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Ryans believes healthy Greenlaw would’ve changed 49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
INDIANAPOLIS — DeMeco Ryans believes if 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw hadn’t torn his left Achilles in Super Bowl LVIII, the outcome would have been different.
The Houston Texans head coach felt the pain of Greenlaw, who suffered the devastating injury after only 12 defensive snaps into the 49ers’ 25-22 Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas, and believes the linebacker’s presence on the Allegiant Stadium field would have had a positive impact for San Francisco.
“I talked to him before the game,” Ryans told NBC Sports Bay Area Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He was in the right mode. You hate to say this, but if they had Dre, I feel like the game is different. They have Dre because of the impact plays that he can make.”
Ryans didn’t actually know the injury had happened to Greenlaw in real time. The former 49ers defensive coordinator was home after visiting his wife, who had just delivered a baby girl the Saturday prior to the game.
“I was watching with my kids, so I was watching the Nickelodeon broadcast at that time,” Ryans told NBC Sports Bay Area. “That broadcast didn’t show it. I was talking to my wife who was in the hospital and she was like, ‘Did you see what happened to Dre?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t see it.’ ”
Ryans ended up finding a video of the moment Greenlaw was jumping up and down while attempting to run onto the field when the injury occurred. The longtime 49ers assistant was crushed for his former player.
“I was just like ‘I can’t believe this happened,’ ” Ryans said. “He was having such a great game and knowing Dre, I know when he is locked in. He was locked in. I know he was going to have a good game.”
Ryans has not spoken to Greenlaw since the injury but plans on reaching out. He wanted to be respectful and give his former player a little space after the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ryans-believes-healthy-49ers-greenlaw-222520771.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-02-29 03:57:04
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