Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan explains bizarre clock management at the end of the first half vs. Cowboys
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers fans were irate at head coach Kyle Shanahan as the first half neared a conclusion during their NFC Divisional Round bout with the Dallas Cowboys.
Why? Shanahan had elected to shave off a significant amount of game clock to begin San Francisco's drive, rather than choosing to be aggressive with his two-minute drill.
As a result, the 49ers were only able to come away with a field goal, which provided them with a three-point lead heading into halftime.
While Shanahan understands why his decision-making may have caused a reaction from his fans, the head coach doesn't regret his clock management at the end of the first half.
"[I can understand the reaction that our fans had], not just because I can hear [the reaction, but] because if I'm a fan, I'd be very annoyed, too," Shanahan said. "But I'm pretty confident in what we did there [at the end of the first half]. That's one of the reasons when you play a good team like that and you hold them to 12 points."
The 49ers' head coach elected to lose 25 seconds of game clock prior to calling the team's second timeout because he didn't want to provide the Dallas Cowboys a chance to score before ending the half, as they began the second half with the ball.
Ironically, that strategy that Shanahan was afraid of has been commonplace for the 49ers whenever they've gotten the chance to defer and begin with the ball in the second half.
The 49ers were able to pick up a first down conversion on the 3rd & 1 play they encountered, which provided some momentum for the offense, where they picked up steam for the field goal try at the end of the half.
In hindsight, Shanahan may have thought differently, but he didn't want to provide an opportunity for the Cowboys, had the 49ers not converted on third down.
"Once you get the first down, then I wished we'd moved faster," Shanahan said. "But you don't know if you're going to get that first down or not. So you have to play it the smart way. I thought we did that."
However, on the final play of the drive before the 49ers kicked the field goal, San Francisco nearly faced some hot water as
Brock Purdy barely got an out-of-bounds throw off before the clock expired.
Purdy acknowledged his mistake post-game, trying to help understand his decision-making in the moment to reporters.
"I looked left, and our read was covered," Purdy said. "I thought I had a little more time, in terms of looking back right to Deebo. Obviously, it was a pretty close call. I got to be better at throwing the ball away."
Regardless, the 49ers were able to pick up the field goal and keep a 9-6 lead heading into halftime.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Two reported 49ers pre-draft visits didn't end up happening
Despite initial reports, two draft prospects who were set to visit the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft ultimately did not meet with the team. Matt Barrows of The Athletic revealed that former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice and former Oregon safety Jamal Hill didn't end up visiting the Bay Area organization.
Barrows wrote, "Meanwhile, a report in March indicated that USC receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, would visit the 49ers, but he didn't end up coming, according to two league sources."
Justin Melo of The Draft Network first
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
Six worst first-round draft picks in 49ers' history
It is less than two weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers finally have a first-round draft pick, after not having one the last two years. Who will they select? Will it be a defensive player? An offensive player? They could use help on the offensive line and in the secondary and defensive line. And they may also have multiple holes to fill a year from now.
Either way, the 49ers need to hit on these draft picks, especially in the early rounds, where they haven't always been at their best. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have some first-round misses, like DT Solomon Thomas and LB Rueben Foster. But are those the worst first-round picks in team history? Neither made this list, though some will argue that Thomas should be on it, mainly because he was taken
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
