Smith believes bad luck contributed to the 49ers’ Super Bowl losses originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
There are several reasons why the 49ers may have lost Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs.
San Francisco’s defense was unable to stop quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the opposing offense when it mattered most. The 49ers’ wide receivers struggled to get separation in Kansas City’s zone defense, leading to empty offensive possessions in the second half.
However, sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.
Former 49ers quarterback Alex Smith joined “Murph & Markus” by KNBR 680 on Friday morning and was asked about San Francisco’s failure to win the Super Bowl after coming close on several occasions over the years and whether they have trouble getting over the hump and winning the “big game.”
“It’s a good problem to have. You can run six plays in this last Super Bowl and if the ball bounces differently on one of them, the Niners are holding Lombardi,” Smith said. “You’ve got to keep getting opportunities, and there’s a certain amount of luck in that, and I think unfortunately they’ve been on the wrong side a few times. [Shanahan] has been even more on the wrong side.
“This kind of sustained success they are having is so rare. It’s so rare, it’s so hard to get, and they just have to keep knocking on the door.
Shanahan, as head coach and offensive coordinator, has been in losing at the end of three Super Bowls after his team maintained its lead in the fourth quarter. Widely considered one of the best coaches in the NFL, Shanahan – similar to the early career of former Philadelphia Eagles and current Chiefs coach Andy Reid – came up empty-handed in the playoffs.
“And it’s so funny that Kyle and the Niners lost twice to the Chiefs and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, because that was Andy’s thing for so long, all the sustained success he had in Philadelphia, but he couldn’t win the big one. game,” Smith added. “It kind of reminds me a little bit of what Kyle is going through.
“Obviously everyone recognized their offensive geniuses, some of the best coaches in the NFL and they couldn’t do it. And suddenly you finally do it and now Andy is on the Mount Rushmore of coaches. It’s going to happen with Kyle and this Niners team.”
Reid posted a 130-93-1 record in 14 seasons as head coach of the Eagles. Philadelphia made the playoffs nine times during his tenure and was consistently one of the best teams in the league. But Reid never won a Super Bowl.
Until seven years later, when he finally won the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating Shanahan and the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. He won two more against the Eagles in 2023 and, of course, against San Francisco again in 2024.
Will Shanahan and the 49ers follow a similar path?
