Kyle Shanahan’s Super Bowl demons can finally be exorcized vs. Chiefs

san francisco 49ers Head coach Kyle Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the NFL’s great offensive masterminds. He has overseen Robert Griffin III’s captivating Offensive Rookie of the Year season in Washington and Matt Ryan’s MVP campaign. atlanta falconsand the incredible rise of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, this year’s MVP finalist.

All that’s missing is a Super Bowl ring. Shanahan came closer. In agony close. Exclude…

…and you know the rest of the story.

Kyle Shanahan: “Playoff Choker”

Two Super Bowl failures (not to mention waste) in contrast to Shanahan’s brilliant talent. Leading by 10 points in the 4th quarter at NFC Championship against Los Angeles Rams two years ago) gave him the reputation of a “playoff choker”. The small sample size is overshadowed by the magnitude of his offensive meltdowns.

The No. 1-ranked Falcons’ offense gained just 48 yards on their final four drives after outscoring the Patriots 28-3. Matt Ryan converted a key sack-fumble that led to a touchdown for the Patriots, followed by another sack that put them within comfortable field goal range at 28-20 in the final seconds.

Against the Chiefs, the 49ers’ offense punt, punt, turnover on downs, and intercept. 4th quarter margins are the most skewed Super Bowl history (-21).

A few months after the loss to the Chiefs, Shanahan explained to The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami the difference between the two losses.

“The Atlanta game was completely different,” Shanahan said. “I feel like we knew what we needed to do in the Atlanta game (a few play calls when the Falcons were leading in the second half). But against Atlanta, we had 85 yards of offense in the third quarter. They made a drive and were up 28-3 with five minutes left in the third quarter. From that point on, New England had 390 yards of offense, with one incompletion. So, whatever. We didn’t convert 2/3 downs. Tom Brady just…who gets 390 yards in one quarter? They just walked away. And it is what it is.

“This was different for me. We had a 10-point lead. We didn’t extend a huge lead. We had two possessions. And on those two possessions they scored, but we didn’t. We couldn’t make a third down on those two possessions. So it turned over like that and it was over really quickly. But guys, it wasn’t like we blew anything. Just, they… made a third long shot and we didn’t. It was turned over like this. It was a good soccer game between two good teams. I think it was really fun for everyone to watch. . I just… don’t like watching it. It’s not fun to watch. I’m looking forward to the third work.”

Has the script already been flipped?

This is a decidedly different playoff run for Shanahan. If his past playoff failures were defined by losing seemingly unassailable leads, this year may be defined (at least in part) by pulling off a comeback.

A common issue against his 49ers teams is the lack of comebacks in the fourth quarter, which indicates a front-line team’s inability to overcome a late-game deficit.

The 49ers were able to fight back and break through. green bay packers They won 24-21 and had an even better comeback the following week at the NFC Championship, overcoming a 24-7 halftime score to win 34-31. detroit lions. It was the biggest upset in NFC Championship history. Not only did they overcome the biggest halftime loss in an NFC playoff game;.

In contrast, the 2019 49ers won by 17 points in the playoffs but never trailed, and the 2016 Falcons defeated the 49ers. seattle seahawks The Packers never trailed in the second half and won 80-41. In both Super Bowls, there was virtually no resistance until the disastrous fourth quarter.

There are similarities between Shanahan and Andy Reid.

The most common thing people say about Kyle Shanahan used to be to describe his Super Bowl opponent.

It’s easy to think of Andy Reid as a surefire Hall of Famer and multiple champion head coach right now. Before the 2019 season, he was in Shanahan’s position for essentially an even longer period of time. He famously missed three consecutive NFC Championship appearances. philadelphia eaglesand squandered historic 38-10 and 21-3 leads. kansas city chiefs When Alex Smith was the quarterback. His one Super Bowl shot with the Eagles was ruined by poor time management.

These were the headlines written about Reed over the years.

Reed is a bit of an anomaly – his 15 postseason appearances and 29 playoff games coached before winning his first ring are by far NFL records – but he’s nothing short of a “playoff choker.” Set a good example. . The 2019 Chiefs remain the only Super Bowl champions to win every postseason game after trailing by double digits.

“Playoff Choker” Reed seems like a distant memory now that he’s coaching a dynasty. Shanahan has now arguably started his own dynasty in the NFC, considering he has four conference championship appearances and two Super Bowl appearances in five seasons. It would be fitting if Shanahan’s breakout moment came against a disgraced coach who sacrificed his unwanted reputation.