Yahoo Sports NFL writer Charles McDonald is joined by Jessica Smetana from the Dan Le Batard Show to explore the parallels in the head coaching journeys of Kyle Shanahan and Andy Reid. Hear the full conversation on “The Exempt List with Charles McDonald” - part of the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

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CHARLES MCDONALD: I think there's an interesting parallel in this Super Bowl game where Kyle Shanahan is kind of at the early portions of his Andy Reid arc.

JESSICA SMETANA: Oh, OK.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Because Andy Reid, he lost as the head coach of the Eagles. He lost four NFC title games, three of them were consecutive, and then he lost a Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan's kind of doing something similar where there's a lot of value in the idea that you can be here every year, you can be in the NFC title game. Every time the 49ers have made the playoffs under Kyle Shanahan, they've made it at least to the NFC title game, which is pretty damn impressive. But he doesn't have the Super Bowl ring. And I remember people saying that Andy Reid couldn't win the big one. Obviously, we know that that's not true.

JESSICA SMETANA: And people saying he is the worst clock management head coach ever.

CHARLES MCDONALD: OK, that still might be true.

JESSICA SMETANA: OK, well, it seems like a worse-- he was worse at it when he was on the Eagles.

CHARLES MCDONALD: He still-- he's gotten a lot better at it.

JESSICA SMETANA: But that was his-- that was his reputation, right?

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yes.

JESSICA SMETANA: It was like, oh, man, the Andy Reid school of clock management I feel like that was something I always heard people talk about.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah, but I feel like there's not as much noise around Kyle Shanahan can't win the big one or Kyle Shanahan can't do this and that. I think it's-- I almost feel like Andy should be looking at a younger version of himself in a way. They got to the Super Bowl, the Chiefs first Super Bowl win.

JESSICA SMETANA: Yeah. Well, that, I think, is the interesting thing to compare. Because they blew that game.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yes, Jimmy G was a throw away from being the hero.

JESSICA SMETANA: Yeah.

CHARLES MCDONALD: And he barely missed Emmanuel Sanders.

JESSICA SMETANA: They didn't score at all in the end of that game.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah, I just find it interesting that we come and look at these situations and say, oh, Kyle Shanahan can't win the big one. But he's here all the time.

JESSICA SMETANA: And I feel like he's always here.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Right. And when you're within a game away-- or being in the game, I don't know how you can say that someone can't do it. But I just found it interesting that they were kind of going through those career parallels.

JESSICA SMETANA: Does he need a prolific quarterback though? Because I think-- I don't give Andy Reid all of the success because of Patrick. Mahomes. Or I don't know how I phrased--

CHARLES MCDONALD: All the credit for the success.

JESSICA SMETANA: Exactly. Thank you. All the credit for the success. But I do think it really, really helps when you have Patrick Mahomes. And obviously, Shanahan's not playing the same ball.

CHARLES MCDONALD: No.

JESSICA SMETANA: He's doing it the Shanahan way, even though he's tried. He's tried to get that kind of guy in the draft, and it didn't work out.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah. Yeah.

JESSICA SMETANA: I don't know. I think there's a lot-- I think winning Super Bowls, specifically Super Bowls, not football games in general but Super Bowls, come down to, yeah, you have to have the right guys. You have to have the right coaches. But I do think there's a lot of luck involved and a lot more luck than I think we give anyone credit for.

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah, I would agree with that. A lot of luck is involved in winning and losing these games.

JESSICA SMETANA: The football is shaped stupidly. And sometimes, that actually has an impact on who wins the game.

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