Devastating Loss: 49ers Fall Short in Playoff Bid After Controversial Call

Devastating Loss: 49ers Fall Short in Playoff Bid After Controversial Call

 

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Kyle Shanahan was almost there, so close to a journey he never imagined for himself, with only one obstacle in his way.

His face was red. His step was set. And as it turned out, resistance on his way was futile.Shanahan was on his way to an interview podium in the marquee area of ​​Hard Rock Stadium, where his San Francisco 49ers had just suffered a heartbreaking Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

For the second time in four seasons, Shanahan was on the unenviable end of a late-quarter collapse in the Ultimate Game; that time the chiefs beat the Niners 21-0 6-13 in the final.So yes – during the offseason, wondering what went wrong and wondering what could have been, Shanahan wanted to finish his last interview and continue the bloodshed.

 

As he strode briskly toward the entrance closest to the tent, a stadium security guard tried to stop Shanahan and direct the coach to another entrance on the left.andquot;It can’t go like this!andquot; ordered the guard.Bob Lange, 49ersand#039; the communications director, walking right behind Shanahan, flatly dismissed the request. andquot; No, andquot; Long said. andquot;Head coach — we’re moving in that direction.andquot;As Shanahan dressed in a white nylon sweater, gray Lululemon pants and white Nikes with no-show socks (but missing his trademark flat-brimmed red trucker hat), a security guard yelled past him. : andquot;Sorry — I didn’t get that and it’s coach.andquot;At the accused moment, the guard was in a clear minority. Andy Reid celebrated his first career championship during his award-winning head coaching career, and third-year sensation Patrick Mahomes was crowned Super Bowl MVP in what likely wouldn’t be his last, Shanahan just relived the nightmare of ’62. 417 fans and hundreds of millions of TV viewers worldwide.

Three years ago, Shanahan was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons in a Super Bowl collapse where his team went 28-3 to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots before losing in overtime. . Now, after leading the 49ers on an incredible journey that led them to their first championship in a quarter-century, the 40-year-old architect of one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NFL history has been asked to explain. another disastrous result.He did his best at the podium to minimize his personal pain, praising the Chiefs for their efforts, expressing pride in his players and trying to detail the disappointing failures that doomed them to victory in the final minutes.

Then Shanahan, a man I’ve known since I was 15 — when his father, Mike, was the great offensive coordinator of the Ninersand#039; The fifth and final championship team came out of the tent as devastated and empty as I’ve ever seen it.andquot;Iand#039;s so crazy,andquot; he said, probably throwing in a few curse words that didn’t make it into my notebook.

Then, just before getting on the golf cart, Shanahan did his best to keep moving. andquot;Iand#039;s okay,andquot; he demanded. andquot;Weand#039;ll be back. Weand#039;do that.andquot;For all his next-level strategic excellence and shrewd understanding of personnel, it was time for Shanahan to become a leader, and he knew it. On the one hand, when he entered the calming dressing room to give a short, heartfelt pep talk to his shocked players, and more than an hour later, when he was the last to board the buses outside the stadium, his instinct was. to encourage and reassure everyone around him.In a late-night assessment of 49ers running game coordinator Mike McDaniel, who has been with Shanahan in each of his last five NFL stops, andquot; she is a wonderful leader now who supports all the broken hearts.Shanahanand#039;s blood must have been boiling because of some mistakes that cost his team the title.

On third-and-15 coverage with 7:13 left, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, positioned outside a three-deep zone, inexplicably ran wideout Sammy Watkins crossing underneath, allowing speedy receiver Tyreek Hill to pass. getting free on a post-corner route for Mahomes’ 44-yarder that sparked the comeback — was particularly troubling.Two rushing Kansas City touchdowns later, with the 49ers trailing 24-20 with 1:40 left, San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (20 for 31, 219 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions) dropped wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. A third-and-10 route that could have been a dramatic miss.

 

Throw in some tough officiating breaks, including a questionable offensive pass interference call on star tight end George Kittle just before halftime that cost the Niners a chance to break a 10-10 tie, and there’s a lot of pain ahead. coach hell bent on perfectionism.Partly because they know the burden Shanahan has carried in the three years since the Falconsand#039; infamous Super Bowl loss, and partly because he was just as bad, the Ninersand#039; The players became particularly emotional as he gave his final post-game speech of a largely uplifting season.andquot;Kyle held his head high andquot; said Niners linebacker Dee Ford, who was acquired in a trade with the Chiefs last March. He told us and#039;obviously this is not the result we wanted, but put every player on the line here at any time.and#039; He told us and#039;This team is special.and#039; And it is.andquot;Kittle said, seeing the emotion pouring out of his wagon, andquot;S—, that was brutal. I don’t know how to describe it. It was just fucked up. Kyle was great though.

That and one thing I love about Kyle is that he keeps it real all the time. I love playing for him.andquot;Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who caught a 15-yard pass from Garoppolo at 5:05 of the first half on the sideline of the Ninersand#039; first touchdown and set up the second and final TD (Raheem Mostert’s 1-yard run that made it 20:10 with 2:35 left.