiderman's uncle) was correct about that, and it applies to the 49ers this year.
The 49ers haven't seen a Super Bowl win in over a decade. They've had some ultra-talented teams in that time. Not to mention, their coaching staff is consistently one of the best in the NFC.
They need to perform this season, and there's plenty of pressure on them. Dan Hanzus of NFL.com believes that they are one of the teams with the most urgency in 2023. They have to contend, and a Super Bowl would alleviate a ton of pressure.
It feels like San Francisco should have a Lombardi Trophy or two to show for the past dozen years, doesn't it? The 49ers had those great teams under Jim Harbaugh, and now they're in the midst of a fine run with Kyle Shanahan at the controls. All in all, six playoff appearances in 12 years with two painful near misses in the Super Bowl. Is this the year the 21st-century Niners finally get over the hump? I'd have them even higher in this exercise if not for the injury-related uncertainty at the quarterback position. When Brock Purdy makes his return from elbow surgery (whether that be Week 1 or further down the line), he'll inherit an offense with more talent at skill positions than any team in football. The roster is well built on both sides of the ball, Shanahan remains one of the game's most gifted play-callers, and — as stated above in the Eagles breakdown — the conference appears largely undercooked. When you use your second draft pick on a kicker, you've basically acknowledged your team is in Super Bowl-or-bust mode. Now's the time. — Hanzus
The 49ers must make major waves in a weak NFC this year. If they don't, it will start to get a bit more tense in San Francisco. It truly is Super Bowl or bust for the 49ers in 2023.
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