Vikings, 49ers Offensive Schemes Feature Formulas, Fullbacks and Longevity

[Viktor]

“So, you’ve gotta be able to do both, and I think that’s something that we’ve both done pretty well this year,” Shanahan said. “That, combined with good defense, is I think why we’re both where we’re at.”


To be sure, the offensive systems the Vikings and 49ers run are not identical to what the Broncos ran. But the basic concepts are the same, even if the schemes (and the league in general) have evolved over the past two-plus decades.


Shanahan and Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins are familiar with the scheme, and each other. Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator when Cousins was on the team, and was actually on Houston’s staff when Kubiak was the Texans head coach.


Both Shanahan and Cousins talked this week about the advancement of the scheme on a yearly basis.


“Year to year, things can change. I think the key with, even if you want to call it this specific system, is it has evolved. It isn’t a stale system where, from whatever year you want to start with it to now, it’s been the exact same,” Cousins said. “It has evolved, and I think the coaches – calling those plays, developing the system, evolving it – are the ones who deserve the credit for it, because it is a moving target, and defenses are always going to counter with answers. I think it’s a testament to the coaches involved who are always trying to stay a step ahead.


“I think it’s just individual wrinkles to plays,” Cousins later added. “Make something look like it did the week before or the year before and then do something different. That cat-and-mouse game with the defense will be going on as long as there’s football.”


Added Shanahan: “They’re all so different. The West Coast offense, I would say, if you call plays like we do, verbiage-wise, then I guess it’s considered West Coast. When I went to be with Kubiak, he ran more of my dad’s offense that they did at Denver, which originated with San Francisco in the verbiage, but you change it based off of teams you’re going against and what fronts you’re going against. I always have a hard time when people try to categorize our offense as something because our offense, there’s a foundation of something we believe in, but at least for me personally, our offense is totally predicated on what we’re going against.”