Kyle Shanahan’s utilization of Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey is a pleasure to observe

The most effective elements of the vacation season, as a mother or father, is seeing the enjoyment within the eyes of your youngsters as they begin to play with the whole lot that Santa was sort sufficient to place below the tree. Toys and presents that simply hours in the past have been a figment of their creativeness, are actually being put to life of their palms.

It nearly makes the weeks main as much as the vacation price it.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has some unbelievable toys at his disposal proper now in Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, and the way he used them collectively on Monday night time in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals ought to ship shivers down the spines of NFC defensive coordinators.

In San Francisco’s 38-10 rout of the Cardinals, McCaffrey and Samuel mixed for 124 yards on 14 receptions, and whereas they have been held out of the tip zone within the passing sport, how Shanahan used them is an indication of extra explosive passing performs to return.

Shanahan obtained the 2 on the sphere collectively early within the sport, and this route idea may be one to trace because the season continues. On this 1st and 10 play from halfway by the primary quarter, the 49ers align with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo flanked by the 2, with McCaffrey to Garoppolo’s left and Samuel to his proper.

They then bump McCaffrey within the slot to the left, and that is the route idea San Francisco implements on the play:

On the suitable aspect of the sphere the 49ers run a spacing idea. Tight finish George Kittle runs a fast in-cut whereas fullback Kyle Juszczyk releases to the flat from his wing alignment. Samuel runs a spot route, checking up round 5 yards downfield.

On the left aspect, vast receiver Danny Grey releases vertically, whereas McCaffrey runs an possibility route from the slot. With the defender giving him an enormous cushion, he cuts inside, and Garoppolo hits him in stride for a simple 11-yard acquire:

Early within the third quarter, Shanahan referred to as for this design once more, however with the formation flipped. McCaffrey runs the choice route out of the suitable slot, whereas Samuel runs his spot route out of the backfield to the left aspect of the sphere.

As soon as extra, Garoppolo hits McCaffrey on the choice route, this time for a 12-yard acquire:

However to get a way of how harmful these two are, and what Shanahan has at his disposal, check out this play from late within the first quarter:

This is similar design, simply with the Samuel and McCaffrey switching roles. This time McCaffery is a part of the three-receiver spacing idea, whereas Samuel runs the choice route out of the slot. Once more, that’s the place Garoppolo goes with the soccer, and the play turns right into a 19-yard acquire for the offense.

These are fast, simple throws — the kinds of performs the place Garoppolo tends to thrive — however with these two weapons at his disposal, the 49ers can stress the protection to each side of the formation.

Plus, the flexibility of those two gamers will pressure defenses to make some tough selections earlier than the snap. Do you deal with them as vast receivers? Operating backs? One thing else? On every of those examples, the Cardinals have an even bigger defensive bundle within the sport, with 4 defensive linemen and three linebackers. Then if you happen to have a look at the second instance, McCaffrey runs his possibility route between a pair of linebackers, which is a matchup Shanahan will take ten instances out of ten.

The 2 performs that may terrify me essentially the most as a defensive coordinator every went for minimal positive factors on Monday night time, however as you stroll by them, you possibly can see the potential for one thing a lot, a lot larger for the 49ers.

The primary of the 2 performs got here from early within the fourth quarter, with the 49ers having fun with a 31-10 lead. Going through a third and a pair of, they line up with Garoppolo within the shotgun, and McCaffrey standing to his proper.

Here’s what Shanahan dials up out of this formation:

We are able to begin to the left aspect of the sphere. Kittle, aligned as the within receiver to the journeys, runs a publish route attacking the center of the sphere. Jauan Jennings, the center receiver, runs a wheel route whereas Brandon Aiyuk, aligned on the surface, runs a dig.

Nevertheless, the actual enjoyable is on the bottom of this play. Samuel is the one receiver to the suitable, and he runs a shallow crosser, whereas McCaffrey runs a wheel route out of the backfield:

With it third and a pair of, Garoppolo throws the shallow to Samuel, however I can not assist however surprise if, sooner or later this season, we see McCaffrey matched up on a linebacker on this alignment, and the quarterback throws the wheel route.

However my favourite of the 2 got here halfway by the primary quarter, simply after the primary play mentioned earlier. San Francisco strains up with each Samuel and McCaffrey within the backfield, flanking Garoppolo who’s within the shotgun.

Right here is the route idea:

There may be a lot to like about this design. The 49ers use a Y-iso alignment, with Kittle as the one receiver on the suitable aspect of the formation. Aiyuk and Jennings are in a slot formation to the left, with Aiyuk on the within. McCaffrey is to the left of Garoppolo, with Samuel on the suitable.

To the suitable aspect, Kittle runs a dig route whereas Samuel runs a wheel route out of the backfield. On the left aspect, Aiyuk and Jennings run a “peel,” or publish/wheel, idea to the left, whereas McCaffrey serves because the checkdown possibility.

Garoppolo needs to hit Kittle on the dig, however with that coated, he merely checks it down:

Whereas the play goes for only a five-yard acquire, you possibly can see the potential. From the publish/wheel mixture that Aiyuk and Jennings run, to the dig route from Kittle out of the Y-Iso alignment that would, sooner or later, see him with a really favorable matchup, to the wheel from Samuel that additionally might create an enormous play for San Francisco sooner or later.

Kyle Shanahan acquired a beautiful new reward simply earlier than the vacations, and the chances for the 49ers’ offense with McCaffrey and Samuel on the sphere, together with the remainder of their proficient ability gamers, ought to give NFC defensive coordinators something however vacation cheer.