There is one tried and true hallmark to closing out a team when you pick off their last possession. You’re supposed to go down and give yourself up right away so as not to risk losing the ball.
Dre Greenlaw clearly forgot this tenet after taking advantage of Jordan Love going full Brett Favre on Saturday night.
After Greenlaw picked Love off to clinch a San Francisco 49ers’ divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers, he weirdly kept running. And running. He broke a tackle … and kept running. Once again, the only way the Packers had a feasible chance at winning after the pick was if Greenlaw fumbled the ball!
Naturally, this Greenlaw thought process did not go over well with Kyle Shanahan. After the 49ers’ victory, Shanahan joked that he was so flustered with Greenlaw at that moment that he would’ve almost tackled his linebacker himself if it meant he’d go down with possession.
Hey, anything it takes, right?
Greenlaw had Shanahan experiencing all the emotions on his game-sealing pick 🤣 pic.twitter.com/pmmWfHeOQy
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 21, 2024
In the playoffs, with your season on the line, every significant moment is heightened with an extra layer of tension. There’s no telling what would’ve happened to the 49ers and their Super Bowl 58 aspirations if Greenlaw had actually fumbled the ball while he continued running.
Fortunately for Shanahan, they have a third-straight appearance in the NFC title game instead.