Coaches Film Analysis: 2020 Season

Originally posted by SkyZer0:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by SkyZer0:
(bolded)

what made them unprepared for that play?

They couldn't get their call right. Two guys covered the same WR so there was no safety to that side of the field. Sloppy. I'll post that play. It was in the Saleh thread.

that seem like it's happening more often this season than last season? is that due to the lack of guys like Sherm?

I don't know. The defensive personnel has taken a hit so it's like a trickle down effect. Or should I say trickle back effect. The DL is hurting and the effect is spreading to the backend.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by SkyZer0:

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by SkyZer0:
(bolded)

what made them unprepared for that play?

They couldn't get their call right. Two guys covered the same WR so there was no safety to that side of the field. Sloppy. I'll post that play. It was in the Saleh thread.

that seem like it's happening more often this season than last season? is that due to the lack of guys like Sherm?

I don't know. The defensive personnel has taken a hit so it's like a trickle down effect. Or should I say trickle back effect. The DL is hurting and the effect is spreading to the backend.

makes sense. less pressure/sack rates, margin for error is magnified in the secondary. they could have been making just as many errors as last season up until this point, but it was masked.

49ers get the ball back at the 2 minute warning trailing 24-7.
2nd & 10. Three consecutive plays MIA drops the weakside safety down looking to take away the crosser from the strongside. This is the second play of the three consecutive plays.

3rd & 10
This is the first INT.
49ers look to stretch the safeties by sending out three vertical routes. Kittle again tasked to stay in to block. There has to be a better way to pass protect without having to keep the best receiving threat in to block.


MIA drops down the blue weakside safety and takes away Jimmy's first read, Bourne. Jimmy pump faking.


Yellow knows he has help to the inside so he doesn't shade over to help on Bourne. Jimmy targeting Jet needs to put this on Jet's outside shoulder, close to the sideline, for the throw to have a chance.


Underthrown, not even close.


I've been watching Aiyuk's route running, specifically on the outside, these early games and he hasn't been impressive - I know he's young. There were two plays in the first half where I thought he ran a really nice route on the outside. This play is one of them.

This was the other play I thought Aiyuk ran a really nice route. This was posted on the previous page (3rd& 7). Aiyuk at the top of screen, fights off the bump and stacks the CB - stack is get vertical leverage, to get on top of the CB while going vertical. The more he puts this on film, the more he deserves a chance to make a play on a deep vertical.

These are all the plays where Brian Allen was targeted for large gains. There's a trend in all these plays.










Every one of these plays has the MIA WR lined up with a plus split - outside the numbers. This is to get isolation. On every one of these plays, the 49ers are playing single high. It was clear that MIA wanted to horizontally stretch the formation by placing one WR lined up outside the numbers, on each side of the field.

Playing single high versus two WRs with a plus split really stresses the middle deep safety as well as the outside CBs. Yet Saleh did not adjust his playcalls accordingly to use more split safety looks.

Here's a play where the 49ers used Quarters, 2Q 1st & 10. Yes, Fitz scrambled for big yards but it's better than having the backupx3 CB getting roasted like a burnt marshmallow. BAllen at the bottom of the screen only has to worry about not getting beat vertically. He can watch the QB while bailing. Saleh kept asking him to man up and the 49ers paid for it.

Bad performance all around, players and coaches. The real backbreaker was the 3rd and goal from the 22 so I'll end it with that play.
Presnap the slot WR runs to the right side of the field then motions back over to the left. The 49ers want the slot CB (Jamar Taylor) on the strongside and Greenlaw weakside. So JTaylor and Greenlaw switch sides when orange WR moves over.


Presnap. When the ball snaps, Ward moves over the top of Verrett - that's what a Cover2 safety would do. Verrett aligns with outside leverage - he knows there's safety help to the inside (Ward).
I'm trying to figure out what Tartt's assignment is here. He is aligned over the #3 WR, with very little depth, so it doesn't seem like he's playing Quarters.


Tartt gains a little bit of depth and ends up matching the #2 which is what a Quarters safety might do. BAllen gives up the line and is fine with getting into a trail position, as if he thinks he has help over the top.


Is this the actual coverage call? Because this is way too aggressive on a 3rd & goal from the 22. Anything but leave your struggling 4th stringer on an island. If this is a blown coverage then what a terrible way to blow the coverage. Fitzpatrick doesn't care about reading the Drive concept over the middle, he sees his best WR vs BAllen and it's a no brainer.


