New: Kyle Shanahan and his Highly Effective Play Action Passing Game-Scheme,route and protections.

One of my favorite plays is the Shanan scheme is the play action pass game off the outside zone. It is utilized by teams throughout the league as well as in the college game. They can block it 2 ways which we will get to and you will often see the 49ers running more 3 man patterns with the protection.

It was an effective play because they:

1. ran the ball so well

2. Got a great horizontal push and really sold the run action.

3. They can block it 2 ways, full slide or with the guard pulling usually away from the 2i whenever possible.

4. They run 3 man patterns.

Let’s look at the 2 protections they use off their wide zone. Originally Shanahan was a full slide guy with the Falcons. Then he progressed to pulling the guard to get a better matchup on the DE with a guard.

FULL SLIDE
Everyone plays a gap and slides to the gap with the h back coming across to block the first man outside the DE.

Everyone blocks left and they bring the tight end back the other way.

Here the H back would come and take the DE as they fake wide zone to the right. What makes it is the sell by the RB and getting the horizontal push to freeze the LB.