Kyle Shanahan bristles at the notion his 49ers cant win big games following another Super Bowl loss
Kyle Shanahan has heard the criticism that, for all his great accomplishments as head coach of the , he is unable to win the big game.Those calls
Blank Jersey grew louder after a second Super Bowl lo s in five seasons and Shanahan is as eager as anyone to quell them to prove his doubters wrong but also because it would mean he had won "a damn Super Bowl.""The fact that we keep getting there shows how much we win big games," Shanahan said Tuesday as the Niners headed home for the offseason two days after a 25-22 overtime lo s to the ."These two Super Bowls have been tough, losing to Kansas City. ... You guys can have any narrative you want. The succe s or the failure comes down to one game," he said. "I hope that I can be a part of a team that wins the game at the end of the year. But to say the Niners cant win a big game would be an extremely inaccurate statement."ADVERTISEMENT They have just been unable to win the ultimate prize despite coming so close in recent years. San Francisco blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to the Chiefs to lose the Super Bowl following the 2019 season.The Niners then blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of the 2021 NFC title game to lose to the and lost again at that stage last season to when they played much of the game without a functioning quarterback.Then came the latest Super Bowl, when they led Chiefs 10-0 early and then allowed to lead two game-tying field goal drives
Ryan Braun Jersey in the fourth quarter and a game-winning touchdown drive in overtime."Im just disappointed because we had more than enough opportunities to go and take it," All-Pro linebacker said. "Super Bowls arent given. You've got to take them in the moments where theyre there and we didnt. We had such a team to do it, we had such a great opportunity. We were playing the right way. What sucks is you have to go back to ground zero and start all over again."The Niners were able to do that this season after dealing with the pain of back-to-back NFC title game lo ses. went from the final pick of the 2022 draft to franchise quarterback in his first full season as a starter after coming back from major elbow surgery.He helped give San Francisco one of the most powerful offenses in the game, with a deep group of playmakers led by Offensive Player of the Year , , and .But after averaging 28.9 points per game as the most efficient offense in the league, the 49ers weren't as sharp in the postseason and came up short in key spots in the Super Bowl.Is the 49ers' Super Bowl OT decision talk overblown? San Francisco had three straight three-and-out drives to start the second half and then settled for field goals at the end of regulation and in overtime following protection breakdowns on third-down plays."I still hurt for the guys that have been here, the older guys
Keon Broxton Jersey , the coaches, our fan base and everybody," Purdy said. "It sucks. Were right there. Went to overtime and had an opportunity. It sucks, but that's the game that we play."Shanahan and most players said they hadn't been able to re-watch the game because the wounds were still so raw. Shanahan said he will go over almost every decision he made in the game, knowing one play could have been the difference.But he didn't regret the decision to take the ball first in overtime, even though under the new rules that guaranteed Mahomes and the Chiefs a po se sion with knowledge of what they needed even had San Francisco scored a touchdown.When the Niners settled for a field goal, Mahomes drove down the field converting a fourth down in his own territory and then threw the game-ending TD pa s to .The Chiefs scored on their final four drives, raising questions about whether defensive coordinator Steve Wilks would take
Stephen Vogt Jersey the fall for the lo s.49ers HC Kyle Shanahan need a fresh start post-Super Bowl? Wilks took over the top-ranked defense in the and had some shaky moments midway through the season and in the first two playoffs games as he tried to put his spin on the existing system.The defense held down Mahomes for the first 42 minutes before faltering late.Shanahan didn't directly addre s whether Wilks would return for a second season, saying he hadn't talked to his coaches yet but expected them to be back.The Niners expect to bring back most of the core from this season but know that doesn't mean they will be back at this stage again next season."We have all the pieces, but it never guarantees you the win," fullback said. "At the end of the day, its not basketball. Its not a seven-game series. You can put yourself in the
Jesus Aguilar Jersey absolute best position and sometimes, you get beat. All you can do is continue to try and put yourself in that best position, but youre just never guaranteed anything."Reporting by The A sociated Pre s. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League San Francisco 49ers Kansas City Chiefs