This made the score 21-7 midway through the 2Q. On the ensuing 49ers drive, Mostert had an 11 yard run on 1st down, then never got the ball again in the first half. This is what I meant by I think the 49er were impatient. They should have continued to run the ball and pick their spots on when to get a chunk play. Instead, it was a lot of playaction looking for chunky plays. gg

Originally posted by thl408:
I've been watching Aiyuk's route running, specifically on the outside, these early games and he hasn't been impressive - I know he's young. There were two plays in the first half where I thought he ran a really nice route on the outside. This play is one of them.

This concerns me a great deal as well. Its great that he is a stud with the ball in his hands, but he needs to sharpen up his routes or he wont have it in in his hands often.

Dolphins played some really good, sound defense. Gotta give them props.

Thanks for the breakdowns!

Originally posted by SteveWallacesHelmet:

Originally posted by thl408:
I've been watching Aiyuk's route running, specifically on the outside, these early games and he hasn't been impressive - I know he's young. There were two plays in the first half where I thought he ran a really nice route on the outside. This play is one of them.

This concerns me a great deal as well. Its great that he is a stud with the ball in his hands, but he needs to sharpen up his routes or he wont have it in in his hands often.

It did me as well, but he's far from being a finished product. Those two snaps were encouraging. There were a couple others but those were notable imo. If he ends up as another Deebo that is not a good thing imo. He needs to bring the skillset of an outside threat to complement this offense. Doesn't have to be bombs down the sideline, the offense needs Posts and deep curls/comeback type of routes.

The offensive plays highlighted on this thread perfectly show how underwhelming and uninspired Shanahan's playcalling has been this season.

Originally posted by Koldo:

The offensive plays highlighted on this thread perfectly show how underwhelming and uninspired Shanahan's playcalling has been this season.

Originally posted by thl408:
This was the other play I thought Aiyuk ran a really nice route. This was posted on the previous page (3rd& 7). Aiyuk at the top of screen, fights off the bump and stacks the CB - stack is get vertical leverage, to get on top of the CB while going vertical. The more he puts this on film, the more he deserves a chance to make a play on a deep vertical.

Does anyone have stats on how often Jimmy throws outside the numbers, and how often we face defenses designed to take away the MOF (like Cover 1 or 6-buzz / Cover 3 buzz?

a) Stats on Jimmy G # of attempts and % completion to different parts of the field, relative to other QBs? Outside the numbers vs. MOF... 0-10, 10-20 yards, vs. 20+ yards, etc. Relative to other QBs and particularly targeting WRs
- It feels like he's mostly throwing MOF or in-breaking routes, and almost never targets a WR outside the numbers. Take the above play from thl... pre-snap looks like a Cover 0, post-snap Dolphins rotate maybe to a Cover 1 with the safety backpedaling in a hurry but with great depth... with that defense the right read IMO is Aiyuk on the go route. You see QBs like Fitz, Big Ben taking that shot all the time and giving their WR a chance
- Once in awhile I see Jimmy throw outside the numbers to Juice or a TE on a wide open schemed play (like Juice's stalk rail). But hardly a WR... the only target outside the numbers to a WR in recent games going back to mid last season that I can remember is this year vs. the Jets when he threw the hitch to KB
- But ever Vernon Hargraves pick 6'ed Jimmy last year in Week 1 when Jimmy mistimed a hitch... I've hardly seen him throw outside the numbers...

b) Stats on defensive calls we've faced, relative to other teams. Feels like defenses have started to figure out Jimmy's tendencies and our scheme and we're facing a ton of:
- 5 man fronts and loaded boxes vs. the outside zone scheme. Then pass defenses particularly aimed at taking away the MOF
- A lot of man and cover 1 calls. Or the D in both thl's post #197 (robbing Kevin White's crossing route) and #201 (robbing KB's crosser), Dolphins line up like split safety but weakside S robs the crossing route, because everyone knows we love to attack that part of the field
- Those are easy to run if the D doesn't think or doesn't respect our passing game outside the numbers and deep ...

