Kyle Shanahan already knew what it was like to lose a Super Bowl. He knew what it was like to lose it as the San Francisco 49ers head coach. In fact, he knew exactly how it felt to do so against Patrick Mahomes‘ Kansas City Chiefs. But this second loss seems to be tougher for the coach.
With his team once again blowing a double-digit lead in the big game, Shanahan faced even more criticism. His play calling and decisions in crucial situations have been under serious scrutiny, but that doesn’t seem to affect the 44-year-old. Far from giving in to the critics, Shanahan says he doesn’t regret any decision he made at Allegiant Stadium.
“Anytime you lose, every decision you made, I mean you make a decision every play throughout that game,” Shanahan said, via Sports Illustrated. “So when you lose, you’ll go over that stuff always throughout the entire offseason, through cutups, through everything. But there was nothing that I thought in the moment that I did wrong. It was everything I was proud of that and I like the thought process behind everything.”
The Niners went to halftime at Allegiant Stadium leading 10-3, but their second half left a lot to be desired. Shanahan was questioned for not running the ball enough despite having star running back Christian McCaffrey. He was also called out for not going for it at a certain point of the game, though it’s safe to say his most controversial was to receive the ball in overtime.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media during San Francisco 49ers media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa on February 07, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada.
Shanahan’s overtime decision gives plenty to talk about
Now that the game is behind us and the Chiefs boast the Vince Lombardi, many claim the 49ers choosing to take the ball after winning the overtime toss was a turning point in the game.
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San Francisco faced a fourth down situation in its possession, opting to kick a field goal instead of going for it, just to make sure to add three points to the scoreboard. The problem is Patrick Mahomes led a 13-play, 75-yard drive that won the game for the Chiefs.
Shanahan defended his decision to receive by claiming he wanted the ball in case of a sudden death scenario. If the score was tied after each team’s possession, the Niners would have gotten the ball back, and if they scored, they would’ve won the game. That’s what their coach had in mind.
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Either way, even if they scored a touchdown instead of a field goal, Mahomes revealed the Chiefs would have gone for a two-point attempt before letting San Francisco have a second possession.
Besides, it looks like there has been misscommunication within the 49ers. Some players admitted not knowing the new overtime rules, thinking the Chiefs wouldn’t get a chance of possession if San Francisco scored a touchdown.
In short, the 49ers’ overtime decision is pretty much the biggest (or only) thing people remember about Shanahan in the 2024 Super Bowl. The conversation would probably be different if the Niners found a way to win, but they did not.
