Once again, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a heart-wrenching situation. After controlling much of Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, they let a 10-point lead slip away in overtime, losing the game 25-22. This is a familiar feeling for the players who experienced a similar defeat four years ago. It must be like Déjà vu for them, to have the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes seemingly within their grasp, only to have victory snatched away.
For head coach Kyle Shanahan, there seems to be a mental block or perhaps just plain bad luck when it comes to this game. In three Super Bowls, including one as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, Shanahan has held double-digit leads and ended up carrying an ‘L’ in each one. While it may be harsh to use the word “choke” as seen in a Twitter post, it’s hard to argue against it at this point.
Something seems to malfunction late in these Super Bowls with Shanahan’s play selection. Some say he overthinks, while others believe he gets tight in these high-pressure moments. For years, Shanahan’s offense has been praised, especially considering he hasn’t had a quarterback of Mahomes or Tom Brady caliber. Whether it’s Jimmy Garoppolo or now Brock Purdy, the outcome in the biggest game of the sport remains the same.
The 49ers dominated the first half of the game and should have been up by more than just one touchdown at halftime. However, the Chiefs have proven time and time again that they are never truly out of any game. They may lose occasionally, but when it matters the most, they have that ‘it’ factor due to having Mahomes on their side.
The feeling of invincibility that comes from knowing you’re never out of a game because of one player is rare. Quarterbacks like Brady, Mahomes, and Joe Montana are hard to bet against. While they may lose occasionally, there’s always a sense of hope when they’re leading the charge. In Montana’s case, he never lost or threw an interception in a Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, that era of 49ers football was generations ago, and that feeling has never been duplicated. In recent years, the Niners have come close but haven’t been able to seal the deal. Under Jim Harbaugh, they lost to the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII by three points, and now they’ve lost two Super Bowls under Shanahan, both by three points.
With two Super Bowl losses on his resume and approaching his eighth year with the team, Shanahan could be on the hot seat heading into next season. There comes a point where a team has made all the necessary personnel changes, and if they still can’t achieve success, a change in the head coaching position is often the next step. While it may not happen immediately, Shanahan is approaching a fork in the road, and it’s time for him to deliver or face the consequences.
For the 49ers players, this will be the longest offseason ever. They came so close to winning it all and even had a chance in overtime. Injuries to players like Dre Greenlaw, who did not return, and Deebo Samuel, who did return, certainly didn’t help their cause. However, despite the setbacks, they still had a fighting chance. But in the end, Mahomes once again sprinkled his magic dust on the field and came through in the clutch, leaving Shanahan and the Niners with nothing but dreams of what could have been.
