Nearly 48 hours have passed since the thrilling Super Bowl game and multiple different angles have started popping up. Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, has found himself at the center of all criticisms.
Talks are going around that the Niners head coach can not perform under pressure. The recent record of his, tending to fail constantly in big games like the Super Bowl, isn’t doing him any favor either.
This is not the first time Shanahan lost a Super Bowl game. Nearly five years back as well, the 49ers, under Shanahan’s guidance made it to the Super Bowl. That time also, they faced the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes won it over the Niners. Five years later, the same outcome happened as Mahomes clinched the victory for the Chiefs.
Though Shanahan clearly denied these statements against him. In his style, the head coach claimed that had not performed against the big teams, the Niners would not have made it to the Super Bowl so often.
But I also know when you say ‘big games,’ we’ve had to win a bunch of big games to get to Super Bowls. We’ve won a lot of big games here. We’ve won a lot of big games to get into playoffs. The fact that we keep getting there shows you guys how much we’ve been able to win big games and I think you guys are aware of that. But these two Super Bowls have been tough losing to Kansas City. But to think that if we win that, it means I can win a big game? No, that means our team won the Super Bowl.
Shanahan told the reporters
Not only with the 49ers, Shanahan choked with the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl as well. Shanahan helped take the Atlanta Falcons (then the OC of the team) to the Super Bowl as well. After gaining a handsome lead of 28-3 against the Tom Brady-led Patriots, they choked and lost the infamous Super Bowl LI game.
#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on the narrative he can’t win the big game:
“When you say big games, we had to win a bunch of big games to get to the Super Bowl. … To say that the Niners can’t win a big game would be an extremely inaccurate statement.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 13, 2024
Richard Sherman stood by the side of Kyle Shanahan
Amid all the criticisms doing rounds against Shanahan, Richard Sherman, former player and present-day analyst stood by the side of his once-upon-a-time HC. In the recent episode of the show Undisputed, Sherman claimed that all the blame for the 49ers loss should not reside on the shoulders of Shanahan. The team made some defensive lapses and Shanahan should not be blamed for those.
You know it is not all on him. I think he gets all the blame but you know some of it in the first Super Bowl, there were defensive plays that were blunders. It is not on Kyle Shanahan. He is the head coach but he has not called the defense.
Kyle Shanahan and Richard Sherman with wife Ashley Moss (Via Imago)Though Shanahan choked in three Super Bowl games, Sherman is hopeful that he will make it in the coming time. Citing the example of Andy Reid, Sherman explained that even Reid had to wait to lift his first Super Bowl. Shanahan has a long career ahead and he will eventually make it.
There is hardly any doubt that Shanahan will be the HC for the 49ers in another season. He has delivered success and is expected to continue for long.
