San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was put in a tough spot when the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 on Monday Night Football. Playing the role of a fan, at least for one night, Shanahan had to choose between rooting for the division-rival Seahawks or the NFC-rival Eagles, who are right behind San Francisco in the race for the conference's top seed.
During a Friday appearance on The Shanahan Show on KNBR, the 49ers coach admitted that he was pulling for Seattle just one week after coaching against them in an experience that left him “frustrated.”
“However, I didn’t enjoy it very much because I was so frustrated, because it didn’t look like Seattle was going to win. So I was starting to check out a little but, and then all of a sudden that last drive it was like, ‘How the hell did that just happen?’ And my wife was cheering and we were pretty excited,” said Shanahan.
Morgan Tencza/USA TODAY Sports
Monday night's game, which saw the Seahawks narrowly defeat the Eagles thanks to a late touchdown, was clearly a roller coaster ride for Shanahan and his wife. It's likely the only time in recorded history that the 49ers coach will be rooting for a team in his own division—a stance that made sense given the current landscape of the NFC.
Seattle's win over Philadelphia clearly benefited the 49ers, but San Francisco still needs to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Their quest for the top seed continues in a Week 16 clash against the Baltimore Ravens, arguably the best matchup of the year thus far.
