PHILADELPHIA -- Early in the preseason, Andy Miller knew he had a team with the talent to win a title.

But it took a Stage 1 collapse to show the CEO of the San Francisco Shock that his club had what it takes to win a championship.

The Shock dismantled the Vancouver Titans, 4-0, in the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals on Sunday inside a sold-out Wells Fargo Center.

It was a perfect finish for one of the league’s preseason favorites. San Francisco’s run, according to players, coaches and execs in Sunday’s post-match news conference, was the combination of stellar coaching, adaptability by an all-star cast of players (including the league MVP) and the drive to be the best on a team level.

To summarize Sunday’s throttling on the biggest stage: San Francisco has what many teams in the league don’t. Also-rans like the Dallas Fuel, who went in the opposite direction at the end of the season, could perhaps learn something from the Shock.

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“This is the blueprint,” said Miller, co-founder and chairman of NRG Esports. “We didn’t rush out a super-popular team that was going to be average in the first season. We didn’t create a meme team. We decided to really invest in our players, and the biggest takeaway, because these guys are also incredibly talented, but they all have gotten so much better because of the three coaches we have.”

The Shock finished on a 20-match unbeaten streak that started with a surprise loss to Atlanta at the start of the playoffs. It was a loss that the players called a wake-up call. But San Francisco had already faced adversity during the season, and it was on a big stage.

“We were up 3-2 in the Stage 1 finals, and then just completely fell apart,” Miller said. “So that was a big question mark. ... What would we do to bounce back from this?”

The Shock responded with seven straight 4-0 wins in Stage 2, an unprecedented run, topped off with a Stage 2 title over the Titans.

From there, it was clear the Shock were among the league favorites to hoist the trophy at the end of the year.

Fuel tank Son “OGE” Min-seok certainly thought so.

A day before the Shock dropped the Titans, OGE was wrapping up his appearance at a fan event, perfecting his signature and admiring some merch.

He’s had a month to reflect on the 2019 season, one where his Dallas Fuel started with such high expectations and promise but ended up a punchline to the second half of the year.

“We just had problems in the second half,” said OGE, his matter-of-fact delivery underscoring what the Fuel, and the rest of the league, already knew.

A 12-match losing streak to end the season. Consistent juggling of the starting lineup. Streaky strategies and player performances -- it’s all been said or written before about the Fuel, hasn’t it?

The question now must ultimately switch from “how can the Fuel fix their problems?” to “how can the Fuel compete on the same level as the Shock or Titans?”

The gulf in class between the best and worst teams was apparent both Sunday and during the playoffs between the Shock and the rest of the top clubs.

There will be plenty of instances for the Fuel to show their mettle next season vs. the Shock and Titans -- they will be in the newly formed Pacific Division with both of this year’s finalists. Oh, and the Fuel will host the Shock as part of their opening-weekend homestand.

“We don’t think we’re going to lose going into next season, obviously,” said Matthew "super" DeLisi, a Shock tank. “I think we’re all feeling happy. We’re going to celebrate. But when season three comes around, it’s grind time again. We’ll do what we did this year.”

Before the Fuel can face the likes of the Shock orTitans and expect anything better than a 4-0 beating, they could learn a thing or two (or 10?) from the best team on the globe.

One of the Fuel’s biggest struggles in the second half of the season was their inability to adapt. Despite strong starts to many matches, Dallas always withered and often were well outmatched after halftime. The Shock seemingly countered every Titan punch on Sunday.

The MVP of the league, Jay “sinatraa” Won, was on the bench for two of the maps, including the clinching fourth match, for crying out loud. San Francisco is just that good.

Moments of careful coordination and coaching were boosted by spontaneous decision making that often worked out in San Francisco’s favor.

At press day on Friday, Shock players spoke glowingly of their teamwork and camaraderie. Cliches, yes, but the Shock know better than anyone how true that is. Sunday was proof.

The Fuel, which had a number of roster moves during the season, didn’t seem to have that same tight-knit feeling. Of course, winning is usually a pretty good way to help solve some of those cohesion issues. But so is having the right personnel.

“I think just the depth of our roster,” head coach Park “Crusty” Dae-hee said, “no matter what meta it is, we’re always going to be on top.”

That’s bad news for the rest of the league. But it can also be a learning moment.

On Twitter: @TommyMagelssen