Sad news: The head coach of Denver received sad news regarding his…
Nothing has overtaken offenses in the NFL more than the various wide zone schemes in recent years. The system has emerged as one of the league’s most sought-after influences, attracting interest from teams like the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, and San Francisco 49ers to the Los Angeles Rams.
The New Orleans Saints entered the discussion ahead of the 2024 campaign when they hired former 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak. Sep 25, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA: During the second quarter of the Denver Broncos’ game against the San Francisco 49ers at Empower Field at Mile High, quarterback Russell Wilson (3) speaks with quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak.
Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Isaiah J. Downing Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, speaks with quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak during the second quarter of the team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at Empower Field at Mile High on September 25, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J.
Downing/USA TODAY Sports The Saints’ acquisition, though, adds a degree of specificity that may raise false expectations but is actually one of the move’s greatest advantages. They brought on a coach who had only worked closely with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for a single year.
Many people’s main concern is this: Was a single season sufficient to become familiar with the framework and adapt it to New Orleans? The advantage, though, is that Kubiak’s ties to the plan date back before what is now called “the Shanahan system.”
I know you’re wondering how that’s even possible. The response is straightforward: The fathers of Kyle Shanahan and Klint Kubiak, Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak, are credited with developing the ideas, precepts, and fundamentals of the Shanahan offense. It would probably be more appropriate to refer to the current “Shanahan system” as the “Shanahan-Kubiak system.”
The scheme’s roots are still with the 49ers, but its inspiration goes all the way back to the 1994 NFL season, when offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Gary Kubiak led San Francisco’s top-ranked scoring offense to a Super Bowl victory. The two coaches enjoyed a remarkable run of great quarterbacks supporting them, starting with Steve Young in San Francisco and John Elway in Denver shortly after the elder Shanahan assumed the positions of offensive coordinator and head coach, respectively.
The plan’s principles were the same back then as they are today. In addition to emphasizing play action and the quick passing game, they included eye-catching elements like motion and post-snap movement, crossing routes, attacking the middle of the field in the passing game, and more.
It can be challenging to tell the difference between the previous and current iterations when you include the outside zone run scheme and the extra complexity of running the same play from multiple formations. The distinctions are subtle but distinct.
This week, Saints Head Coach Dennis Allen stated on The NFL Report that the system is designed to favor quarterbacks. This is demonstrated by the fast passing game, the focus on offensive line talent, the dedication to the run game, and the simplification of the passer’s reads behind a mask of complexity that challenges the defense. These are the fundamental elements of the Shanahan system that existed before the current one.
Gary Kubiak and Mike Shanahan lived together in Denver from 1995 to 2005. The team finished in the top 10 in scoring nine out of those eleven seasons and in the top 10 in total yards ten times. Some brilliant coaches—Kyle Shanahan among them—have built upon the revolutionary system’s success and popularized it in a modern format while working under Gary Kubiak in Houston.
Thus, despite Klint Kubiak’s brief tenure under the younger Shanahan, he is well-positioned to be the next to unveil an updated version of the NFL’s most popular scheme. Related: NEWS: WR Coach To Join New Orleans Saints’ Offensive Staff
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