When Kyle Shanahan accepted the position as the San Francisco 49ers head coach, he brought with him his highly-touted offensive system.
Doug Farrar of Bleacher Report ranked the 10 best offensive schemes in the NFL, and Shanahan’s “pre-snap passing game” landed his offense at No. 1.
“Many teams use motion to help the quarterback discern whether a defense is playing man or zone, and some teams are especially good as using motion to gain positional advantages,” Farrar said. “But under Shanahan’s watch, pre-snap motion becomes a crazy quilt in which any skill position player can start anywhere and move anywhere else.”
Shanahan’s pre-snap motion success is exemplified by Atlanta Falcons running back tandem Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman who combined for 85 receptions for 883 receiving yards last season.
“Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman might start in the backfield together and each move into the receiver group—perhaps one in the slot and one outside,” Farrar added. “A Shanahan staple was to take fullback Patrick DiMarco and move him from the backfield to the outside receiver formation—something fullbacks don’t generally do. But DiMarco caught seven passes for 52 yards in the regular season and three more for 43 yards in the playoffs, and he never carried the ball. He was a blocker and receiver, and that was that.”
The Falcons finished 2016 with the seventh-most points scored by any team in a single season (540). Shanahan’s offense set Falcons franchise records in yards per game (415.8), points scored (540), net passing yards per game (295.3) and average yards per play (6.7).
Shanahan produced top ten offenses in six of his nine seasons as an offensive coordinator.
“Kyle Shanahan’s Atlanta Falcons offense was the NFL’s most effective through just about the entire 2016 NFL season, and there are multiple aspects of that offense Shanahan will take to the Bay Area as he gets ready for his first head coach position with the 49ers.
“When I watched the Falcons take the NFC by storm in 2016—and the New England Patriots by storm for three-and-a-half quarters of the Super Bowl—it became clear to me that Atlanta’s pre-snap movement was the most diverse in the league and unquestionably the most effective.
“Once his new roster gets the hang of his pre-snap ideas, don’t be surprised if those players achieve unexpected gains.”
—
To read the rest of what Farrar had to say, head to BleacherReport.com
About the Author: Insidethe49
