Want to second-guess Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling in Super Bowl LI? Get in line.
The former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator has shouldered the blame for his team’s epic collapse against the New England Patriots, and with good reason. His pass-heavy approach in the second half with the Falcons nursing a lead was puzzling, to say the least.
Shanahan won’t live that game down anytime soon, either. On Tuesday, former Atlanta wide receiver Roddy White was asked what he thought of Shanahan’s questionable play-calling, and he gave a pretty blunt critique.
“I’m glad I wasn’t a part of that team because I probably literally would’ve fought him,” White said during an appearance on the “We Never Played the Game” podcast, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz.
This isn’t just any ex-player yelling angrily at Shanahan — White spent 11 seasons with the Falcons and retired in 2015 as the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. But it turns out White had another reason to be mad: He placed a $40,000 bet on Atlanta to win.
His bitterness over the Falcons’ Super Bowl loss goes beyond a lost bet, though.
“You destroyed a dream for a city,” White added. “It’s bigger than me. The city of Atlanta needed that championship, and you had it. (Owner) Arthur Blank needed that championship, and he deserved to win that game, with everything he’s been through. It was finally our time to win, and it just hurt me that we didn’t get it done.”
Shanahan obviously wasn’t the only reason the Falcons couldn’t hold off the Patriots. But in moving on to coach the San Francisco 49ers next season, he’s leaving behind a whole lot of hurt in Atlanta.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
