Jason Whitlock Says Kyle Shanahan Put "Too Much Pressure" On Brock Purdy to Succeed
The Super Bowl is over, and the Kansas City Chiefs have captured their third title in the last five years. While Sunday's game was a masterclass in handling pressure from Patrick Mahomes, it was not the same for Brock Purdy.
Jason Whitlock joined The JB Show With Big Smitty to answer the ever-important question if the game was lost because of Kyle Shanahan melting down at the wrong time or if Andy Reid simply outcoached him.
"He put too much pressure on Brock Purdy and Brock Purdy did not handle that pressure well. The pressure put on him by Steve Spagnuolo and the blitz. Yeah, they should have been running the ball and so I would have to go Kyle Shanahan meltdown by a slight margin. I did think in the fourth quarter Andy Reid's coaching showed up and certainly outclassed them. Their offense in overtime looked great."
via Jason Whitlock, The JB Show With Big Smitty
The big moment can often throw off the most disciplined of people. That is what separates championship teams from the rest.
The 49ers were great all season but failed to close the deal. To their credit, they did lose WR Deebo Samuel and TE George Kittle, which likely changed their entire offensive strategy.
Purdy did his best, but abandoning the run game is never the course to take. McCaffrey knows how to get chunk yardage and even if he was getting stuffed a bit more heading into the fourth quarter, he should have been given the ball far more.
Whitlock also states that Shanahan might have ego issues considering that he has led three times in the Super Bowl but has yet to come away with a victory. Maybe Shanahan needed to step away in a way that would have allowed additional advice to reach him.
The 49ers will likely return to the playoffs next season, and Shanahan will need to figure out a way to ensure his team walks away with the Lombardi Trophy.
James Brizuela has been a professional writer since 2019. After covering entertainment and the NFL for Sportskeeda, he now works as an Assignment Desk Editor for the LA Sports Report Network which has partnered with the Sports Illustrated FanNation Network, focusing on his expertise in LA sports at the college and professional level.