For his OT decision, did Kyle Shanahan chose external criticism over internal scrutiny?

When the 49ers won the toss to start overtime, coach Kyle Shanahan had a decision to make.Would he defer to the pre-baked assessment by the team's analytics staff to take the ball, or would he decide in the moment to choose to kick to the Chiefs?On Sunday night, Shanahan cited the numbers-based conclusion that it was best to have the ball for the third possession of OT. On Tuesday, he supplemented that explanation by pointing to the fact that the defense was tired. He also said it had become a "field goal game." However, he just as easily could have said that, while he respects and values the contributions of the analytics staff, he decided not to give Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes his latest chance to do something legendary. Because we all know from experience that he can - and that he will.In situations like this, it's important to consider the broader organizational dynamics. For Shanahan, the options were to go along with the predetermined assessments of analytics department, or to overrule their calculations. As to the former, Shanahan risked scrutiny from media and fans. As to the latter, he faced a full offseason of internal questions about why he didn't defer to the...