Breaking down 49ers offense under Kyle Shanahan halfway through 2019

The San Francisco 49ers offense has been rolling this season. The key behind their success has been head coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme and his play calling. This success undoubtedly puts Shanahan right in the mix for coach of the year.

Lots of NFL offensive schemes have success. Very few have sustained success.

The Shanahan offensive scheme, first developed by former head coach Mike Shanahan, has now been adapted to the current NFL environment by his son, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and remains one of the few which has stood the test of time.

One of the main reasons why very few offensive schemes last is because defenses adapt, and thus the initial element of surprise has evaporated. An example of this was the Baltimore Ravens at the end of 2018, when then-rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over and the run game put up historic numbers. However, the Los Angeles Chargers understood how to stop the Ravens run game, as there was multiple weeks of tape to analyze. And unsurprisingly, the Ravens had to adjust as the Chargers had given a blueprint to the rest of the NFL on how to stop Baltimore’s offense.

When defenses go into game day against the 49ers, or any Shanahan-led offense, for that matter, they know for the most part what is going to be coming at them. However, few defenses effectively slow them down.

This is the true benchmark for a successful offensive scheme.

Why Kyle Shanahan’s scheme is successful

The overarching philosophy guiding play design and game planning within the system is, if you give defenses the opportunity to make mistakes, they will. Then, be in position to take advantage of those mistakes by taking advantage of defenses’ overreactions.

The effectiveness of the offense is dependent upon the effectiveness of the zone-running game. And thus, the first objective is usually to establish the run.

Look at the 49ers’ recent Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns. An obvious key factor to the success of the run game is the quality of the running back. This is why the 49ers spend over $20 million a year on the position.

The 2018 signing of still-injured running back Jerick McKinnon is obviously a bust in hindsight. But the signing of Matt Breida, an undrafted free agent in 2017, was unbelievable. This is because Breida is a perfect fit for a zone-blocking scheme; he has great vision, elusiveness and footwork. Breida also has the ability to take full advantage of big holes in the defense, as he is one of the fastest running backs in the league.

One thing which differentiates Shanahan from pretty much the rest of the NFL is the emphasis he places on having a fullback. Bringing in Kyle Juszczyk in free agency from the Ravens back in 2017 has certainly paid dividends.

Another thing which Shanahan emphasizes is versatility. Most fullbacks act solely as blockers in the run game. Therefore, if you put your fullback on the field and they don’t have the same versatility as Juszczyk, the defense will know that you’re running ball.

However, there have been multiple occasions this season where the 49ers have run play action with Juszczyk on the field, and because defenses expect him to stay in and block, he gets open. His three-catch, 51-yard effort against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 is a good example of how this can work.

A common theme in any Shanahan offense is the running backs have plenty of opportunities to make catches and get yards after the catch. This is likely the main reason why Shanahan brought in Tevin Coleman from his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, last offseason. Coleman’s short-yardage ability was likely also a factor.

Given a solid offensive line, great play design, a great fullback and a pair of halfbacks, who are perfect fits for the system, it’s likely the Niners will be able to run effectively against most teams.

Once defenses come to expect zone runs, Shanahan stays one step ahead of them, as he usually switches to gap/power runs, especially counters. Once the 49ers have established their dominance in the run game, they are able to land more substantive blows. But the threat of the run game can be even more effective.

One of the main ways San Francisco takes advantage of defending linebackers who cheat up to stuff the run is to bootleg to the backside, often having tight end George Kittle run a route that starts from the play side and crosses over to the back side.

A similar idea can be executed from play action, which is a major part in Shanahan’s system.

Like running backs, tight ends have a much bigger influence in the Shanahan scheme than for most other teams. Due to the effectiveness of the play design, tight ends consistently get open and have the opportunity to add yards after the catch. So the key facet for a tight end in the Shanahan scheme is to be able to add yards after the catch.

Kittle has a similar running style to Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, one of the best runners in the game. The two are also nearly identical, in terms of speed. Kittle ran a 4.52 40-yard time at his NFL Scouting Combine, and Henry ran a 4.54. This combination of physicality and speed is why Kittle had the most yards after the catch in 2018 among all players, which was higher than players such as the Carolina Panthers multifaceted running back, Christian McCafferey.

When the defense gets used to these crossing routes from play action or bootlegs, the 49ers have sometimes used bootleg throwbacks. Bootleg throwbacks are when the quarterback scrambles to the backside, off a fake to the running back, and subsequently throws to the play side, sometimes in the form of a screen.

A common theme of the Shanahan scheme is to make defenses think running one play and then pivot to another. When the Niners run the ball, it’s generally from either the I-formation or from split back. Both of these formations generally have two running backs on the field, and offenses are less likely to pass with two tailbacks in a formation. However, the 49ers have many plays designed to pass out of these formations, a key reason why pass-catching ability is a key facet for running backs in the system.

Another formation the 49ers use relatively frequently is what’s called wing slot right. Like pretty much every formation that they use, there is the option to make slight adjustments based on whether Shanahan wants to run or the pass the ball. The tightness of the split of the X-receiver is a good indicator whether it will be a pass or run. If it’s a pass, he will be split out wider and vice versa.

Another theme of the scheme, which is similar but yet somewhat antagonistic to the previous one, is to use motions to make it appear the Niners are running a different play to the one actually being executed, such as run variations of the same play. This is something Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, who spent time with Shanahan in Washington with the Redskins and has a had lot of influence on play design and philosophies, uses a lot.

This theme adheres to the overarching philosophy of the system, as it gives the defense more opportunities to make mental errors.

So far in 2019, Shanahan and the 49ers are forcing a lot of opposing defenses to make mistakes, which has helped influence San Francisco’s No. 3-ranked scoring offense and a perfect 8-0 record halfway through the season.