49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Had Perfect Reaction to Dre Greenlaw’s Game-Clinching Interception
Kyle Shanahan apparently was ready to take matters into his own hands.
The San Francisco 49ers coach watched his team outlast a Saturday’s wild divisional-round matchup against the Green Bay Packers, winning 24—21. But the 49ers had to survive a final drive by the Packers offense before securing the victory.
The Packers had the ball in the last minute of the game and a chance to tie or take the lead when 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw intercepted a Jordan Love pass on a to seal the outcome. Love later called the decision a “mortal sin.”
But Greenlaw, somewhat inexplicably, didn’t immediately give himself up as a ballcarrier. He instead began to return the interception upfield, to the dismay of Shanahan and 49ers fans.
Indeed, if Greenlaw went down immediately, it meant the 49ers subsequently could run out the clock on offense. But by returning the pick, Greenlaw gave the Packers a chance to regain possession by forcing him to fumble. Fortunately for the 49ers, Greenlaw retained possession after an 18-yard gain.
After the game, Shanahan had the perfect reaction to Greenlaw’s decision to not go down immediately, telling NBC Bay Area that he “wanted to run onto the field and tackle him.”
Greenlaw had Shanahan experiencing all the emotions on his game-sealing pick ???? pic.twitter.com/pmmWfHeOQy
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 21, 2024
Shanahan clearly had a love-hate relationship with Greenlaw for a moment, experiencing the joy of the interception, the panic of the ensuing return, and ultimately, the relief when Greenlaw finally went down.
The 49ers coach commented on the play again during his postgame press conference, joking that the team is willing to play Greenlaw on offense “if he really wants to run with the ball that bad.”
Kyle Shanahan has nothing but love for Dre Greenlaw ????
— KNBR (@KNBR) January 21, 2024
"He inspires the heck out of all of us. The way he runs, the way he hits. For him to make those plays. Catching the ball when they send both to him." pic.twitter.com/5IBeNSOulI
Shanahan can joke about it now, but things could have played out very differently had Greenlaw fumbled. One can bet that Shanahan will reiterate this point to Greenlaw in the coming days.
San Francisco awaits the winner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Detroit Lions game. The 49ers will play host the the NFC championship game next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.