The Kansas City Chiefs successfully defended their title last year with a breathtaking trick-play touchdown in overtime. But on the other side of the spectrum, it was a sad end to the incredible campaign of Kyle Shanahan’s team. Naturally, it was equally heartbreaking for the families of the head coach and his players.
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Coach Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey’s parents appeared on this week’s Monday Night Countdown with Michelle Beisner-Buck, and the conversation quickly turned to that fateful day in February.
Ed and Lisa McCaffrey and Mike and Peggy Shanahan reflected on their thoughts after the game, which was not surprising. When asked about their reaction to the team’s loss, McCaffrey’s father even jokingly pretended to walk out before his mother, Lisa, pulled him back and chimed in:
“I don’t even know what else to say, it it still stings, it still hurts. It has to. It was heartbreaking. I literally have no words. I’m speechless. It was just so sad.”
Lisa then noted that the Shanahan family took the team on a vacation in Cabo to recoup and reflect on their great season, rather than dwelling on the loss that they couldn’t change.
McCaffrey and other teammates also interacted with sports legends Peyton Manning and Michael Jordan, who gave them a pep talk about losing many championships before winning one. It’s a long journey, but the 49ers now know they are on the right path.
As the conversation progressed, Michelle asked former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan about his involvement in Kyle’s game plan for Super Bowl LVIII. The answer, however, might not be what everyone expects.
Mike Shanahan details whether Kyle reached out to him before the Super Bowl
Shanahan’s father surprisingly revealed that he wasn’t actively involved in the planning. It’s not something you’d expect considering that the former head coach won two Super Bowls during his stint with the Broncos.
But Mike did get a chance to look at the game plan, which he believed to be solid:
“I’m not really very involved. But I get a chance to watch your game plan going in both on offense and defense. So I thought they had a great plan. You know they had their opportunities to win it numerous times and obviously they didn’t get it done so it was tough.”
To be fair, the 49ers defense limited the Chiefs to just a field goal in the first half. However, Patrick Mahomes’ squad found gaps in the defense, scoring 16 points in the second half.
In overtime, Chiefs HC Reid initiated a trick play (Tom and Jerry) that surprised the defense as Hardman Jr. ran to the end zone with the ball, while the 49ers’ secondary was focused on Kelce. The rest, as they say, is history.
