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Not So Clutch?: 49ers Set Unwanted Record Under Kyle Shanahan, Make It 37 Losses in a Row When Trailing by 8+ Points

Published 10/24/2023, 11:41 AM EDT

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Not two good weeks for Niners fanbase to say the least. A high-flying team with no loss on their resume just a few days ago is 5-2 as of now and trailing Eagles for that top spot in the NFC. Once seemed unbeatable, there appears to be a crack in that armor of San Francisco. They might still not be in complete panic mode since the Lions also dropped one at Baltimore.

However, something common in Shanahan’s tenure has reared its ugly head once again in all those defeats. So what exactly is it that 5 time SB champions can’t get over?

Fourth quarter Dilemma

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Josh Dubow, an associated sports writer, recently shared a shocking stat about the 49ers. 63-14 is the record of the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan when not trailing by more than one score. That’s pretty good, right? In contrast, when Red and Gold are behind by more than 8 points in the 4th quarter, Kyle Shanahan is 0-37. Yikes. It seems like one of the most dominant and physical teams in the whole of football in the past few years just can’t seem to get out of the hole they dug. The worst thing about this is that only one team has a worse record than San Fran in the same span.

To lose this many games in the same scenario is bad, but to lose it 37 times straight is even worse. The thing is that due to 49ers stout defense, they rarely get to play from behind. To think a genius like Kyle Shanahan wouldn’t have figured a way out from this debacle in all these years is also a big mystery.

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Who is at fault?

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There are many factors that go into this, as football is a team sport. But in today’s NFL, where offense has taken a front seat, every team tries to go after a QB which can drag a team over the victory line on its own. In contrast, the quarterback is the one spot that has always been the so-called weakness of this team. Even after going to SB with Jimmy Garoppolo, John Lynch and the coaching staff were quick to realize that he was not the answer. They tried to replace him by sacrificing 3 first-round picks for Trey Lance, but even that plan backfired. However, they struck a gem in Brock Purdy who has only lost 2 games so far in his career.

The defense has been pretty dominant since Kyle Shanahan has taken over. An offense littered with pro bowlers combined with Kyle’s schemes will be always potent. But the problem occurs when the defense has an off-day and the QB has to take a step up come 4th quarter. Even Brock Purdy, as good as he is, still has a lot left to prove when it comes to single-handedly carrying a team.

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Who really is at fault for this? Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, or Mr. Irrelevant? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Written by:

Meghraj Singh

16Articles

One take at a time

Edited by:

Tripti Sarda