49ers, Chiefs face a unique Super Bowl experience

Tom Coughlin felt that New York vs. New England was a completely different game. The Giants stunned the Patriots 18-0 in Super Bowl XLII, but the architect of the defensive effort that nullified the league's top offense — defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who will be on the Chiefs' sideline on Sunday — has departed to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Perry Fewell was the rematch coordinator four years later, and by then, the Giants' offense had helped Big Blue become a more balanced team. Michael Strahan retired, but Victor Cruz arrived.

“The main difference between us is that we were playing against a team that many said was the greatest offensive machine in the history of professional football,” Coughlin said. “They were still a very good football team 46 years ago. You go back, but you go back for certain things you want to see. You have to apply everything to the team you have now. You might learn something about how they try.” “To attack, just from a philosophical perspective, but you sit down and look at your employees and see are you plus or minus in each position. And you try to come up with what advantages you have now.”

In both seasons that the Giants and Patriots met in the Super Bowl, they also faced off in the regular season. The first time, in 2007, the Giants lost at home by three points in the regular season finale. Because they chose to no Rested at first (although the game had no impact on playoff seedings) and playing the Patriots very closely, the 38-35 loss actually gave the G-Men a huge dose of confidence as they went into the Super Bowl as one of the biggest underdogs in the history of the game. the address. In 2011, the Giants beat the Patriots in Foxboro in the regular season, forcing four turnovers, getting two sacks and winning despite having fewer offensive yards. But just as important this season was New York having to win the final two games of the regular season to take the NFC East and get into the postseason. By the time the playoffs started, the Giants had already played two games, and their confidence grew with each one.

“We played them earlier in the year when they were at home, but every game is a new game,” Coughlin said. “(Tom) Brady gets a safety in the end zone to start the game. 42 is David Terry's catch. At 46, maybe Better throwing and catchingAnd if Patrick Chung gets his face in front of Mario Manningham, that ball will be kicked out.”

Both games ended with Brady trying to pull off a comeback victory in the final seconds, though Coughlin remembers the end of Super Bowl XLVI — with Brady barely making a Hail Mary to the end zone — as feeling much different than in their first meeting, when pressure led Brady needs to pin the Patriots deep into their territory.

“He's almost at midfield, throwing missiles,” Coughlin said of the end of the rematch. “I couldn't even see. People came out onto the field to see the end. I got hit in the back of the head as hard as I've been hit in a while.”

Like Coughlin's Giants, the 49ers enter Sunday's game with a different defensive coordinator than they had in their first meeting with the Chiefs — Steve Wilks in place of Robert Saleh, who is now the head coach of the New York Jets. But more importantly, Brock Purdy has replaced Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, and the 49ers have added two of their most dynamic offensive weapons — RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Brandon Aiyuk — in the years since Super Bowl LIV.

Edelman came away from his own Super Bowl experiences believing the game is about the team making the best adjustments to what was seen in the first few drives. He believes adding several important offensive pieces gives Shanahan an opportunity to craft a different game plan for San Francisco. But Aikman feels this is a delicate balance.

“The challenge in the extra week is that teams are able to mix things up a little bit,” Aikman said. “As coaches, they risk changing things and spoiling their team. But you always have to have some wrinkles. I imagine both of them will have something in attack and defence, and they will show an unexplored appearance in the game.”

But the biggest difference may be Purdy.

“Kyle finally has a quarterback he can trust,” Aikman said.

This could be the wrinkle that allows Shanahan to finally change history — his history and the history of the Super Bowl.