49ers can thank the Atlanta Falcons for their sixth title
Former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is headed to another Super Bowl, this time as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
Atlanta Falcons fans by and large are still not over the 2016 Super Bowl debacle, regardless of what they might tell you. If you need proof, look at any Atlanta Falcons fan Facebook page or message boards and overwhelmingly you will see the nonsensical opinion of the Falcons should have kept him and not Dan Quinn.
No franchise would ever fire a head coach in favor of a coordinator for losing a Super Bowl. That said, the 49er fan base can thank the Atlanta Falcons for their sixth Super Bowl trophy.
As we all remember, Shanahan made a lot of mistakes in the second half of that loss to the New England Patriots. His refusal to run the ball in key situations that would have solidified the lead that they built in the first half aided the Patriots comeback win.
The Atlanta Falcons offense inability to eat clock and play complementary football was the ultimate reason that they lost. Fans love to blame the defense but the defense was on the field more than it should have been because of the offensive play calling.
There is no doubt that Kyle Shanahan learned his lesson from the 2016 Super Bowl at the Atlanta Falcons expense. Last week in the NFC Championship game, the 49ers attempted just eight passes all game. It was just the fourth time in NFL history that a team attempted less than 10 passes and won a playoff game.
Next. Tommy Nobis deserved to be enshrined. dark
Had Kyle Shanahan had that same frame of mind in the second half of the Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons would have won the game. Regardless, Shanahan has not thought about the Atlanta Falcons outside of their matchup in 2019 and won’t unless they meet again in the future. Fans should do the same.