49ers notebook: Kyle Shanahan relying on experience to get Super Bowl plan finished
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is relying heavily on his previous Super Bowl experience this week as his team prepares for its trip to Miami.
San Francisco will practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at their Santa Clara headquarters as they would if they were playing Sunday. That way the team can be prepared for the game before the onslaught of Super Bowl week, which starts Sunday when the team flies to South Florida to play the Kansas City Chiefs.
“You don’t want to play catch up at the end of a Super Bowl week. You want to do that now,” Shanahan said Monday.
Shanahan learned that lesson from his boss with the Falcons, head coach Dan Quinn, who stressed the importance of the first week of Super Bowl preparation before traveling to the Super Bowl.
Shanahan served as Quinn’s offensive coordinator with Atlanta during the 2016 season. Quinn got his first experience as the Seahawks defensive coordinator that went to consecutive Super Bowls after the 2013 and 2014 campaigns, beating the Broncos the first time before falling the Patriots.
The 49ers are going to handle all their logistical and game ticket situations for friends and family Tuesday this week so they can remain focused on football and get the game plan installed before the trip.
“After we won the NFC Championship, would love to take a couple days to relax and stuff and then get at it knowing you have two weeks away, but Dan put us on it right away and man was I thankful when we got there,” Shanahan said.
“You have the time to work when you get out there and stuff but there are more distractions and stuff. I hope the players aren’t trying to learn anything and having to study as much. You hope you can get all that done this week and next week we’re just going through the motions again and just locking it all up.”
The 49ers will land Sunday and Shanahan will have a news conference Sunday evening. The Super Bowl Opening Night, formally known as media day, will be held at Marlins Park on Monday before regular team-wide availability each morning of the week. San Francisco will practice at the University of Miami’s complex at Coral Gables and stay downtown at the JW Marriott Marquis.
Jaquiski Tartt and Dre Greenlaw expected to be healthy
While the 49ers are hopeful running back Tevin Coleman’s dislocated shoulder won’t keep him from playing in the Super Bowl, safety Jaquiski Tartt during Sunday’s NFC Championship irritated the rib injury that cost him the final four games of the regular season.
Shanahan indicated Tartt is expected to be available to play thanks to having the extra week before facing Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“I know he just irritated the same area, but no new damage,” Shanahan said. “’He’ll deal with some pain, I’m sure, this week, but it’s nice that the game’s two weeks away.”
Tartt since returning for the divisional round game against Minnesota recorded nine total tackles while doing well to limit big plays in the passing game.
The 49ers built a 27-0 lead over Green Bay by halftime thanks to a swarming effort by the defensive front while it was clear the Packers were content with testing the defense horizontally before trying passes downfield in the second half to try coming back.
▪ The other injury of note happened to linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tweaked his ankle in the third quarter and was cleared to return to the game. The 49ers instead continued with Kwon Alexander, who primarily worked in base formations when the defense had three linebackers on the field.
Shanahan said Greenlaw’’s injury is minor and isn’t expected to keep him from playing in the Super Bowl. Greenlaw has been excellent in two playoff games in which he recorded 10 combined tackles.