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

Lesson No. 3: Manage the clock better

This one is more nitpicky because I do not think Kyle Shanahan did a ton wrong on this front in the game. There was a chance for him to use his timeouts before the end of the first half to try to get down and score again, but perhaps that extra time could have been used by the Chiefs to draw up a better play and score a touchdown rather than a field goal.

The overtime decision to receive may be criticized, but it is an odd situation that no coach has been in before on that stage, and Shanahan referenced the analytics that he felt gave the team a better chance to win if they elected to receive.

What could be criticized is the fact that seemingly not all of the players were aware of these unique postseason rules.

It is very easy to "Monday morning head coach." I cannot imagine the stress and pressure Shanahan was under as he tried to call plays and also worry about the clock and the defense. But whether it is fair or not, this will be used as yet another example as to why Shanahan is not able to get over the hump and win a Super Bowl.

His complicated reputation as a great offensive mind who sometimes gets in his own way when the lights are brightest will continue to dog him until he is able to get the monkey off his back and win a Super Bowl.

Perhaps his path to a victory will have to follow the man who has now beaten him twice on the biggest stage: Andy Reid.

Reid lost the Super Bowl as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and was not able to win on the biggest stage until he became head coach of the Chiefs and wound up drafting a guy who may end up being the best quarterback to ever play by the end of his career.

Perhaps Shanahan will have to go to another team and get older and greyer and eventually defeat a young whippersnapper who does not quite know the ropes as well as he does.

Until then, Shanahan will have to learn lessons from this latest Super Bowl loss if he wants to hoist the Lombardi Trophy someday.

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