28-3 is behind Kyle Shanahan, but not out of mind

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it back to the Super Bowl after the 2017 collapse with the Falcons in Super Bowl LI

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it back to the Super Bowl. But before he takes on the Kansas City Chiefs, he has had to answer questions from the past. 

Kyle Shanahan had proven his genius as an offensive mind. The Atlanta Falcons were the NFL's leading scoring offense with Shanahan as the offensive coordinator in 2016.

The Falcons averaged 33.8 points per game, ranked third in the NFL in total passing yards with 4,758, ranked second in total yards gained for the season with 6,653 and were piloted by the league’s Most Valuable Player in Matt Ryan.

Their high-powered attack led Atlanta all the way to Super Bowl LI. Shanahan found himself in the position of a lifetime; leading a dominant offense and holding a 28-3 lead over the great duo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, despite an interesting situation in which his backpack with his gameplan tucked inside was stolen during media day.

Shanahan was given one more platform to launch himself further into stardom of up and coming offensive coaches of the sport, if there were still any doubts.

Instead, Shanahan and the Falcons became another one of New England’s victims and the butt of various jokes that followed the historic collapse on American sports’ biggest stage.

The San Francisco 49ers officially hired the 38-year-old offensive savant the day after the infamous collapse. 49ers' General Manager John Lynch hitched his wagon to Shanahan and methodically built a roster that fit Shanahan’s style as a coach. Lynch didn’t select a young quarterback to join with his new offensive head coach. Lynch built the 49ers from the inside out. Then, the 49ers went out and paid the Patriots’ lower-than-expected price of a second-round pick in exchange for Jimmy Garoppolo.

The 49ers have continued to supplement the addition of Shanahan and Garoppolo. The 49ers limped to a 4-12 record in 2019 while without their injured signal caller. In turn, the 49ers acquired Nick Bosa with the second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bosa acted as one of the final pieces to solidify an already increasingly stout defense. He debuted with a nine-sack campaign.

Now, three years since the only real stain on his coaching resume, Shanahan has the opportunity to right the wrong of the 2017 Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LI has been a learning tool for Shanahan and a bit traumatic in its remembrance. Shanahan takes nothing for granted no matter the score. He recalled a moment in the 49ers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Playoff to BostonGlobe.com.

“I freaked out at [defensive coordinator Robert] Saleh when he tried to take the starters out,” Shanahan said told reporters this week. “And then I did the math and I thought it was all right. But [I’ve] got some of the scars, so some guys mess with me on that.”

The 49ers have had to do things differently than the 2016 Falcons did to be successful. There isn’t an MVP under center leading the Shanahan conducted offense going into Sunday night, but the offense is nearly as potent as the one led by Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman and Mohamed Sanu in 2016. The 49ers are ranked fourth in yards per game, totaling 381.1 per game and averaging 29.9 points per game, complimenting their stout defensive campaign. 

No matter the similarities and differences, redemption will be on the minds of Shanahan as well as former Falcons Ben Garland, Levine Toilolo and Tevin Coleman in the familiar setting on Sunday night. All three will get the opportunity to face the demons left by Super Bowl LI in the flesh.