When tackling, stop forward progress.

I can’t put my finger on it, but running with the ball in the open field or past or through the line of scrimmage has changed.

For 31 teams it’s about ball security. Most players fall on their face after the get touched so some tackler doesn’t strip the ball. They’ve probably been coached that way since high school.

Shanahan doesn’t coach that. Shanahan coaches it like he’s Chuck Knox or George Allen who never met a yards after contact ball carrier they didn’t like.

And I know it’s him because it’s not just Deebo Samuel, but Kittle and Juszczyk too, are leg drivers. They keep driving their legs until somebody touches them to the grass. I’m not down yet? Then I’ll keep running thank you very much!

Tacklers are not used to this 1970s running style, so they’re expecting the ball carrier to surrender and give themselves up for a belly rub, but Samuel’s not going to show his belly. He then proceeds to run a lá Earl Campbell for another 10 yards.

So, DCs need to either practice tackling through to the whistle or take extra measures to strip Niner ball carriers of the ball since they’re approaching forward progress with a more reckless, but effective, style.

This amps up the Niner offense and the Niner sidelines to convince themselves they are world beaters. They are the bullies!!

And it doesn’t matter if they’re not really that tough individually. (I’d take Aaron Donald as my wing man over Kittle in an altercation 10 times out of 10.)

It’s just the Shanahan philosophy of carrying the ball with the emphasis being leg driver and forward progress over ball security.

In my opinion, that’s why the Niners think they’re so bad, so invincible. It’s not their personnel. It’s their coach’s philosophy.

Stop that philosophy, the you stop the arrogant attitude. They win because of that arrogance.

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We Not Me