Grading the 49ers' Play Callers at the Bye
The bye week has been desperately needed for the San Francisco 49ers.
Not only does it allow some of their key players return from injury, but they needed this rest period to make a serious playoff push with six games remaining. For now, this team needs to disconnect and rejuvenate for what is to come.
In the meantime, the bye week makes for a perfect time to review and grade the 49ers. My editor Grant Cohn has already handed his grades to the offense and to the defense/special teams.
For this article, I will be reviewing and grading the play callers of the 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan: C
Kyle Shanahan as an offensive coordinator this season has been quite average. Now an enormous part of that is because he hardly has been anywhere near full-strength on offense, so he cannot call his typical style of game. Regardless, there have been a handful of play calls in almost every game that was just plain out head scratching from Shanahan.
Take the Week 10 matchup with the Saints for example. On a critical fourth-and-1 in the second-quarter, Shanahan dials up a run out of the shotgun with Jerick McKinnon as the ball carrier. McKinnon loses two yards on the play as expected. Of all the plays at Shanahan's disposal, he calls a gun run to McKinnon. Shanahan did the same thing with McKinnon in the Wildcat against the Seahawks in Week 8 and the fourth-down conversion failed.
There are plenty of examples of Shanahan having these hiccup play calls where he is calling a great game, but suddenly decides to get cute. He overthinks these calls sometimes, which he can make up for these blunders if he has all of his stars back on offense. But with only so many weapons at his disposal, he is not able to overcome prior mistakes in games. You just would like to see Shanahan adapt a little better. Still, Shanahan has done well for what he has, thus deserves an average grade.
Robert Saleh: A
There is no debate to this. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has been the BEST play caller for the 49ers through 10 games this season. The 49ers are the fifth-ranked defense in the league so far, which is a massive accomplishment considering the star players the defense are missing. Saleh is doing a better job in 2020 than 2019 because of what he is working with. He is constantly forced to shuffle, adjust, and step out of his comfort zone.
Saleh is not a coordinator that likes to dial up blitzes, but this season he recognizes that his defense is lacking a pass rush with Nick Bosa and Dee Ford out. This is the adapting I wish Shanahan would implement. Saleh is working without so many key players, yet has been keeping the ship afloat and then some. Aside from a Brian Allen travesty in Week 5, the defense has been solid. They have not been the issue in ANY game this season.
If anything, it is Shanahan who has held Saleh back more than the injuries. Shanahan calls the shots on personnel decisions. Saleh is just there to say, "Yes sir!" and run his defense with what he can. Otherwise, Tarvarius Moore would have seen more snaps before Jaquiski Tartt went on Injured Reserve. Last season, Saleh made a strong case to be considered as a head coach. Now I believe he has added multiple exclamations to his case and will undoubtedly become one when the season concludes.
