FanPost

Why we need Kyle Shanahan.



This post isn't meant to pile on to the Kyle Shanahan love that is already existent on Stampede. I've seen a few comments from fans with other perspectives calling Shanahan's value into question. Im not really certain anyone has taken the time to compile all the pros for KS as the next head coach of the Colts. I also have seen some clump him in with Mcdaniels and I don't like that comp. Mcdaniels for all he has done has had some great players and coaches around him as training wheels when he succeeded big. I'm not certain he's a guy who squeezes out value from players but luckily he works for the best. KS on the other hand has put together some good to great work with a lot less at pretty much every stop with good, bad, or mediocre head coaching. I'm here to focus on Kyle though. As a coordinator or secondary assistant he has coached under John Gruden, Mike Shanahan, and Gary Kubiak so he has some great experience of his own with SB winning HCs. Later he coached under Mike Pettine and now Dan Quinn who are not of that level. Nothing against Quinn maybe he will be one day. Let's look at his OC reign though.

Houston- 2008-2009- OC

In 2008 KS was bumped from QB coach to OC and didn't skip a beat. Matt Shaub elevated to a new level, AJ was a stud that got fed, and Steve Slaton had a 1200 yd rushing season. Overall the 4th ranked offense (YDS). In 2009 they took a step back running wise but it was mainly due to Slaton getting hurt. They finally found a guy named Arian Foster for the last 6 games of that year and coached him to 4.8 ypc. I think if he'd have stayed it would have helped him more than leaving for Wash.

Washington- 2010-2013- OC

Shanahan went to work for Dad in 2010. He spent 4 seasons there. The first 2 came with an old Donavon Mcnabb at QB and not a lot else to speak of on offense talent wise. If you remember Ryan Torain having a 724 yd rushing season raise your hand. Still KS coached them to 18th in 2010 and 16th in 2011 in total offense. Along came RG3 prior to falling apart in 2012 with the famed 2nd pick massacre. We will get to what happened in a minute but first imagine if they'd have gotten the 1st pick and Andrew Luck. Mike Shanahan may still be the Redskins HC and/or Kyle may be the assistant HC or the actual HC at this point. What did I happen was RG3, Alfred Morris, and Pierre Garçon. KS took that bunch to a 5th overall finish in total offense. Then little by little RG3 started to RG3 leading into the doomed 2013 season. The team went 3-13 although Morris posted his 2nd 1000yd season in as many years with around 1200 yds (1600 yds in 2012!). The unit as a whole still finished 9th in total offense and their demise was QB and defense related.

Cleveland- 2014- OC

Even though th Skins demise wasn't on his hands he had to suffer the blowback of 3-13 and go work for the Browns. With his lone season in CLE he finished with his worst bunch. 23rd total offense. With Brian Hoyer, rookies Twest and Crowell, 5 games of Gordon and a hodge podge of A Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and Travis Benjamin green as can be he was better than 9 other teams at moving the football! Hoyer had over 3,000 yds passing and he squeezed over 1,700 yds out of West, Crowell, and Tate. It was a pit stop but an important one to me ensuring his run game travels.

Atlanta- 2015-present- OC

After a bit of a derailment in 2015 after a hot 5-0 start where he and Ryan got a lot of mud tossed their way KS has shown resilience. That 2015 bunch was still 7th in total offense and the defense wasn't great around them in 2015 by any stretch. Just goes to show how quickly some can turn with a little losing as he was getting his job done in his first year with a not so balanced overall roster. Freeman had his first 1000yd season rushing as well as some beautiful work in the passing game, Ryan elevated his numbers, and Jones set career marks. This season has been more of the same with a less healthy Jones, an even better Ryan, and a 2 headed monster at RB when healthy led by Freeman 27 yds shy of another 1000yd season himself. The defense is a bit better too so that helps. Currently the 2016 Falcons have the 2nd overall offense and that is the reason they are 10-5 looking at the playoffs. The only major changes from 2014 with Mike Smith to now are the 2 sophomore mid round RBs and KS. This only further proves his knack for devolving young RBs (Slaton, Foster, Morris, West, Crowell, Freeman, and Coleman) while also showing an accumen for elevating his QBs play.

It it is clear to me that he is an elite OC and more than dangerous with any real talent at his grasp. I can only daydream for now about what levels he could elevate Luck, Hilton, Moncrief, Dorsett, and some youth at RB to. In the time Pagano served as HC of the Colts we have had 1 top 10 finish for total offense (3rd, 2014). In that span KS has coached 4 top 10 units and the crappy Browns to a respectable finish all things considering. He did all that with 3 different teams in that time. I really can't think of much more proof to see than the resume he presents for us to at least all agree he is an elite OC. As a person there are reports he can be a jerk for pg sakes and can rub players the wrong way. To that I say I'm not worried. Belicheck can do the same but winning cures all and we need a more cut throat environment around this team. I'd welcome a leader with the nuggets to bench anyone for lolligagging or loafing. This aspect of KS certainly hasn't hampered his ability to get results so far. Another rumor I like personally is that he wants Mike to tag along as DOPP or Pres of the organization he goes to. This is another positive to me as they will get along and this adds another layer of accountability between Irsay and the team leaders. Not to mention it's usually a good thing to have HOFs walking around your halls to really sell players on buying into the system. If I were Luck I'd be pleased to have so much offensive accumen to work with between both. So yea for my preffered hire by a landslide I want Kyle Shanahan. He gets results, develops all rounds of talent, has a phenomenal lengthy resume, and with the experience checked off his youth has its perks in longevity possibility and connecting with young players. I think he and Luck would be best buds and deliver us multiple top 5 offenses over a long period of time. His DC would be very important but with his accumen on offense and us only being a RB and maybe a RT shy of better than anything he's had before on offense we could spare a ton of picks now and in the future on Defense. KS is the only HC we could get that I'd support taking a RB in the 1st. Give him Dalvin Cook and a good free agent RT and we can go all defense the remainder of this year and likely next. That unit would be insane with him at the helm that's for certain. That's just one thought though as I believe he'd do great with Samuel, Gallman, Kamara, or a handful of other backs as well. Please don't make this about RBs worth a 1st or not just a theoretical scenario about a RB and QB guru having a stud RB and QB. So my question after going over all of this back to any reader is why not go with KS at HC? He is making the playoffs now with a defensive coach with a below average defense (23rd). What more would you need to see to buy in?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.