The 49ers officially named Kyle Shanahan the team's next head coach o nMonday. As Atlanta's offensive coordinator this season, the 2016 Assistant Coach of the Year helped lead the Falcons to the Super Bowl only to fall to the Patriots in overtime Sunday after jumping out to a 21-0 lead.
Shanahan's offense managed just seven points in the second half and former 49ers quarterbacks Steve Young and Trent Dilfer were not impressed with the late-game play-calling.
“It got tight,” Dilfer said on ESPN after the game. “Now, they had to play the game they were a little uncomfortable with because (New England) started to come back. And they relied on that mantra of, 'Just stay aggressive. Just stay aggressive.' When actually, wisdom and discernment and calmness and being conservative is what would have won them the game."
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Two plays in particular drew the ire of Young and Dilfer.
With 8:31 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Falcons leading 28-12 and facing 3rd and 1, Matt Ryan dropped back and was strip-sacked. The turnover resulted in a Patriots touchdown five plays later.
"Inexcusable," Young said. "Deep drop. Third-and-1. You got the blitz. Everyone knew it. I saw it coming from five seconds before the snap. You cannot hold the football in that situation and allow that."
"Don’t take a seven-step drop," Dilfer added. "You just don’t do it. That’s what leads to a strip sack."
San Francisco 49ers
Later, with 3:56 remaining in regulation and the Falcons up 28-20 and facing 2nd and 11 from the Patriots 23-yard line, Ryan dropped back and was sacked for a loss of 12 yards. After a holding penalty and an incompletion, the Falcons were forced to punt, and the Patriots scored the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion 10 plays later.
"I can’t tell you how inexcusable that is," Young said. "That cannot happen. The ball has got to come out. The play-calling cannot put it into a deep drop. Those are things that lose Super Bowls."