There are plenty out there pointing the finger at both, but should 49ers fans blame Jimmy Garoppolo or Kyle Shanahan for blowing a Super Bowl lead?
Things were looking good for the San Francisco 49ers heading into the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 54. Their defense was keeping Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense at bay, including two interceptions of the 2018 league MVP, and the offense did enough to build and a 20-10 lead over halfway through the final quarter.
Through three quarters, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was 17-for-20 for 183 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His final quarter was one to forget, as he went 3-for-11 for 36 yards with an interception and a passer rating of 2.8.
As had been the case all season, Jimmy G was very productive off play action in the first three quarters against the Chiefs.
Depending on precisely when in the range of seven minutes to go it was viewed, ESPN gave San Francisco a 95 or 96 percent probability to beat the Chiefs.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Super Bowl LI when the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead, so the easy crutch is to lay the blame at his feet for the blown lead on Sunday. How he managed the end of the first half before a controversial pass interference penalty on tight end George Kittle is easier to question than anything that happened in the fourth quarter. Adding points felt possible going into the half if he had simply taken a timeout.
But with an opportunity to extend a critical late-game drive with the lead, and later deliver what could have been the decisive score after Kansas City had taken the lead, Garoppolo fell short with a couple big missed throws.
Coaching decisions become easy fodder in hindsight, as play-calling is deemed too conservative or too aggressive and clock management is called out. But Shanahan’s offensive scheme covered up his quarterback’s flaws throughout the season, by creating easier throws via play action or more general design.
Garoppolo simply fell short in the fourth quarter, highlighted by missed throws in critical moments, while the opposing quarterback came through. And that, as seemed possible going in, was ultimately the difference in Super Bowl LIV.