The San Francisco 49ers appeared to be on track to win their first Super Bowl in decades, but mistakes on special teams cost them the championship. Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs celebrated their back-to-back title victories. This defeat raised doubts about whether head coach Kyle Shanahan would ever overcome this obstacle. Shanahan previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, who infamously blew a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. He also faced defeat against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after surrendering another first-half lead. In response to the loss, Shanahan swiftly made changes by parting ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks shortly after Super Bowl LVIII. One person who expressed discontent with Wilks’ firing was James Jones, who criticized Shanahan publicly. Jones argued that Wilks was being unfairly blamed for the team’s shortcomings. He highlighted the impressive performance of the San Francisco defense throughout the 2023 NFL season, including their ability to limit the Chiefs to only three points in the first half of the Super Bowl. Despite the Chiefs’ resurgence in the second half, Wilks fulfilled his responsibilities as the defensive play-caller. Shanahan’s decision to dismiss Wilks seems drastic considering the defense’s strong performance during the playoffs. However, it is evident that Shanahan is seeking a top-tier defensive coordinator to lead the team’s defense in 2024.
According to the Source thecoldwire.com