Scoring Trends for San Francisco 49ers Since Kyle Shanahan Took Over

Back when the Atlanta Falcons steamrolled their way to Super Bowl LI, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was getting all the praise for his high-flying offense.

These days, he reps the red and gold, trying to help the San Francisco 49ers reclaim their proud tradition of Super Bowl championships. He almost had one a few years ago, but a few mistakes down the stretch led to the Chiefs coming back to reclaim the NFL crown. This year, NFL betting odds have the 49ers at +1400 to win the Super Bowl.

Regardless of how you feel about his late-game play calling, Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch have turned this into a talented team with a potent offense. Let’s look at the 49ers offensive success in recent years.

The 49ers Spread the Ball Around

George Kittle is going to get his fair share of footballs thrown his way. He’s a top-tier talent in the league as long as he stays healthy.

That said, the 49ers have done a great job of spreading the ball around. In fact, their running backs last season averaged around 18.2 yards per reception last year on passes over the middle, which was the best in the NFL. Those check-down passes can make a difference over the course of a 60-minute football game.

He’s not as in love with the passing game as people may suspect. In fact, the 49ers have run the ball on 43 percent of their plays dating back to the 2018 season. A big reason for that is because it sets up the play-action pass, Shanahan’s favorite tendency.

Shanahan’s football IQ is not lost on his players. In fact, as George Kittle once said in an interview, “He’s (Kyle Shanahan) right like nine out of 10 times.”

Scoring Trends Since Kyle Shanahan Took Over

2017 was Kyle Shanahan’s first year as the San Francisco 49ers head coach. Let’s take a look at his scoring trends every season since then:

• 2017: 30 total touchdowns; 15 rushing touchdowns, 15 passing touchdowns
• 2018: 33 total touchdowns; 7 rushing touchdowns, 26 receiving touchdowns
• 2019: 51 total touchdowns; 23 rushing touchdowns, 28 receiving touchdowns
• 2020: 44 total touchdowns; 19 rushing touchdowns, 25 receiving touchdowns

There are a few takeaways here. First, he’s obviously done a great job of implementing his offense and finding players that fit his scheme. That’s shown by the progressive uptick in total touchdowns from 2017-2019 (30, 33, 51).

Next, you’ll notice that his offense can score on the ground and in the air. 44% of their touchdowns come from running the football for the past two seasons. With players like George Kittle, who can block and catch, there’s no telling which route they’ll take to the end zone.

The San Francisco 49ers Continue Their Scoring Dominance

Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers are nothing if not consistent. Their Week 1 win could be a sign of their return to 2019 form.

Their high-scoring offense makes them the perfect candidate for you when you play BetMGM’s King of the Weekend promo.