Slow starts in both playoff games have been the most surprising part about the 49ers

According to the majority of 49er fans in our Reacts survey

The 49ers are 60 minutes away from raising the Lombardi trophy in Allegiant Stadium. At times, during the divisional and championship rounds, things looked bleak for Kyle Shanahan’s group. The team had to rally to advance in games they were both favored to win. The mark of a championship team is pulling out victories however necessary.

We asked our readers what has been the most surprising part of the 49ers playoff run. The slow starts? The comebacks? Brock Purdy’s legs or their opponents’ mistakes?

Fifty-seven percent of our readers believe the slow starts from the 49ers have been the most surprising. Having a bye week to prepare and get healthy would lead anyone to believe the team would come out prepared and ready to roll. That wasn’t the case, as the Green Bay Packers came out hot, and the 49ers looked flat. The rain at Levi’s Stadium could be blamed, but the team stumbled out of the gate.

The Packers were hot, the rain was falling, and the team was slipping and sliding all over the field in the divisional round. The team found a way to advance, so you might have been able to chalk that performance up to some bad luck and weather.

Fast forward to the NFC Championship against the Lions, and sure enough, there was another slow start. There was no weather to blame or injuries. Point blank, the 49ers came out flat again. The divisional round should have served as a wake-up call for the team to start fast. Defensively, the team was on skates in the first half, and if not for a questionable decision from Dan Campbell before the half ended, the team could have faced a larger deficit.

Either way, the 49ers fought back and advanced to the Super Bowl. Please make no mistake about it: starting slow on February 11th will not be ideal. The 49ers aren’t facing Jordan Love or Jared Goff. They’ll be facing Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.