Getty Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers
If NFL defenses had a hard enough time guarding San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, Kyle Shanahan explains why they better prepare for a harder challenge.
With San Francisco bringing in former Washington tight end Jordan Reed recently, the 49ers add another dimension of offensive prowess, with NFL defenses having to figure out how to guard not just one athletic tight end, but two.
Talking to local San Francisco station KNBR, the 49ers’ head coach explained exactly how he plans to get both Kittle and Reed on the field and at the best of their effectiveness.
“If you have tight ends on the field who can run-block, that means you’re going to get three linebackers out there instead of two and a nickelback,” Shanahan said. “And when you have those three linebackers, then you’re going to have one safety, so you’ve got four guys down.
“But then let’s say they put a nickel on the other, where the matchup might not be quite as good, even though it’s not dead, now you’re in a premiere-run look. Not to mention, now I guarantee you a linebacker is on our halfback.”
While there are certainly teams that have the defensive personnel to still keep up with San Francisco, Shanahan’s point is clear: it’s going to be difficult.
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Getting Garoppolo in ‘Advantageous Situations’
For obvious reasons, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is a major benefactor of the addition of Reed, with the clear thing being that he has another proven pass-catcher on the roster.
But Shanahan also went on to explain that putting teams on the back foot in terms of what personnel they can bring out is another major benefit for his quarterback.
“So, you get all three of those guys, and one of those guys is going to get a very good matchup until they put all DBs in there, and that’s what you want. You want them to put DBs in there so we can just have it easier and run the ball, and never risk a sack or a turnover.
“We’ve just got to risk people saying we didn’t throw it because of our quarterback, which is totally inaccurate.”
Essentially, what Shanahan is saying is that they are making life easier for Jimmy G, but not because he can’t handle the workload, but because the offensive balance is inherently stronger than putting all of the responsibility on Garoppolo’s shoulders.
“That’s the game you’re always playing, and you’re just trying to get your guys in advantageous situations,” Shanahan said. “And then they’ve got to go and do it. You try to get guys like Jordan Reed, guys like Kittle.”
Optimism for McKinnon
After two years on the sideline due to injury, some wonder what running back Jerick McKinnon can contribute in what should be his first season.
However, Shanahan brought him up during the interview, explaining that the 49ers still know he can provide what the team wants in the passing game in 2020.
“That’s what we brought [Jerick McKinnon] in here for in the pass game, guys who are extremely consistent in winning one-on-one matchups in the pass game. And when you have that, it just gives you so many good options.”
To sum up Shanahan’s words: something’s going to have to give, and it will only mean good things for the 49ers’ offense.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, Mont. Reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier and join our 49ers community at Heavy on 49ers on Facebook.