'Like I Was Still There!' Texans Coach Ryans Reveals Reaction to 49ers' Super Bowl Loss
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has not only established himself as one of the league’s better coaches. His successful first year and the acceleration of Houston’s rebuild have rendered Ryans one of the most beloved coaches in the game.
He’s a player’s coach in every sense of the word, from his previous NFL stops to the enthusiasm he brings to the sideline on Sundays. His rise is a testament to the importance of relationships in football and how much character matters in what is ultimately a people-centered business.
As such, it’s no surprise he feels strongly about the San Francisco 49ers, where he was the defensive coordinator before taking the Texans gig.
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Houston fell short in the AFC Divisional Round, putting a quick end to an otherwise magical season. The 49ers, though, were so close to winning a Super Bowl. Instead, they fell in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, falling victim to Patrick Mahomes for the second time in five years.
One of the most successful regular-season cores in recent memory has gone another year with nothing to show for it.
“I literally fell on the floor when [the Chiefs] scored that touchdown at the end of the game,” Ryans said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “I was in it. I felt, of course, like I was still there, a part of it.”
The loss may have been the most dramatic of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure, and it’s the second time he’s blown a lead to Kansas City in the big game. Of course, he was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons team that blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl.
All Ryans could do was watch as his friend and former teammate fell inches short of climbing the sport’s tallest mountain.
“I was sitting on the couch watching it and it was a heartbreaker,” Ryans said. “I literally fell on the floor and I was distraught. I felt like they played such a great game against the top quarterback in the league. And for them to do what they did, it was just unfortunate to see them lose that way.”
Shanahan is the premier offensive mind in the sport and the master orchestrator of an offense that has spread to every corner of the football map. His understudy, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, just presided over one of the greatest rookie seasons a quarterback has ever had. He innovates week after week, keeping him a step ahead, and – even when armed with arguably the league’s best roster – fate still had other plans.
“I wanted so badly to see Kyle and those guys come away with a Super Bowl win because I know the work that Kyle puts in and he deserves it,” Ryans concluded. “It was unfortunate to see them come up short.”
Ryans, of course, has the same ambitions as Shanahan. With the talent both teams have secured and can add to in the coming months, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them duke it out for a championship sometime soon.
