How Kyle Shanahan Rationalizes the 49ers Loss to the Arizona Cardinals
It was the key question about the 49ers loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Why couldn't the 49ers keep Kyler Murray in the pocket? How did they let him run for 91 yards and a touchdown? Because they knew he was going to run around. They had to have a plan for him. And it seemed like the 49ers didn't have a plan for him.
When asked Monday about containing Murray, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan babbled. Filibustered. Did not have a coherent message. His overriding theme was that it's really difficult to contain a quarterback like that. It's really hard to do.
I think you're supposed to have a plan.
Not only did Shanahan not have a plan before the game, he didn't have a plan after the game.
The other thing I heard in Shanahan's answer, he blamed a lot on penalties. Said the 49ers did a good job corralling Murray when he was downfield but the 15-yard penalties they got for hitting him were frustrating.
I have a few things to say about that. First of all, Murray shouldn't have been down the field in the first place. Second of all, you knew about the rule. Every other team deals with the rule. So don't blame the rule. That is really, really weak.
Bill Walsh used to give little speeches. One time, he told my dad, Lowell Cohn, "Lowell, I want to tell you how I feel about penalties. A lot of times we get screwed by penalties. To me, it's like the weather. What are you going to complain about the weather? The weather is the weather. Penalties are penalties. We get a penalty, I move on."
Walsh wouldn't use penalties as an excuse. But Shanahan did. He said he has no plan to keep Murray in the pocket because that's too hard, and the penalties screwed the 49ers.
Do better, Kyle.