I'm wondering if my eyes match the stats. Kyle's a genius with his scheme, but his historical Atlanta O did attack deep and outside the numbers, and the whole philosophy behind his O is to make offenses guard every blade of grass... Right now it's pissing me off that why we never attack deep and outside the numbers because it's so much easier for defenses to scheme against

Originally posted by thl408:

2nd & 6 the 49ers are starting to drive. Either Deebo broke his route too early or Jimmy needs to throw this a tick sooner. With Deebo coming out of his break, Jimmy's arm should be mid windup.


Dwelley with the "lookout!" block. Deebo was open. Fumble, -8 to get into a 3rd & 14. Drive killed.

Wow. You just cant blame the qb. How many of these disasters will spook you. Question was it reasonable for the coaching staff to give dwelley that assignment? It looks like he has absolutely no expectation of how to block in space. Has he done it before?

Originally posted by Patoranking:
Does anyone have stats on how often Jimmy throws outside the numbers, and how often we face defenses designed to take away the MOF (like Cover 1 or 6-buzz / Cover 3 buzz?

a) Stats on Jimmy G # of attempts and % completion to different parts of the field, relative to other QBs? Outside the numbers vs. MOF... 0-10, 10-20 yards, vs. 20+ yards, etc. Relative to other QBs and particularly targeting WRs
- It feels like he's mostly throwing MOF or in-breaking routes, and almost never targets a WR outside the numbers. Take the above play from thl... pre-snap looks like a Cover 0, post-snap Dolphins rotate maybe to a Cover 1 with the safety backpedaling in a hurry but with great depth... with that defense the right read IMO is Aiyuk on the go route. You see QBs like Fitz, Big Ben taking that shot all the time and giving their WR a chance
- Once in awhile I see Jimmy throw outside the numbers to Juice or a TE on a wide open schemed play (like Juice's stalk rail). But hardly a WR... the only target outside the numbers to a WR in recent games going back to mid last season that I can remember is this year vs. the Jets when he threw the hitch to KB
- But ever Vernon Hargraves pick 6'ed Jimmy last year in Week 1 when Jimmy mistimed a hitch... I've hardly seen him throw outside the numbers...

b) Stats on defensive calls we've faced, relative to other teams. Feels like defenses have started to figure out Jimmy's tendencies and our scheme and we're facing a ton of:
- 5 man fronts and loaded boxes vs. the outside zone scheme. Then pass defenses particularly aimed at taking away the MOF
- A lot of man and cover 1 calls. Or the D in both thl's post #197 (robbing Kevin White's crossing route) and #201 (robbing KB's crosser), Dolphins line up like split safety but weakside S robs the crossing route, because everyone knows we love to attack that part of the field
- Those are easy to run if the D doesn't think or doesn't respect our passing game outside the numbers and deep ...

I'm wondering if my eyes match the stats. Kyle's a genius with his scheme, but his historical Atlanta O did attack deep and outside the numbers, and the whole philosophy behind his O is to make offenses guard every blade of grass... Right now it's pissing me off that why we never attack deep and outside the numbers because it's so much easier for defenses to scheme against

My guess is PFF keeps track of those kinds of stats, but I don't subscribe to it. There are teams that come in with a defensive gameplan to take away the middle of the field, and attacking outside the numbers or in the seams would be the right thing to do. I've seen Jimmy throw outside the numbers, mostly in 2017 when Goodwin had Jimmy's trust. I'm referring specifically to when the WR lines up outside the numbers and runs some sort of route along the sideline, not in-breaking routes like you mentioned (bolded, we see those often). That's what's missing from this offense. If I'm a CB and I see a 49er WR line up outside the numbers, I'm squatting on a Dig route until they can show me they will attack with Comebacks, deep curls, etc.

The 49ers will throw outside the numbers when they line up their WRs in a reduced split, but not when they line up outside the numbers. Aiyuk needs to provide that because Deebo and Bourne have not shown the ability to get open on those types of routes.

Versus the defensive fronts designed to take away outside zone runs, the 49ers have to show the ability to execute gap concepts that quickly try to get the RB to the second level and force the teams out of these 5 or 6 man fronts.

I agree on that play MIA showed Cover0, Jimmy should make them pay and give Aiyuk a chance to make a play. Aiyuk won his route and the separation was there. On those types of plays, the QB has to make up his mind presnap that he's going to give his WR a chance. 1v1 no safety help, go make play. That will force the defense to respect the sidelines. Or they could be like Saleh and not respect the sidelines...