Friday 10 February 2017 08:27, UK
New San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admits defeat in Super Bowl LI is going to be tough to get over.
Shanahan was presented as the new 49ers chief in San Francisco on Friday but spent much of his press conference answering questions about the Atlanta Falcons' heartbreaking defeat by the New England Patriots last Sunday.
The Falcons threw away a 28-3 lead in Houston, eventually losing 34-28 in overtime, with offensive coordinator Shanahan coming in for criticism, in particular over a late drive which saw his team fail to run as much time off the clock as they might normally have.
"I remember every single play, and I will go over those for the rest of my life," Shanahan said.
"That's kind of the life we live as coaches. It's magnified in the Super Bowl, but it's also that case in every game."
Shanahan was reported to have told people after the game at the team's hotel that the Falcons "blew it" and, while unable to confirm he had used precisely those words, said he could understand why there had been so much criticism of their efforts towards the end of the game.
"I don't know if I used those exact words, but that sounds about how I talk," Shanahan added.
"When you're the coordinator of an offense or you're the head coach of a team, you're responsible for what happens out there.
"If a play doesn't go right, if a player misses something, that starts with the offensive coordinator when you're on offense. I did believe we had a very good chance to win that game, especially at the end, and we didn't get it done.
"In terms of using the words, 'I blew it,' I don't look at it that way. I believe we missed an opportunity. We didn't get it done. I'll go back through every play for the rest of my life.
"I did what I thought was right, but whatever happens, if you do what you thought was right and you believed in that because of the preparation you had, then you should be able to live with the consequences."
