How Kyle Shanahan dissected Seattle’s defense in the NFL playoffs

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was masterful on Saturday.

All through the 49ers’ 41-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks, the coach discovered methods to emphasize the Seattle protection each on the bottom, and thru the air. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, beginning his first playoff sport, posted strong numbers as he accomplished 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, numbers that topped the playoff debuts from a pair of San Francisco greats: Joe Montana and Steve Younger.

San Francisco gained 505 yards of whole offense within the victory, and averaged 7.9 yards per play.

Diving into the efficiency a little bit extra, take a look at how environment friendly Purdy was on Saturday afternoon:

Purdy averaged 0.72 Anticipated Factors Added per Play on Saturday, with an Common Depth of Goal of practically 12 yards. The offense as an entire impressed, notably when throwing on early downs:

Information supplied by RBSDM.com.

Turning to how this regarded on the sector, Shanahan hit the Seahawks with an virtually dizzying array of presnap motion and movement, discovering alternative ways to place San Francisco’s spectacular offensive expertise in advantageous positions.

Take this play from early within the sport, the place Purdy connects with Brandon Aiyuk on a bottom dig route:

Take into consideration every part the Seahawks needed to decipher earlier than the snap. San Francisco breaks the huddle with “21 offensive personnel,” with two operating backs, two huge receivers, and a decent finish.

Nonetheless, the quotes round 21 offensive personnel are there as a result of listed here are the gamers in that group: Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk. You may simply as simply name that 31 offensive personnel, and designate Samuel as a operating again, or 12 offensive personnel, with Juszczyk as a decent finish.

The personnel alone poses an issue.

They align initially with Purdy within the shotgun, each Samuel and Juszczyk on the precise, Kittle and Aiyuk on the left, and McCaffrey within the backfield. However then, they begin to transfer. Kittle shifts throughout the formation to the precise. Samuel then shifts into the backfield, flanking the QB together with McCaffrey. However then McCaffrey shifts again exterior to the precise, aligning in a bunch with Kittle and Juszczyk.

That is the formation when the ball is snapped, giving the 49ers 4 threats to 1 facet of the sector.

So in fact Purdy throws a bottom did to Aiyuk on the opposite facet of the formation.

Shanahan additionally discovered just a few alternative ways to emphasize Seattle’s single-high zone protection schemes, usually by way of dig routes. On this completion from Purdy to Aiyuk late within the second half, Shanahan dials up a variation of his Burner idea, which is a play-action design pairing a deep nook route with a dig route. Right here, the 49ers don’t use play-action, however the deep nook route from the speedy Danny Grey occupies the post-safety, together with the cornerback to his facet of the sector. Samuel, aligned in a wing on the left, chips on the sting defender earlier than operating a sit route over the soccer. Kittle and McCaffrey launch to the flats:

The consequence? The routes create area for the dig route from Aiyuk, who’s huge open over the center:

Shanahan additionally used vertical routes, and the specter of the downfield passing sport, to create area for receivers working beneath. On this play from early within the second quarter, the 49ers dial up 4 vertical routes, together with McCaffrey out of the backfield. Once more, the Seahawks are in single-high protection, and this vertical idea is an issue for these protection buildings.

So too is Kittle beneath on a shallow route:

Maybe one of many meanest designs that Shanahan dialed up got here initially of the fourth quarter. With the 49ers holding a 23-17 lead, and dealing with a 2nd and 11 in Seattle territory, Shanahan referred to as for a play-action design utilizing exterior zone because the bait. Purdy targets Jauan Jennings on a wheel route:

Why is that this simply flat-out imply? A couple of causes. First, the scenario. With San Francisco dealing with a 2nd and 11, Seattle may count on run, with the 49ers aiming to get right into a manageable third-down scenario. You possibly can see that within the defensive alignment, because the Seahawks name man protection and have ten defenders inside 5 yards of the ball.

Second, they present exterior zone into the boundary, to the left facet of the formation. Throwing a wheel route out of an outdoor look is one thing the 49ers have finished earlier than, however normally to the precise facet of the formation, the place it’s a better throw for the quarterback. Right here, Purdy must execute the faux, rapidly flip his hips, and set the hallway for a throw downfield. It’s not what you’re anticipating from the offense.

That are all the explanation why it really works.

However maybe the perfect instance of how spectacular Shanahan was Saturday afternoon comes by way of two performs. First, this run from the primary quarter, a toss play to Samuel:

Once more, you see a few of the presnap motion mentioned earlier. The 49ers break the huddle with 21 offensive personnel: Aiyuk, Kittle, McCaffrey, Juszczyk, and Samuel. McCaffrey, Juszczyk, and Aiyuk begin the play on the precise, with Kittle aligned on the left and Samuel within the backfield. However Juszczyk then shifts right into a fullback’s alignment, in entrance of Samuel within the backfield, whereas Aiyuk shifts throughout the formation, into a decent alignment on the left.

Samuel will get the pitch and goals for the left edge, with Juszczyk main him to the skin. It goes for a 22-yard acquire, with the important thing block maybe coming from Juszczyk, as he meets security Ryan Neal within the alley.

Early within the second quarter, the 49ers present the Seahawks the identical primary look — with the identical presnap motion — however promote the Seahawks on the pitch earlier than the snap, as Juszczyk slides in movement in the direction of the left facet of the offense. Solely, no pitch is coming. As an alternative, Purdy fakes the pitch, and throws a slant path to McCaffrey on the precise facet of the offense. As this play unfolds, watch how the Seattle protection reacts to the specter of the pitch, and the way that response creates area for the slant route:

Masterful.

Purdy is actually grabbing the headlines, and with good motive. His rise from “Mr. Irrelevant” to playoff-winning quarterback is a incredible story, and the rookie QB is taking part in very properly.

However the job of a coach is to place his gamers in the perfect place to achieve success, and that’s precisely what Shanahan is doing with this offense. With the unbelievable expertise he has in place — together with just a few completely different gamers who can thrive in numerous roles on offense — Shanahan is stressing defenses, and creating alternatives for his rookie quarterback to succeed.

In order we reward Purdy for his meteoric rise this season, we must also take a while to reward Shanahan, who’s discovering alternative ways every sport, every quarter, and even every drive, to emphasize defenses.

Placing Purdy ready to succeed.