Super Bowl LI: 5 Things the 49ers Can Learn from the Falcons and Patriots
By Peter Panacy
Both the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots square off in Super Bowl LI, and the San Francisco 49ers can learn some valuable lessons from each team in Sunday’s bout.
The San Francisco 49ers are anything but close to another Super Bowl victory. But that doesn’t mean the process to get No. 6 can’t begin right now.
San Francisco 49ers
A major part of that process will be learning lessons from both the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, who will be squaring off Sunday in Super Bowl LI from Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Hopeful steps along that process have already started. The Niners have already brought in John Lynch as general manager, and they’re set to officially hire Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as head coach.
San Francisco also has a ton of cap space and owns the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
It’s a good start. But that’s it.
Looking at how both the Patriots and Falcons got here will be another crucial element for a team in a complete rebuild. The Niners won’t get to a Super Bowl overnight. But we know the parity of the NFL, and it’s not out of the question to envision the 49ers competing for an NFL championship three or four years down the road.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five key lessons San Francisco can learn from both New England and Atlanta.