The 49ers’ courtship of Lynch started with a referral from Shanahan, so the two already have a rapport. And in the beginning, it looked as though it wouldn’t.
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With an eight point lead and simply needing to run the ball to set up a field goal, the Falcons tried to get aggressive. It’s time to play the blame game. Zach Klein, sports director at WSB, the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, tweeted early Monday morning: “Those who spoke with Kyle Shanahan last night at Falcons team hotel tell me he said “I blew it” #SB51″. While the Falcons owned the best passing attack in the league this season, they risked field position and their lead by opting to attack the Patriots. He was hitting his bevy of receivers on point. If there’s one person who could have prevented all of them from coming into existence, though, it’s the guy who was unable to execute a fourth-quarter offense that every teen who’s ever played Madden could have pulled off. After a one-yard loss by Freeman, they faced 2nd and 11 and elected to pass to make the down series more manageable.
“I am very excited to dedicate myself to the process that lies ahead”, Shanahan said.
Now, with less than 48 hours to go before he calls the biggest game of his life against the NFL’s top defense in the New England Patriots, he’s dealing with his current team and with his projected new team. It looked as if there was no stopping this offense on this day. If anything, the delay should have allowed a little extra time to come up with an excuse – whatever that might be. What was about to be seen would be unreal. Atlanta had scored offensive touchdowns on three of four drives spanning the second and third quarters and had opened up a 28-3 lead with 8:36 left in the third. They seem to do doing a pretty solid job. Three plays and out. The way virtually everything worked the first half, nothing worked the second. Taking a sack. got us into a third-and-20, so we threw a quick pass trying to get back into field goal range, which we did. “There is no one reason we didn’t get it done”. The Falcons also are likely to lose quarterback coach Matt LaFleur, who is expected to be interviewed by the Los Angeles Rams.
It was from here on out that the Falcons offense looked like it did not belong. Mack was injured in Atlanta’s NFC title-game win over Green Bay, but missed one play and returned to the field.
Everything was going well for Kyle Shanahan. Matt Ryan had just hit Julio Jones on a sideline route.
After the holding call, the Falcons faced a 3rd and 33. This should have been 3 running plays.
It’s not often you get a promotion after the worst moment of your career.
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Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young, appearing on ESPN’s postgame show, tore into Shanahan’s play-calling, specifically having Ryan take deep drops in the pocket that led to costly sacks.
