Want Insight On Saints' Revamped Offense? Here's What To Keep An Eye On From The 49ers During Super Bowl LVIII
A whole lot of New Orleans Saints fans got what they were looking for after a second year of disappointing offensive play when the team decided to go in a new direction. The Saints not only moved on from long-time Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael, but cleared out every position coaching spot excluding tight ends coach, still held by the well-respected Clancy Barone.
Momentum towards improved offense in 2024 felt slow to begin as the Saints were very patience and extensive in their search. However, the momentum picked up as Senior Bowl week was ending when news broke that the team had zeroed in on a top candidate in San Francisco 49ers Passing Game Specialist Klint Kubiak as their next offensive coordinator. Although the hire will not be official until after Super Bowl LVIII, the excitement tied to the hire was palpable.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks over the Atlanta Falcons defense.
Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) looks over the Atlanta Falcons defense during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
The Saints not only committed to revamping their offensive approach in 2024, but to do so in a major way. New Orleans has now decided that its future offensive attack will be run through a set of concepts sweeping the NFL by storm over the last half-decade: the Shanahan system. Or at least a variant of it.
It is important to note that Kubiak's version of the offense, which he spent the 2023 season working with, will not be a one-for-one carbon copy of San Francisco's scheme. But it is clear that a lot of its concepts will make the trip.
Though Kubiak only spent one year with the system, he will likely build his surrounding staff with others that have knowledge of its tenets. For instance, one name we already expect to make the leap with Kubiak is long-time offensive line coach John Benton. Benton has worked directly with Kyle Shanahan and one of his predecessors previously for a number of years. Who Kubiak taps to work alongside him will be just as important as the initial hire itself.
If you want a glimpse at what the Saints offense could look like in 2024 with its staff makeover, look no further than Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. Elements of what you will see from San Francisco are highly likely to show up for the Saints and quarterback Derek Carr next season. Here are a few things for which to keep a close eye.
Misdirection
No one has said it better than Locked On Gators podcast host and Giants Country writer Brandon Olsen. Shanahan's offense is all about misdirection. While challenging the eye discipline of opposing defenses is a huge part of that, misdirection takes a couple different forms.
Obviously one example is pre-snap motion, which will be discussed more in a moment. But the idea would be simple here: Make the defense look one way, allowing you the chance to attack the other way. This can be done with speed motions just before the snap, jet sweep motions behind the line of scrimmage, even by moving the running back in and out of the backfield along with an endless amount of other creative approaches.
But to boil misdirection down to simple motion would be short-sighted. Watch for the 49ers to do this in other ways as well. Play action, fake tosses, counter runs, split zone releases and more all suggest one thing while looking to achieve another. Shanahan and the 49ers offense are masters at doing simple things behind a confusing and attention-grabbing veil of complexity. Watch for these styles of misdirection to take place after the snap.
Finally, misdirection can be achieved by simply creating and defying an expectation. The always-impressive Benjamin Solak of The Ringer did a fantastic breakdown of this notion at Super Bowl radio row. Instead of the 49ers focusing so much on a ton of motion and pre-snap eye candy, they simply lined up in a two-tight end, pistol formation that indicated run. By simply bouncing running back Christian McCaffrey from the pistol alignment to slightly outside the quarterback, the play went from a sure run to a five-route passing play. Against a defense expecting run and deploying the personnel to stop it, this play takes advantage of the inherent mismatches.
Motion
As highlighted above, motion is a key element of a success wide zone/Shanahan offense. It allows the quarterback to be able to diagnose coverage before the snap, creates mismatches, impacts a defense's alignment and numbers against the run and of course assists in efforts of misdirection.
Per ESPN's Seth Walder, the Saints ranked No. 26 using motion on just 14.3% of their plays. The 49ers ranked well ahead at No. 2 with 37.7%. Along with the 49ers, several teams with ties to Shanahan's system all ranked ahead of the Saints as well. The Miami Dolphins (No. 1), Green Bay Packers (No. 4), Houston Texans (No. 17) and New York Jets (No. 22) are all such examples. Expect the Saints to follow suit.
Utility
Watching how the 49ers maximize their playmakers from tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel to McCaffrey and even fullback Kyle Juszczyk is going to be a lot of fun. When trying to project how Kubiak will utilize weapons like do-it-all quarterback Taysom Hill and speedy wideout Rashid Shaheed, the examples could be plentiful. Now, the Saints will undoubtedly need to continue adding talent to their offensive personnel to really take advantage of this, but the early goings are there.
Even though the Saints cannot quickly acquire the exact talent of the San Francisco offense, the methods by which that talent is utilized are still important. Getting the ball out quickly, attacking the middle of the field, short passes extending the run game, setting up the deep ball and even simple lessons like keeping your weapons on the field in key situations will all increase the offense's impact next season.
With versatile playmakers like wideout Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson among others, the Saints are in good position to take advantage of their talent by creating mismatches and opportunities. Perhaps the biggest boost may be witnessed out the backfield. Arming Kubiak with an explosive option like running back Alvin Kamara could be exactly what both parties need. Kamara's usage has been rightfully criticized over the last few seasons but could finally be on the mend as Kamara could be in line to get the McCaffrey treatment. A role that could elevate the usage of second-year back Kendre Miller and veteran rusher Jamaal Williams as well.
This will become especially valuable when it comes to red zone situations. The Niners finished No. 1 this year in red zone touchdown percentage (68.49%). While the Saints did improve in that category throughout the year, they still finished in the bottom half of the league at N0. 18 (53.33%). A huge reason for the 49ers' success in that area of the field simply comes down to creativity, something the New Orleans offense showed flashes of in 2023, but ultimately lacked.
There are many more elements to a quintessential Shanahan scheme and keep in mind that Kubiak is likely to bring influence from his father's system in the meanwhile. The Gary Kubiak offense has its own tale of success as well.
The Saints made the right choice by tapping Kubiak and playing for the win in their coordinator search. It has made this one remaining NFL game for the season all the more important for the Saints and their fanbase.
