The San Francisco 49ers have a not-so-simple goal for the 2020 season: Get back to the Super Bowl and emerge as champions. I label it as "not-so-simple" because doing so will be a very difficult task, and head coach Kyle Shanahan knows that.
But it's Super Bowl or bust for the 49ers, as was the case in the team's heyday.
Shanahan made a rather innocent comment this week during the conversation with Greg Papa after being asked to describe the state of the franchise.
"I know we were good enough to win that Super Bowl, and we didn't," Shanahan responded. "And that's something we've got to live with. And that's why the state of the franchise, right now, is we've got to get right back to that moment (in the Super Bowl). We've got to get right back to that fourth quarter, and get to have a lead, and we've got to finish the job."
That confident comment irked Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He went on a minor rant during Pro Football Talk Overtime, explaining why Shanahan's words were irresponsible, and putting far too much pressure on the team by focusing on the end result rather than the work needed to get there.
"The worst thing you can do going into a season is set unrealistic expectations," Florio said. "And the worst message you can send to your locker room is we want to fast forward to the point where it went of the rails for us last year. When you start thinking about that moment and getting back to that moment, I guarantee you, you're never going to get back to that moment."
Florio added: "When I saw those quotes, I was blown away because I would expect it from Freddie Kitchens. I would expect it from a lesser coach."
Shanahan, however, did comment on the work it takes to get back to that moment. And he did so during the same conversation with Papa.
"I know we've got to go through a season, and it's going to be a lot harder to do that," Shanahan said. "A lot harder. And we can play a lot better and still not do what we did last time. That's why all of our guys have got to take this challenge, and we've got to take advantage of this offseason. We've got to still find a way to take a step ahead of other people because everyone's chasing us right now, and it hasn't been that way."
Florio's co-host, Chris Simms, who is a close friend of Shanahan's, offered up a different perspective while also saying that he was a bit surprised by the statement, too.
"The more I thought about it, the more I just go, well, this is my buddy. This is who he is," Simms said. "He's confident, and he does set goals like that for himself. Even with him saying broad statements like that, first off, he's a different coach than most. He is. He's a little bit more honest. He's wired a different way. He's extremely honest with his players, and his team, and everything that way."
Added Simms: "I think he can make those types of comments because he knows that he is going to challenge himself and his team on a daily basis to get better and better that way, and he's hoping it leads to that ultimate goal."
You can listen to the entire conversation below.
