49ers did NOT know the Super Bowl overtime rules were different to the regular season before San Francisco’s coin toss decision backfired… while the Chiefs had ‘rehearsed’ it for weeks

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted that inexperience with the NFL’s new playoff overtime rules factored into the decision making that led to their Super Bowl loss on Sunday.  

The Kansas City Chiefs won their second straight title, 25-22, in an overtime thriller in Las Vegas. The game warranted an extra period after both sides were in a 19-19 deadlock at the end of regulation. 

When the overtime coin toss took place, the 49ers opted to get the ball first and got their wish granted. However, after the Chiefs’ defense held them to a field goal, Patrick Mahomes found Mecole Hardman on the opposite end to win the game for Kansas City. 

Postgame, Shanahan admitted that they wanted the ball third in overtime. But the new ‘sudden death’ rules in postseason games meant that Kansas City’s touchdown was the nail in the coffin. 

‘None of us have a ton of experience with it, but we went through all the analytics and talked to those guys, and we just decided we wanted the ball third,’ Shanahan said. 

The 49ers lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs, 25-22, in an overtime thriller at Allegiant Stadium

San Francisco opted to have the ball first in overtime but were forced to score from a field goal

Kansas City’s Mecole Hardman scored the game-winning touchdown for the title in overtime 

While uncertainty hovered over the 49ers going into the fifth period, the Chiefs were well-prepared for the situation. Kansas City safety Justin Reid told The Ringer that they discussed the overtime rules as far back as training camp. 

Defensive lineman Chris Jones also shared how the Chiefs went as far as rehearsing their overtime strategy. 

‘We talked through this for two weeks,’ Jones said, per The Ringer. ‘How we was going to give the ball to the opponent; if they scored, we was going for two at the end of the game. We rehearsed it.’

Additionally, several 49ers players admitted to not knowing the overtime rules in the playoffs were different than they are in the regular season. As a result, the team did not strategize for an overtime scenario ahead of the Super Bowl. 

Fullback Justin Juszczyk said he assumed they asked to let their offense in first as they would in the regular season. 

‘I guess that’s not the case,’ Juszczyk said. ‘I don’t really know the strategy.’

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead admitted that he learned about the new overtime rules on Sunday when it was shown on the jumbotron after the fourth quarter.