Daily Madden: Super Bowl Loss Shows 49ers Defense Needs Work
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - John Madden said he expected better efforts by both defenses in Baltimore's 34-31 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
"Going into the game I thought - and maybe most people thought - the defenses would be more prominent or more dominant, and they weren't," Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. "It was the offenses (that stood out), both the Ravens when they were getting ahead with Joe Flacco, and then the 49ers when they were coming from behind. I think that both those teams, as you look at them, have their quarterbacks coming back, and they're both going to need help on defense."
But Madden said the 49ers are well-equipped for many more good seasons.
"In today's pro football, you have to have a quarterback, and you have to have a quarterback that can take over the game. And if he can run and help you a little bit, that's a big addition. And if he's young, you're going to have him for a long time. So those are all the things that Colin Kaepernick has, and I think that that's really big for the 49ers."
But Madden cautioned it doesn't necessarily mean a trip to New York for Super Bowl XLVIII.
"Just because you're there one year doesn't mean you're going to go back every year," Madden said. "We went to Super Bowl II my first year with the Raiders and I thought, 'well, this is going to happen every year.' And the next time we got back there was Super Bowl XI. It's hard to get to a Super Bowl. You think of Dan Marino. You know he got there in his first or second year (and) never got to another Super Bowl. I think Colin Kaepernick is going to be great, and I think he's going to be that for a long time, but I know also from past experience that that doesn't guarantee future Super Bowls." (8:15)
Daily Madden
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