Press play and thank me later.

I’m the type of person who hates surprises. Call me a bit of a control freak, but every part of me needs to know the basic who, what, when, and how. That’s just me.

However, last year’s 49ers season wasn’t expected at all and this time I can’t complain.

No one could have called it. They had a depressing 6-10 record the year before and no real sign of hope in the near future. Confronted with an NFL lockout, made it even more difficult to stay optimistic.

It was as if the odds were against the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, more so than the rest of the other teams in the league. Fans weren’t happy, myself included.

I still had a bitter taste left in my mouth from sipping on that Singletary “kool aid” for the last two years. So you can imagine how difficult it was for me to accept yet another head coach in such a short period of time.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

We all know what happened. We just didn’t see it coming.

If you would have told me a year ago that the 49ers would have a 13-3 record, I probably would have laughed. If at that same time, you would have mentioned them being a game away from reaching the Superbowl, I would have accused you of being a liar. I just wouldn’t have believed any of it. And honestly, it’s still hard to believe the complete change the 49ers have made in just one season.

Now that it’s 2012, there aren’t anymore surprises.

The 49ers are coming off a great season and everyone has their eye on them. They are no longer the hunters, but are now the ones being hunted. With a much more difficult schedule than the last one and prime time games lined up, it’s obvious that there’s pressure from every direction.

Everyone is expecting a lot from this team. They are even considered to possibly be one of the Superbowl contenders, and a team to be reckoned with.

Coach of the Year, Jim Harbaugh, along with GM Trent Baalke, made major moves this past offseason and utilized the draft in order to add more depth in their offense. Keeping all the starters from last year’s top defense, it’s evident that they want to continue with the success they had experienced in the previous season.

The 49ers have become more balanced as a team and we can only await great things. Big names such as Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Frank Gore, and Vernon Davis are considered to make an impact on the field. That’s a given.

So, how can a team stacked with even more weapons surprise us this time around? And who will shine and come up from underneath the radar?

Leave it up to Coach Harbaugh and his top secret playbook to keep us in suspense.

Are you ready for some football?

Related articles

• San Francisco 49ers Blueprint for Winning the Super Bowl (bleacherreport.com)
• San Francisco 49ers: 4 Reasons Fans Have to Be Excited for the 2012 Season (bleacherreport.com)