Former NFL coach calls out 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan for this one part of his offensive play-calling: I’m not a fan

Kyle Shanahan is considered one of the smartest offensive coaches in the NFL, but according to former NFL coach Jay Gruden, if there’s one situation where the 49ers coach seems to struggle, it’s when he’s forced to call plays while his team is trailing.

That subject came up during a recent episode of the 3 and out with John Middlekauff podcast. Gruden, who spent 17 seasons in the NFL as a head coach or assistant coach, said that Shanahan just isn’t the same when he’s forced to call plays while the 49ers are down. 

“I’m just not a big fan of his true pass concepts when he’s down,” Gruden said. “I just don’t understand a lot of them. That’s just something you have to continue to work on through OTAs, training camp and all that stuff. You have to prepare to be down. It’s a lot easier to call plays when you’re ahead by 14 points on first and second down.”

To Gruden’s point, the 49ers had to play from behind in Week 2 against the Vikings. With the 49ers trailing 20-7 in the second half, Shanahan seemed to cut the run plays out of his playbook in favor of more drop-back passes. One reason the 49ers offense is so successful is because of the threat of the run is always there. But with that out the window, the Vikings were able to pin their ears back and go after Brock Purdy, who got sacked five times in the second half and six in the game. 

The 49ers tried to throw the ball on 24 of their 34 plays in the second half.

“It’s very difficult when you’re a one-dimensional team,” Gruden said.

After watching Jordan Mason average six yards per carry in the first half (12 rushes for 72 yards), the 49ers gave him just eight carries in the second half, including just two that came when it was still a one-score game on San Francisco’s first two possessions of the third quarter. 

Gruden admitted that he wasn’t very successful during his career when it came to playing from behind, and now, he’s seeing the same things with Shahahan. 

“Not many coaches have had a lot of success calling plays [while trailing], having to come back,” Gruden said. “It’s very difficult in the NFL to have success. I’m not saying I did have a lot of success [in that situation], I’m just saying, from a pass-game standpoint, when I study teams, that would be one of the last teams I would look at as far as pass concepts go in known passing situations. I’d go elsewhere and look for other pass concepts.”

Gruden and Shanahan actually have some NFL ties: They served on the same coaching staff together for two seasons (2004-05) in Tampa Bay coaching under Jay’s brother, Jon Gruden.

They also have another tie: With the loss to the Vikings, Shanahan is now 0-39 in his career in any game where his team is trailing by eight points entering the fourth quarter. Since 2000, the only coach with a worst record in that situation is Gruden, who went 0-41 during his five and a half seasons as Washington’s head coach.