Cancel Kyle Shanahan’s employment? Did I hear the talking heads suggest that he ought to be fired the day after his San Francisco 49ers blew a double-digit lead in yet another Super Bowl? In three Super Bowls that he coached, his offense led by double digits, but the team lost all three. The first was as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator and they were leading the New England Patriots 28-3. His 49ers then led by ten points twice. Three defeats in eight years is that.
He is this offensive “genius” and San Francisco has won all these games in the regular season, right? Take this: in both the fourth quarter and overtime, the Niners have been outscored by a total of 58-12. Should this particular fact be enough?
There is undoubtedly an issue in Shanahan’s home. While it’s common to discuss being “out-coached,” there’s also the issue of consistently making poor choices. It’s known as a pattern. He didn’t assume there would never be a third possession in overtime; instead, he was playing for it.
Some of the NFL’s greatest offenses in history have been led by him. Why wasn’t RB Christian McCaffrey used more by Shanahan? McCaffrey wins NFL Offensive Player of the Year despite the Chiefs’ at best shoddy run defense. When the Niners had the opportunity to end the game, they abandoned their bread and butter. For that, Shanahan should take the fallout.
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