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Kyle Shanahan relives his Super Bowl nightmare as 49ers collapse yet again
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- Kyle Shanahan relives his Super Bowl nightmare as 49ers collapse yet again
LAS VEGAS – Kyle Shanahan with a 10-point lead in a Super Bowl?
Given the history, this is not what the casinos on The Strip would call playing with house money.
Uh-oh. It happened again.
The San Francisco 49ers not only fell 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs in an overtime thriller in Super Bowl 58 , but they did it the hard way, blowing a double-digit lead.
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Yes, history has repeated itself. The Chiefs rallied from a 10-point deficit the last time the teams met in a Super Bowl, four years ago, and they've done it again in becoming first repeat champion in 19 years.
For Shanahan, the 49ers coach, it's another layer added to the narrative that he can't be trusted with a lead in the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl 51, as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons , he was part of a unit that blew a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots before falling in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history.
Now Shanahan's on the losing end of the second overtime game in Super Bowl history, too. The Chiefs scored 22 points in the final 20 minutes of regulation and in overtime.
That's what can happen when Patrick Mahomes is on the other side.
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Leads are never safe. Mahomes, who connected with Mecole Hardman for a 3-yard touchdown with three seconds remaining on the clock in overtime, is a walking reminder of that after stinging Shanahan for a second time. The other quarterback to rally a team back from a huge deficit in a Super Bowl against Shanahan was Tom Brady .
"When you go against guys like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes , you never feel comfortable with a lead," Shanahan said during his postgame news conference. "Two of the best players ever to play the game. Those guys are always in it."
Facts. No consolation prize needed.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches play against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.
This time, the 49ers and their faithful will rue the weird stuff. Or the snake eyes, in the gambling vernacular. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw , one of the heartbeats of the defense, was knocked out of the game with a torn Achilles tendon, which occurred early in the second quarter as he was running on the field to start a defensive series. The Chiefs' first touchdown was set up by a weird bounce on a puntlate in the third quarter, as the ball ricocheted off Darrell Luter Jr. and was recovered at the 49ers' 16-yard line. And perhaps the game may have never gone to overtime if 49ers rookie kicker Jake Moody didn't have a PAT kick blockedin the fourth quarter.
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Although the bottom-line pattern is disturbing enough, you can't blame Shanahan for not staying aggressive. He went for it on a fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter, the conversion keeping alive a touchdown drive. And he opened the go-ahead field goal drive late in the fourth quarter by attacking the Chiefs defense with Brock Purdy throws.The 49ers led late in the fourth quarter and in overtime – and still lost.
After winning the coin toss for overtime, was he too aggressive? Typically at the start of games, teams defer. With the new playoff overtime rules , each team is guaranteed at least one possession. The 49ers turned their overtime possession into a 27-yard field goal, leaving the Chiefs to respond with a 75-yard touchdown drive.
Take the ball with the coin toss?
"I'm not sure there's a right answer, really," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "It could've easily gone the other way...I'm never going to question Kyle, because he's brilliant."
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Still, the 49ers' last offensive play might stick with Shanahan for a while. Facing a third-and-4 from the Chiefs' 9-yard line, Brock Purdy's throw to the right flat never came close to intended receiver Jauan Jennings because the quarterback was under the duress brought with a blitz.
"Any play that didn't work out, yeah, you always think about that," Shanahan said.
Yet, beyond the usual second-guessing that will come with reviewing the videotape, Shanahan has no regrets. Just a lot of hurt for his players as they left Allegiant Stadium.
No, Shanahan didn't make history by joining his father, Mike , as the first father-son duo to coach Super Bowl winners.
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That distinction is still on hold. Maybe it'll have to happen with a big comeback.
Mahomes, for one, would like a new script.
Said Mahomes, "I'm going to try not to get down 10 points in these games and make it a little easier."
Easier for Mahomes would not be a good thing for Shanahan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl nightmare returns with another 49ers flop
