The San Francisco 49ers were already 6-0 when Emmanuel Sanders joined the team via a trade. While his former squad, the Denver Broncos, shift focus to next season, the veteran receiver is preparing for the playoffs with the top seed in the NFC.
Sanders, in his 10th NFL season, has played in two Super Bowls. He knows what it is like to win a championship, and he knows how devastating it is to lose one. Sanders hopes this season ends with him and his teammates hoisting the Lombardi trophy.
"I knew it was a good team when I got here," Sanders told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area during the latest 49ers Insider Podcast. "Being a part of two Super Bowl teams, one loss, and one win, I knew what the DNA looks like. I know what the chemistry looks like, and I knew that they had it over here from the head coach to the GM to the quarterback to the players, the special teams players, the role players, everything.
"I was excited, but I knew that we had a lot of big games. Obviously, on paper, it looks good, but we've still got to put it together, so it feels good to know that we went and did what we were supposed to do. But at the same time, we've got — I pray to God — three more big-time games that we've got to go out and ball."
San Francisco's path to the Super Bowl was made a lot easier after Sunday night's 26-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The team emerges from the regular season as the NFC West champions and earned home-field advantage in the NFC.
Added Sanders: "Obviously, I'm blessed to be in this position, and to come from Denver, a great organization, to this organization — we won in Denver, and to be here, and be back on the winning track, it feels good."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Sanders below. It begins at about the 18:45 mark.