49ers’ Kyle Shanahan requested employees to evaluate OT guidelines with gamers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Earlier than the San Francisco 49ers began their newest postseason run, coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with the workforce’s analytics employees and went by way of the potential eventualities for a recreation that may attain time beyond regulation.

The NFL put in new guidelines for postseason time beyond regulation in March 2022 that might enable for every workforce to get a possession no matter what the workforce with the ball first does (except there’s a defensive rating). However the Niners had not been concerned in an time beyond regulation recreation within the playoffs in that point.

All of which made what occurred in Sunday night time’s Tremendous Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs uncharted territory for each groups.

After a number of Niners mentioned after the sport they weren’t conscious of the time beyond regulation setup, Shanahan mentioned Tuesday he had laid out a plan along with his employees earlier than the playoffs started. He mentioned he additionally instructed his assistant coaches to let the workforce know earlier than the time beyond regulation interval began however didn’t really feel the necessity to focus on that plan along with his workforce earlier than that time.

“We advised everybody as we have been ready for the coin toss to evaluate everybody to ensure they’re certain earlier than we exit,” Shanahan mentioned. “So, we requested place coaches to do this. However I did not cowl it in a gathering on the Tremendous Bowl week. I do not suppose that modifications something.”

A number of 49ers mentioned Tuesday that whether or not they knew the specifics of the rule or not didn’t change the truth that they wanted to attempt to rating on offense and get a cease to beat the Chiefs and declare the franchise’s long-awaited sixth Lombardi Trophy.

Quarterback Brock Purdy mentioned quarterbacks coach Brian Griese did certainly give him a heads up on the foundations on the finish of regulation.

“He defined the foundations to me and the whole lot so I had an understanding of it,” Purdy mentioned.

On the heels of San Francisco’s 25-22 loss to the Chiefs, Shanahan’s choice to take the ball first after the 49ers gained the toss has been scrutinized. The Niners took the ball and managed solely a 27-yard discipline aim from kicker Jake Moody earlier than Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes marched his offense down the sector to win it on a 3-yard landing move to receiver Mecole Hardman.

After the sport, Shanahan mentioned his dialogue with the workforce’s analytics employees had indicated it might be greatest to take the ball first as a result of if each groups matched scores on their opening drives, the Niners would get the ball to open the portion of time beyond regulation wherein the primary workforce to attain would win.

On Tuesday, Shanahan defined that these discussions befell earlier than the playoffs, however he needed to stay versatile relying on how the sport was enjoying out. If the sport had been extra excessive scoring, Shanahan indicated he might need taken the ball second the place he would have recognized precisely what he wanted to win the sport earlier than San Francisco’s first possession.

“I all the time make [the decision] within the warmth of battle with that data,” Shanahan mentioned. “If it was just like the Tremendous Bowl the yr earlier than the one which appeared extra like a shootout, I believe I might need felt somewhat bit in a different way however having that data stepping into and the best way ours was going, I did not really feel in a different way. I felt correct with what they really useful.”

Niners basic supervisor John Lynch additionally identified that the 49ers protection had simply been on the sector attempting to fend off Kansas Metropolis’s frantic last drive. The Chiefs marched 64 yards on 11 performs, and Niners cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and security Ji’Ayir Brown needed to be helped off the sector with accidents simply three performs earlier than the tying discipline aim.

“Whenever you’re enjoying Mahomes, you are chasing him rather a lot,” Lynch mentioned. “So, there’s a variety of effort that is expended. I believe the context from there’s you want a while to get recent. So, all these issues play into it. These are sound choices.”

After their second devastating Tremendous Bowl defeat in 4 seasons, the 49ers returned to the Bay Space on Monday. They spent Tuesday cleansing out their lockers, discussing the performs they need they’d made within the recreation in addition to how they plan to spend time grieving the competition — and championship — that acquired away.

Lynch vowed to proceed working to enhance the roster, acknowledged that the workforce hopes to re-sign large receiver Brandon Aiyuk (who has one yr left on his rookie deal) and that the workforce will use their newest loss on the massive stage as “gas” for an additional crack at all of it subsequent season.

A weary Shanahan hung out speaking to as many gamers as doable earlier than they left, noting that he hadn’t but watched the movie from the Tremendous Bowl. He mentioned expects his teaching employees again largely intact however that these conversations nonetheless need to happen within the coming weeks.

Requested how he feels concerning the rising notion that he cannot win the most important of video games, Shanahan made it clear he is not fearful about exterior dialogue a lot as he can attain the NFL mountaintop.

“If I fastened notion, which means I did the whole lot I needed to do, which is not fastened notion, it is profitable a rattling Tremendous Bowl,” Shanahan mentioned. “We have gained a variety of huge video games right here. We gained a variety of huge video games to get into the playoffs. … These two Tremendous Bowls have been robust shedding to Kansas Metropolis. However to suppose that if we win that, which means I can win a giant recreation. No, which means our workforce gained a Tremendous Bowl. That is what I perceive.

“You guys can have any narrative you need, however the success or the failure, it comes down to 1 recreation. And I hope that I will be part of the workforce that wins a recreation on the finish of the yr. However to say that the Niners cannot win a giant recreation can be an especially inaccurate assertion.”