Article About the Evolution of the Shanahan System and What Makes it Work

jahsoul357 said
Bill Walsh's offense wasn't centered around motion and short passes per se. His offense was based on timing, precision, and execution. Modern offenses are centered around short passes to speedy players, yes, but not in the same way. Today's game is based on spacing and not timing. QBs need to be accurate, yes but precision, not as much. That's why our offense seemed "outdated." When you look at the modern NFL, the best QBs are the ones that are throwing to wide open receivers with nothing but space around them. When you look at Bill Walsh's and Shanahan's offense, they are nothing alike. You can just look at any 49ers game from the 80s and 90s and you'll see the ball come out at the end of their drop the vast majority of the time. Shanahan? Not as much but you see a lot of short passes to receivers in space..LOL

I think there are more similarities than differences. The best QB’s are still the ones that can throw on time and make tight window throws. Every OC is trying to scheme guys wide open, but it’s not possible on every pass play unless you’re playing against a terrible defense. Windows tend to close as fast as they open, particularly on third down where the threat of the run is minimal.

If you watch the 49ers drop back passing game, the ball still gets fired out at the top of the QB’s drop if the first read is there. If defenses get aggressive on those initial reads, Shanahan has alerts and constraints that take advantage of those adjustments, which creates some of the wide open looks that make the highlight reels.