The 49ers were five yards away from winning Super Bowl XLVII.
Fast forward seven years later, and Donte Whitner -- who was a Pro Bowl safety for the 49ers that season -- has two questions for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo: What will this year's team do to make sure they get back to the championship game, and how will they bring home the Lombardi Trophy?
"I really think it's a mindset," Garoppolo said on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Postgame Live" after the 49ers' 37-8 blowout win over the Packers on "Sunday Night Football." "And everyone has it in the locker room, and it started early in training camp and it's been throughout the whole season. We got a great group of guys, guys who are willing to fight ... it's a mindset right now."
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George Kittle, who returned from injury with a huge statement, simply nodded his head in agreement and said, "100 percent."
The Garoppolo-Kittle connection was on full display Sunday night as the 49ers improved to 10-1 and held onto the top seed in the NFC. After missing the past two games with a bone chip in his ankle and a popped capsule in his knee, Kittle proved why he's the best tight end in the NFL.
Dealing with significant injuries, Kittle hauled in all six of his targets for 129 yards against Green Bay. His return was capped off with a huge 61-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter to give the 49ers a 30-8 lead.
"I was really happy," Kittle said about his long TD," I kind of just broke to the middle of the field and I was like, 'Jimmy, please don't try to lead me on this. Just put it on a line, make it easy on me and let me run with it.' He did exactly what I needed him to do.
San Francisco 49ers
"Luckily I could unhitch the trailer a little and run away from those guys."
More than anything, though, Kittle was just happy to be back on the field with his teammates. He wasn't allowed on the sidelines the past two weeks in order to get healthy, and the third-year pro reiterated what a tight-knit team this is.
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"It's just so much fun," Kittle said on his return to the 49ers. "Like Jimmy said, we have such a great locker room, such a great group of guys."
The 49ers have proved themselves on both offense and defense now as questions surround this one-loss team every week. It's clear, too, that this locker room will battle for each other with one common goal -- a sixth Super Bowl victory.