Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is in the Conference Championships with his team. One big reason: the 49ers resort to an effective running game – and this season Shanahan has some new tricks up his sleeve.

Munich – “I’m looking forward to the task. Coaching against Kyle Shanahan is the ultimate chess match,” Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris praised the San Francisco 49ers head coach

Shanahan has achieved run game grandmaster status with his offensive scheme. The offensive philosophy goes back to Alex Gibbs, who designed it with the Denver Broncos under the direction of Head Coach Mike Shanahan (Kyle’s father). Kyle Shanahan, in turn, learned about the offence through his father. Today, Gibbs’ offensive philosophy is still the cornerstone of the 49ers’ running game. But Shanahan has made his own additions.

“Shanahan Scheme.” What does it mean?

The lynchpin of the running game is the outside zone concept. The goal is to stretch defensive linemen horizontally. Offensive linemen “flow” to one side, each must block an area, (usually) no specific player. The running back reads the gaps and must decide which one to make the cut on and run vertically through.

Of course, there are situations where Shanahan relies on other running concepts (goal line, power runs, inside zone runs, etc.), but most running plays fall into the outside zone category. Just under 50 per cent of the 49ers’ plays this season have been runs, third highest. In the process, they averaged 4.3 yards.

Block, block, block

As in any scheme, blocking plays a supporting role. Left tackle Trent Williams regularly clears defenders in the 49ers’ running game. When running back Eli Mitchell chose the gap between left tackle and left guard, he averaged 6.7 yards.

Deebo with a Trent Williams pancake on the end of the line

I really hope people realize that Trent Williams is playing some historically great football right now

pic.twitter.com/4qurFMsuU5

– Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) November 28, 2021

When it comes to turf chess, Shanahan can also call on George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk as queens (thanks to their flexibility). Both play multiple positions on offense and are excellent at run blocking.

“Our coaches do a great job in the run game. We have a lot of ways to attack defenses. It’s at a point now where we can actually run well against anything and everything,” Kittle praised.

Offensive Coordinator Mike McDaniel is also clear that an effective running game is a team job, as he pointed out in a video clip a few years ago, “It’s hugely important that our receivers block. We invest a lot of time in that message. If we want to have explosive plays, all the blocks have to be on – including the receivers.”

Motion to the hilt

To keep defenses on their toes, Kyle Shanahan often (on nearly 75 percent of plays, league high) relies on motion. The emblematic deception grenade is used to create confusion and inconsistency in the opposing defensive formation. Motion also opens up the possibility of running a variety of plays from the same formation.

“I don’t do it to make it easy. It’s always for a reason. Sometimes it helps one of our players, sometimes it confuses the defence. I’m always thinking of new ways to make plays,” Shanahan told “ESPN” in November 2021.

Deebo Samuel: The X-Factor

One of the beneficiaries of the “new ways” is Deebo Samuel. The wide receiver has been used frequently by Shanahan as a running back this season. Behind Elijah Mitchell (1,112 rushing yards), he has the most rushing yards on the 49ers with 476 yards.

Samuel’s ability to accelerate after setting the cut adds another explosive element to the running offense. In addition, the former second-round pick creates an average of 4.2 yards after first-contact with a defensive player.

“Deebo brings a lot of power to the table and his tackling is rock solid. He can slip through gaps that are actually already closed. When defenders think they’ve got him, he shifts that one gear up again.

Schematic Tricks

It doesn’t stop there. Shanahan and offensive coordinator McDaniel came up with other innovations to confuse defenses. A few times they ran “inside toss plays.” Toss plays actually go outside, but the 49ers were trying to get through inside. “We use that play because it’s unusual. Then when the defence reacts a moment late, it can be an advantage for us,” McDaniel said at a press conference.

Against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers sent left tackle Trent Williams into the backfield on a motion and then ahead as the lead blocker for the running back. “That shouldn’t be legal,” Shanahan said with a smirk after the game.

Trent Williams in motion is a cheat code!!! pic.twitter.com/0bYOiwvtkU

– WeAreBigGuys (@WeAreBigGuys) January 23, 2022

The 49ers head coach and his offensive staff have put together a stable yet creative running game. A running game that can checkmate opponents. Maybe even the Los Angeles Rams.