MIAMI _ Kyle Shanahan is widely viewed as the offensive mastermind who singularly transformed the 49ers from a downtrodden organization to championship contender in just three seasons.
But San Francisco's second-ranked scoring offense wouldn't be in Sunday's Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs without Shanahan's top two offensive lieutenants, the Mikes, LaFleur and McDaniel.
"I know I get a lot of credit for stuff that happens on offense, but those guys, they've taken a lot of that over," Shanahan said in Miami on Thursday.
Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel both serve as Shanahan's righthand men. LaFleur, the passing game coordinator, was promoted last offseason from working predominately with receivers. He now spends most of his time in the quarterback room. He's the brother of Packers first-year coach Matt LaFleur, who also worked with Shanahan as a quarterbacks coach.
McDaniel is the Yale-educated run game coordinator who helped San Francisco's offense orchestrate dominant performances on the ground in the playoffs. The offense rushed for a staggering 471 yards combined against the Vikings and Packers while winning each game by 17 points.
McDaniel and LaFleur are the two most important members of the offensive staff. They help formulate game plans on Mondays and Tuesdays during the season while Shanahan, who is the play-caller and official offensive coordinator, handles his head coaching duties that include meeting with general manager John Lynch, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the medical staff and his sessions with the media.
"I'm spread a little more thin earlier in the week. It's something that I used to stress about a lot, but giving those guys those responsibilities, they've grown so much more in that way. That's why I don't stress about it much any more," Shanahan said. "They know what they're doing and by the end of the week, we're all on the same page and it really helps me for Sunday."
McDaniel has been with Shanahan since way back in 2006 as a quality control coach helping Shanahan while he coached receivers with the Houston Texans.
LaFleur came later, joining Shanahan's staff in Cleveland in 2014 before following him to the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco when Shanahan was hired in 2017. He got to know Shanahan through his brother, Matt, who was on the same Houston staff as a low-level assistant starting in 2008.
But the three have noticeably different personalities.
