SANTA CLARA — No one — not even the most pious member of the Faithful — saw this coming from the 49ers this season.
San Francisco was supposed to be a surprise team, at best, in 2019; a plucky upstart, good for eight or nine wins and perhaps a trip to the playoffs. Maybe quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could even win them a game if they made it.
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But they weren’t supposed to be a dominant force — a squad that claimed the top seed in the NFC playoffs and then ran roughshod over their competition in the postseason.