Former NFL veteran comments on the 49ers' win against the Seahawks while praising Kyle Shanahan's coaching.
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers delivered the shock of Wild Card Weekend, walking into Philadelphia and knocking off the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles in a gritty 23-19 road upset.
For a sixth-seeded team ravaged by injuries, the victory was more than a postseason win; it was a statement win for his coaching career.
As the 49ers now turn their attention to a familiar foe in the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round, one former Super Bowl champion believes Shanahan deserves overwhelming credit for how far this team has come.
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark did not mince words when reacting to San Francisco’s performance.
Speaking on First Take, Clark called Shanahan’s work this season the best he has ever seen from a head coach and play caller, especially given the circumstances surrounding the roster.
“Strategically and schematically, it’s the greatest year I’ve ever seen a play caller have,” Clark said. “This team is undermanned. No Fred Warner. No Nick Bosa. You’re playing with backups all over the field. To go into Philadelphia and win that game? That’s the best coaching night of the entire season.”
Clark went even further when discussing Shanahan’s overall body of work, joking that the 49ers should lock him up for life.
While he questioned whether San Francisco has enough talent to win it all, Clark made it clear that Shanahan’s ability to maximize what he has is unmatched across the league.
The praise is understandable. Shanahan has navigated an endless wave of injuries while keeping the 49ers among the NFC’s elite.
Brandon Aiyuk was lost for the season with a torn ACL, Brock Purdy and rookie Ricky Pearsall were limited to nine games apiece, and George Kittle missed significant time before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in the Wild Card round.
Jauan Jennings also dealt with absences, forcing constant adjustments within the offense.
Defensively, the challenges were just as daunting. Nick Bosa went down with a torn ACL in Week 3, and Fred Warner missed most of the season after suffering a broken and dislocated ankle.
Despite those losses, Shanahan guided San Francisco to a 12-5 record and a second-place finish in the rugged NFC West.
Against Philadelphia, Shanahan’s fingerprints were all over the win, highlighted by a perfectly timed trick play early in the fourth quarter that swung momentum and ultimately decided the game.
Now, the road only gets tougher. The 49ers head to Seattle as heavy underdogs, once again forced to adapt without Kittle and with key contributors banged up.
Christian McCaffrey will remain the engine of the offense, while Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Jake Tonges are expected to shoulder larger roles. There is optimism that Pearsall could return, providing another weapon for Shanahan to deploy.
No matter how the postseason unfolds, Ryan Clark’s message is clear: what Kyle Shanahan has accomplished this season already stands among the finest coaching performances the NFL has seen in years.