Ranking the worst of Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl losses from Super Bowl LIV to Super Bowl LI

Kyle Shanahan has appeared in more than half as many Super Bowls as his father, but the San Francisco 49ers head coach is still looking for his first taste of victory in the Big Game. Had the games ended at halftime, he would be 2-0-1. Instead, the head coach is 0-3 after 60 minutes in the ring with Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady.

The head coach is getting raked over the coals for his latest loss, but where do the losses rank? Let's rank his Super Bowl losses.

Ranking Kyle Shanahan's Super Bowl losses

#3, Super Bowl LIV - Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 20

Kyle Shanahan at Super Bowl LIV - San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs

In the last NFL game before the Covid-19 pandemic, Shanahan went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes. Both teams were tied at halftime and with 30 minutes left to play, it was anyone's game. However, by the end of the third quarter, it seemed that the 49ers would take home the Lombardi Trophy.

Instead, Patrick Mahomes rocketed back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to put up 21 points, winning the Big Game in a final score that doesn't indicate just how tight the contest was. It was a painful loss that would be at the top of the list of any coach's tenure. However, it only gets worse from here.

#2, Super Bowl LVIII - Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22

Kyle Shanahan at Super Bowl LVIII - San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs

The 49ers led the contest at halftime by a score of 10-3. However, the score could have been a field goal if not a touchdown higher had the team not fumbled the ball on the first drive of the game in the redzone.

Looking back, that mistake cost the team the game. Despite the early error, the San Francisco 49ers managed to get the lead two separate times late before losing the game to Patrick Mahomes.

They couldn't stop the Chiefs in any instance after scoring go-ahead points. However, the nail in the coffin might be the reports coming out about the game that some players didn't know the overtime rules. This had changed in recent years to allow both teams a possession no matter the offensive result aside from a pick-six. That falls squarely on Shanahan's shoulders.

#1, Super Bowl LI - New England 34, Atlanta 28

Kyle Shanahan at Atlanta Falcons Media Availability

It would be a tall task to argue that the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history doesn't also rank as the most painful Super Bowl loss in Kyle Shanahan's history. Up 28-3 against Tom Brady in a game that looked like it was all but over, Shanahan's offense hit a wall.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons defense became a turnstile, allowing No. 12 to rip off 31 unanswered points in a win in overtime. The other losses have solidified the biggest criticism of Kyle Shanahan, but this game created the narrative. The score wasn't the only painful aspect of the game, either.

Julian Edelman's infamous spinning catch while falling, snatching the ball mere inches off the turf is a moment that lives in infamy in Falcons history. However, despite insane plays made in the game, Kyle Shanahan takes the blame for continuing to pass the ball late instead of playing the clock.

Had he played the clock more instead of calling Matt Ryan's name, most agree Brady would have run out of time. Instead, Kyle Shanahan continues to chase his first Super Bowl victory.