RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSan Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan remains the most respected offensive mind in football, according to the coaches paid to stop him.
The Athletic 's Ted Nguyen surveyed eight defensive playcallers and defensive assistants around the league, asking them to anonymously rank their top 10 offensive playcallers. Shanahan finished No. 1 overall, with rankings ranging from first to fourth — the same spot he held in last year's survey.
The praise comes after another banged-up 49ers season that still produced elite results. San Francisco finished sixth in points per drive and second in offensive Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA), FTN's schedule-adjusted efficiency metric, despite quarterback Brock Purdy missing eight games. Shanahan got 100-yard performances out of receivers like Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson after neither had topped 100 yards in a game since 2022.
"He's the best in the business because he can adapt better than anybody. It doesn't matter who's lining up, whether you got Jauan Jennings — like, he's a good player, but he shouldn't be your best wideout," an AFC defensive coach said. "Shanahan's finding ways to get guys open and win games with no [George] Kittle, no Jauan [Jennings], no Purdy. He does an incredible job."
Coaches around the league also pointed to Shanahan's understanding of individual defensive techniques and tendencies, saying he consistently finds and exploits specific matchup weaknesses.
The ranking continues a run of offensive success dating back to Shanahan's arrival in San Francisco in 2017. His 49ers offenses have ranked in the top 10 in points per drive in five of the last six seasons, including finishes of second in 2022 and first in 2023, en route to two NFC championships and a Super Bowl appearance.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Shanahan still top offensive playcaller, per rival coaches
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