The San Francisco 49ers allowed a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to slip through their hands for the second time in the post-season in the last three years. Kyle Shanahan’s side reached the Super Bowl in the 2019 season and were seemingly in command against the Kansas City Chiefs, holding a 20-10 lead entering the fourth quarter. However, Patrick Mahomes led a devastating response for the Chiefs to lead Andy Reid’s side to a 31-20 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 2020 campaign was a write-off for the 49ers after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo along with a slew of other key players were ruled out with significant injuries for the majority of the term. After seemingly turning the corner in the 2021 campaign after a difficult start, the 49ers battled their way past the Los Angeles Rams in the final game of the regular term to reach the playoffs.
49ERS 1⃣7⃣-2⃣0⃣ RAMS
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) January 31, 2022
Los Angeles booked their place in Super Bowl LVI as they overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to beat San Francisco in the NFC Championship game.
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San Francisco were outstanding to overcome Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers on the road, using defense and special teams to defeat their rivals. Garoppolo led his team into a 17-7 lead after connecting with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. However, a dropped interception by Jaquirski Tartt and the inability of Garoppolo to rise to the occasion amid a Rams comeback resulted in a narrow defeat for the 49ers.
San Francisco will now have to watch the Super Bowl from home where the Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Rams. Among the Super Bowl bets will be an option to wager on the Bengals to cover the +3.5 spread, which the 49ers achieved in their battle against the Rams on the road, although the ultimate victory eluded Shanahan and his team not for the first time.
It was an all-too-familiar tale for Shanahan, both as a head coach and an offensive coordinator. During Super Bowl 51 as offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons, his offense failed to put the game away against the New England Patriots, despite holding a 28-3 lead during the third quarter. After scoring in the early stages of the second half, Matt Ryan and company failed to add a single point to their tally, which would have secured the game and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots capitalized to level the scores before winning in overtime.
Jimmy Garoppolo had Emmanuel Sanders open behind the defense to give the #49ers the lead with just over a minute to go. Missed the throw, and lost the game. Average QB at best. pic.twitter.com/7jDjntFlqY
— Alex Ohári ????????????⚪️ (@FutureCanes) February 3, 2020
It has been the same story in the fourth quarter with the 49ers against the Chiefs and now the Rams. Ryan and Garoppolo have to take some culpability for their mistakes in the clutch, none more so than Garoppolo’s misfire downfield in Super Bowl 54 when Emmanuel Sanders was wide open for a touchdown. At the same time, it cannot be overlooked that the common denominator between these teams is Shanahan, who has been outscored 53-0 by his opponents in the fourth quarter of those high-profile losses. For whatever reason, he and his sides cannot hold their nerve under pressure in the fourth quarter.
Whether it is a result of bizarre playcalling or inability to execute a precise throw with the weight of expectation. If the 49ers want to get over the hump, they need to resolve these issues. Former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer was plagued with the same issues that dogged his career at the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and the San Diego Chargers. In the clutch his teams always came up short and as a result failed to win a Super Bowl. Shanahan and the 49ers will not want to be associated with Schottenheimer in that regard, despite his consistency in reaching the playoffs. It has to be resolved sooner rather than later.
