3 lessons Kyle Shanahan must learn after (another) 49ers Super Bowl loss

After yet another San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl loss, people naturally will look to place blame.

Whether it is fair or not, much of the blame will be placed upon the shoulders of head coach Kyle Shanahan.

There are several lessons Shanahan must learn from this latest defeat.

What Kyle Shanahan must learn after (another) 49ers Super Bowl loss

The narrative surrounding Kyle Shanahan has remained consistent ever since he was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons when they collapsed after being up 28-3 against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. Brilliant offensive mind, but questionable clock and game management skills.

Unfortunately, that reputation will continue to haunt him after the latest Super Bowl loss for San Francisco.

There were those who criticized his decision in the Super Bowl four years ago to allow the clock to bleed out at the end of the first half rather than attempt to get more points. He has always been a relatively conservative head coach, but going against a prolific offense like the Kansas City Chiefs had at that time may have caused others to be more aggressive.

The Niners lost that game after blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, and many said that Shanahan was to blame. His play calling towards the end of that game also relied heavily on the pass, a decision that was criticized when the 49ers had a vaunted rushing attack.

The optimist believed that he would learn from the mistakes of that game and be better prepared if he ever found himself back in the Super Bowl. The pessimist believed that this was a feature, not a bug of Shanahan.

After another crushing defeat against the Chiefs, it is harder to make the optimist's case.

The following slides will break down a few key areas in which Shanahan must learn if he wants to lead a team to a Super Bowl someday.