Should the 49ers Have Deferred on the OT Kickoff

This has been discussed ad nauseum. I feel the team should have deferred and was shocked they took the ball first.

I would have liked to let the defense set the tone like the team usually does during the regular season. Some great points were made that doing this gave the best QB in the world basically 4 downs for the rest of OT and sealed the 49ers fate.

I was surprised by the decision. It was a break from the norm and it cost us a dub IMO. What say yall?

Should have scored a touchdown first. That is all there is to it. YMMV.

Nevermind. Thought you were talking about opening game kickoff.

Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

Originally posted by mcwoot:
Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

Reid comes from the Walsh tree of coaching by way of Mike Holmgren.

A HoF QB in his prime will bring out the best in the HC, especially a HC who is already a HoF worthy HC.

Originally posted by mcwoot:
Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

Worked for Dan Cambell too

Originally posted by mcwoot:
Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

Both made the decision because of Mahomes.

Reid because he has Mahomes, and Shanahan because he didn't want Mahomes to have the ball first when in sudden death. Because of a rule change that was made... because of Mahomes.

Originally posted by 49er-from-Yavin-IV:

Originally posted by mcwoot:
Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

Reid comes from the Walsh tree of coaching by way of Mike Holmgren.

A HoF QB in his prime will bring out the best in the HC, especially a HC who is already a HoF worthy HC.

So much this. When you have Mahomes as your QB, the best in the world, in his prime. Makes Reids job that much easier.

Originally posted by mcwoot:
Based on post game pressers, Kyle was playing for the 3rd possession and Reid was determined to win it the first time they touched the ball (go for 2). That difference is mindset is telling.

That gives the defense a chance to win it .

Shanahan defers
Chiefs go down the field and score a TD
49ers go down the field but fail to score from the 8 yard line

Fans cry about why Shanahan didn't opt to receive the ball.

Originally posted by Heroism:
Shanahan defers
Chiefs go down the field and score a TD
49ers go down the field but fail to score from the 8 yard line

Fans cry about why Shanahan didn't opt to receive the ball.

So many scenarios
Kyle scores a TD goes for 2 and fails and then it's why would he go for 2
Kyle scored and kicks the XP then Mahomes goes down the field and wins
why didn't Kyle go for 2 and why did he defer. I get it we lost so he has to deal with some of the blame but people are losing the plot

Originally posted by Heroism:
Shanahan defers
Chiefs go down the field and score a TD
49ers go down the field but fail to score from the 8 yard line

Fans cry about why Shanahan didn't opt to receive the ball.

I don't think so. The logic is pretty simple. If KC scores first, we have 4 downs to match. If we fail on 4 downs so be it. Cuz we went first, we didn't get 4 downs on O. We kicked on 4th down. So we banked 3 pts when 7 was needed. We just didn't know we needed 7 (although we 100% should have known, facing Mahomes, right?)

Originally posted by 49erFaithful6:

Originally posted by Heroism:
Shanahan defers
Chiefs go down the field and score a TD
49ers go down the field but fail to score from the 8 yard line

Fans cry about why Shanahan didn't opt to receive the ball.

I don't think so. The logic is pretty simple. If KC scores first, we have 4 downs to match. If we fail on 4 downs so be it. Cuz we went first, we didn't get 4 downs on O. We kicked on 4th down. So we banked 3 pts when 7 was needed. We just didn't know we needed 7 (although we 100% should have known, facing Mahomes, right?)

Yeah 100% Mahomes was gonna score cause that one TD drive he had the entire game that came off a botched punt said this QB is 100% gonna score

The way I see it, if you are playing for the 3rd ball then you have to be going for a TD on the first drive. I think it's much more common sense, even the Chiefs and SB champ Reid think that having it second gives you far more opportunity and doesn't limit yourself like getting it first did.

Would KC still go for it on 4th and 1 when they were on our 34 if they had the ball first? I say probably but you never know. The pressure would've been on Reid to make that decision but instead Kyle literally made the decision for Reid to go for it for him.

No the defense was gassed. It was the right choice and not why we lost.