Why the 49ers are Super Bowl Contenders

With a record of 5-5, the 49ers can still end their season at 12-5 which, considering their future opponents, might be not a too big of a dream.

Before the season, I said our team is playoff bound, but not because we're so good, but because of our schedule and because this year there are extra playoff spots.

I remember when Matt Maiocco said during the season that the 49ers are still searching for their identity as a team. The pain that I felt when I read those lines was great because there were times during the Shanahan Era when I thought we already found an identity.

As a human being, sometimes you have to ask yourself if you're doing your job right and you have to be honest with yourself. We all make mistakes -- that's natural and it's a part of being human. Still, admitting those mistakes publicly might seem the greatest challenge for most of us. It's no different in Kyle Shanahan's case.

I believe Shanahan is one of the greatest offensive masterminds in the history of football. A genius, a master of the game and a really, really talented coach. He has only one big mistake that might not surprise those people who know his father.

The Shanahans are proud and stubborn and, although they know everything about football, there's one thing that neither of them mastered.

The psychological side of the game. 

Neither knows how to admit when they are wrong or take responsibility. If the team wins, it's because of the system they are running. If they lose, it's because of the players who can't execute.

Honestly, playing for Kyle must be a real challenge. You just won't get your praise after a game when you played great, but one mistake is enough to get yourself a place on the bench.

But while the system is great and we've seen how it can destroy almost every defense around the league, there were times when we saw it struggle. That struggle wasn't because of the system, it was because the guy who controls the system made horrendous mistakes over and over again. See his two Super Bowl defeats.

It seems like he still can't let those failures go and those games are haunting him. 

But there's still light and, with the last two games, there is still hope for this team. With a record of 5-5, the 49ers can still end their season at 12-5 which, considering their future opponents, might be not a too big of a dream. Deebo Samuel seems like the best football player in the league right now, most of the injured players are back and Jimmy Garoppolo finally looks like a franchise quarterback. This team is great and something happened to Shanahan as well. He finally made me believe that he might be a real head coach. I remember when he made a small team (at the time) dream big  in 2019 and he has the right guys to do that again. 

Let's hope for the best my friends and stay faithful! Maybe it's time to be positive again. 

In the past twenty years I saw so many miracles in the NFL, maybe this year this is the team which can give us our much needed hope. I want to believe that! 

Yours Faithfully, 

Botond