We all know the old adage about New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He wants to take away whatever it is you do best on offense. This week? That likely takes us to San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.
The former fifth-round draft pick out of Iowa is a force for the 49ers, particularly after the catch. Head coach and de facto offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan finds a lot of ways to get him involved in the passing game, scheming up ways to get the 27-year-old open as the first read for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. When the ex-Patriot can go right to his initial read in the progression, he can be effective — and Kittle allows him to do that.
In the video breakdown above, we will look at how Shanahan employs Kittle, where he aligns, what routes he runs, and the myriad ways he gets involved in the San Francisco passing attack.