San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle had arguably the catch-and-run of the year during his team’s exhilarating win over the New Orleans Saints Sunday, but it almost didn’t happen.
In fact, that play on fourth down and two with 39 seconds remaining in the game could have been a full-blown disaster.
Many wondered why head coach Kyle Shanahan used the team’s second timeout just before the fourth down play — especially when the clock was already stopped after an incomplete pass on third down. When speaking to reporters Monday, Shanahan said he burned the timeout because there was a communication snafu between him and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.