Kyle Shanahan is two years removed from the devastating Super Bowl loss he suffered as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. However, his mind doesn't dwell on that defeat against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

Shanahan, who on Friday morning joined the "Golic and Wingo" show on ESPN Radio, has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He has moved on.


"You've got to get past it," Shanahan said. "You have no other choice. You have to go on with your life. You're happy to be part of a game like that, and when you don't win it, you're going to remember it for the rest of your life. But it wasn't as hard (to get over the loss) as people would think. You put everything into it, you do as good as you can, and you live with the consequences.

"I've been in this profession long enough to learn how to deal with that, the ups and downs. That was one of the bigger ones. You get better from it, and you just hope one day you get another opportunity to be there again."

Shanahan hopes that next opportunity will be with the 49ers. He likely hopes that comes sooner rather than later because his new team has won just 10 games over the past two seasons and struggled to keep up with a competitive NFC West. Of course, injuries have played their part in those struggles.

Shanahan is hopeful that 2019 will be different. He is hopeful his 49ers can turn a corner with a healthy quarterback at the helm and the return and possibly addition of some weapons.

Still, the Los Angeles Rams sit atop of division and don't look close to relinquishing their crown. Coach Sean McVay, a close friend of Shanahan's, was able to sweep the 49ers this past season.




On Sunday, McVay and the Rams will face the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Shanahan will likely be taking notes. He is eager to see how New England attacks a Los Angeles team that is loaded with talent.

"I think the thing with New England that you can always anticipate is, since [Bill Belichick] has ever done it, they're going to always try to take away your best player," Shanahan said. "In Atlanta, it was a little bit easier because we knew what to anticipate. We had a pretty good idea that they were going to double Julio (Jones). You knew what to expect going into that game.

"With the Rams, it could be a little bit harder. Who is their best guy? They've got a lot of different ways they can go. That will be interesting for me just to watch who they double, who they take away."

Who knows? Maybe the Patriots can create a blueprint for future success against the Rams. Shanahan knows it won't be easy for Belichick and company, though.


"[The Rams] can go any way with their offense," Shanahan continued. "They have the personnel to do that and the scheme. And we'll see how it plays out."

The Rams and Patriots kick off Super Bowl 53 on Sunday from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the Patriots' third-straight appearance in the league championship game and the Rams' first since 2002 (following the 2001 season) when they lost to ... the New England Patriots.

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