The 49ers’ baffling decision to start with the ball in overtime despite winning the coin toss will undoubtedly dominate their offseason. It was a strategical lapse that directly handed the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes an advantage en route to back-to-back Super Bowl titles.
The mic’d-up video did the 49ers absolutely no favors.
In the latest edition of Inside the NFL from NFL Films, we can hear as Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told Fred Warner before the coin toss that they wanted the ball. When the Niners ultimately won the toss and elected to receive first, the Chiefs sideline was basically in disbelief. They were pumped that the 49ers handed them the advantage of going second with the new Super Bowl overtime rules.
— Over Cleveland Alexander (@OvaCLEAlexander) February 14, 2024
“We want them to have the ball,” Travis Kelce could be heard yelling. Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk was also picked up telling his teammates that he didn’t realize a touchdown would end the game.
The entire sequence showed how prepared the Chiefs were for the moment while the 49ers let a major scenario go unaddressed in their preparation. It’s why the Chiefs are back-to-back champions.
