LAS VEGAS — There were words, but not many of them.
“I’m still kind of numb and angry,” Christian McCaffrey said as he described a feeling he did not want to share. “Still going through a lot of emotions.”
None of those emotions were anything McCaffrey wanted to believe were inevitable after participating in his first Super Bowl.
The 49ers made it to Super Bowl 2024 and were favored to beat the Chiefs.
They took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter and missed numerous chances to pull further ahead.
They committed the cardinal sin of putting Patrick Mahomes in position to beat them and he did, leading the Chiefs to a 25-22 overtime victory Sunday inside Allegiant Stadium.
All losses in a Super Bowl sting.
This one cut deeper for the 49ers.
“It sucks,” McCaffrey said.
“You lose Super Bowls, especially ones you think you can pull off, it hurts,” Kyle Shanahan, now 0-2 as head coach in Super Bowls, said. “But I mean, I think, I don’t know, when you’re in the NFL, I think every team should hurt, except for one at the end.”
The Niners came out flying, picking up first downs on three consecutive plays, moving with ease to the Kansas City 29-yard line with McCaffrey accounting for 28 yards.
The drive ended suddenly and stunningly with a costly turnover, as linebacker Leo Chenal forced a McCaffrey fumble that was recovered by George Karlaftis.
“I can’t put the ball on the ground on the first drive,” said McCaffrey, who had 80 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards and caught a touchdown pass from receiver Jauan Jennings on a trick play.
The 49ers held huge advantages after one quarter in first downs (7-1), total yards (125-16) and time of possession (10:26-4:34).
Yet when Trent McDuffie batted away a pass in the end zone intended for Deebo Samuel on the first play of the second quarter, the Niners had to settle for rookie Jake Moody’s 55-yard field goal to grab a 3-0 lead.
2024 in overtime. AP
“When you’re playing a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes and an offense like that you have to put up touchdowns, not field goals,” tight end George Kittle said.
This was especially bitter for the players who were with the Niners four years ago, when they held a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter but were overtaken and beaten by Mahomes 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens.
“Both disappointing,” defensive lineman Arik Armstead said. “First time around it being my first Super Bowl I was a part of it was tough to lose, and after it, we were all younger and it was a little different feeling, like we had some great years ahead of us and some more opportunities. This time around I still think we have some opportunities but we were just fighting so hard to get it done and once it’s over the hardest part is you got to restart.”
Brock Purdy was not the 49ers’ quarterback the last time they lost to the Chiefs.
“A lot of guys were quiet,” Purdy said. “Not a lot has been said. It just hurts. We had the team to do it, to win the whole thing, the way things have been the last couple of years here we all wanted it so bad.”