49ers’ Kyle Shanahan and Rams’ Sean McVay always thinking pre-snap motion — after too much coffee and even at the movies
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Nick Wagoner
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ESPN Staff Writer- Covered Rams for nine years for stlouisrams.com
- Previously covered University of Missouri football
- Member of Pro Football Writers of America
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Lindsey Thiry
CloseESPN- Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
- Previously covered the Falcons
- Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball
Editor’s note: A version of this story first published on Nov. 15 ahead of a Week 10 Monday Night Football matchup between the Rams and 49ers. The story has been updated ahead of the NFC Championship Game.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No matter where he is or what he’s doing, football is never far from San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s mind.
On a recent Friday night, Shanahan ventured to a local theater as part of a family birthday party, with the animated film “The Addams Family 2” on the big screen. By the time Shanahan left, he hadn’t spent much time basking in Snoop Dogg’s swing at the voice of Cousin Itt.
Instead, he spent the one hour, 47-minute run time on his iPad concocting new play ideas, many of which included the biggest staple of his offense: pre-snap motion.
“It was awesome because I got to just sit there with my iPad for two hours and do that type of stuff,” Shanahan said. “It’s hard to leave your job, and I guess I enjoy thinking about football.”
Indeed, whether he’s at dinner, driving in his car, lying in bed, Shanahan always has his iPad or a pen and paper nearby in case inspiration strikes and he needs to quickly jot down an idea.
It’s an obsession Shanahan shares with Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, who is looking to snap a six-game losing streak to Shanahan’s Niners on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in the NFC Championship Game (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox). It’s a game that will feature plenty of similar offensive concepts, but none more so than the duo’s shared affection for movement before the snap.
Since the coaches took over their jobs in 2017, Shanahan’s 49ers and McVay’s Rams rank first and eighth in the NFL in…
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Source : espn
