Does Kyle Shanahan deserve to win Coach of the Year?
Yahoo Sports host Andrew Siciliano, senior NFL writers Frank Schwab and Charles Robinson discuss if Kyle Shanahan should be the favorite to win coach of the year. Check out the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
49ers to me are, if there weren't so many other stories of the year with teams, the 49ers to me would easily, you know, check in at number one.
There's just, I've never seen a coach, um, have this kind of a season where he's lost a multitude of players, dealt with, you know, this many subs and, and still raised, uh, the bar to the point of potentially having a number one seed.
And if they get to the Super Bowl, a, a home, you know, Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium.
So it's, uh, it's unfolded, I think, better than anyone could have expected.
I guess I would just ask you guys, I mean, can this be maintained?
Can it be maintained realistically?
That's the problem I have, Charles, is that I, I, I so stuck with the 49ers where I, I can't think of a comp of a Super Bowl champion having this bad of a defense.
I mean they're- Yeah.
... 26th- Yeah.
... in DVOA right now.
I guess the comp is that Colts team that won finally, broke through to Peyton Manning, but they got really good- It's the Bears, yeah.
... in the playoffs on defense out of nowhere.
And yeah, they had to face- Yeah.
... Rex, Rex Grossman in the Super Bowl.
Uh, so I don't, I just sit here and I'm like, "The 49ers can't do this.
The defense is not championship quality."
And it's, we know why, it's because both Simeon Warner are hurt, but they keep doing it.
They're 13 and three.
And the Kyle Shanahan thing, yes, I've been on my soapbox most of the season talking about Kyle basically since week five when they beat the Rams in overtime in that game.
And I don't think it's just the best coaching job this year.
I think it's the best coaching job in many years.
When you look at what they've dealt with- Yeah.
Don't, don't forget that going back, Brock Purdy missed eight games.
And there were a lot of people, a lot of people- Yeah.
...
I hope you all, all deleted these receipts that said maybe Mac Jones should be starting over Brock Purdy because he's played so well.
Like that's- Right.
... Kyle Shanahan.
When we all gush about this offense and how well it's playing, and oh my goodness, yeah, Brock Purdy's playing great.
I'm not taking anything away from him.
But this is Kyle Shanahan.
This is Kyle Shanahan's coaching.
He is on such a heater as a play caller.
So I sit there and I say, "Okay, yep, their defense stinks, but they're 13 and three, and if they win Sunday, they got two home games for a home Super Bowl.
Why not?"
They could just maybe outscore- Yeah.
... everybody for two more games.
So maybe this is sustainable.
I didn't, I didn't think they'd ever be at 13 and three at this point in the season, ever.
