The West Coast Offense

The West Coast Offense was mastered by Bill Walsh with the San Francisco 49ers. Let’s look at some of the basic philosophies of this league altering system that Walsh created. He took knowledge learned from the offensive minds of Don “Air” Coryell as well as Paul Brown, Sid Gillman and Al Davis. Walsh blended those philosophies and created the West Coast Offense to win multiple championships with the Niners. What is the West Coast Offense? Let’s take a look and see what makes this system so unique from other systems used in the NFL.

The basic premise of the passing game in the West Coast offense is that the system uses short slanting pass routes that uses Running Backs and Tight Ends as receivers. A QB with mobility was originally preferred with the belief that the smaller, receiving backs may not be as well suited for pass blocking as opposed to the big “smashmouth” backs like John Riggins for example. Times have since changed and now great athletes come in all shapes and sizes with their own unique skill sets. The West Coast system under Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos for example utilized different offensive sets (single back, double tight end, 5 wide, I formation, etc..) that often saw potential pass blockers run out for passing routes. A mobile QB for Shanahan’s system was also important as the coach liked to run a lot of bootlegs and roll-outs where mobility and accuracy on the run were needed. Each coach had their own little wrinkle and tweaked the system according to their personnel. Generally speaking, the West Coast Offense tends to prefer bigger receivers who run well after the catch. This offense typically predicates on the short and mid range passing attack and tries to create match-up problems for the defense. Wide Outs typically run more vertically than horizontally (but they definitely do both) so the short slants and quick routes mean big plays come after the catch.

The West Coast offense has been traditionally known as a “Pass first” offense, where discipline is of the utmost importance. It uses timing routes where the QB throws to a certain area on the field counting on his receiver to be in that area. When the QB and WR have a miscommunication it can leave fans saying “Who was that throw to?”

Wide Receivers aren’t the only passing threat in this style offense. Typically RB’s and Tight Ends play a huge role in the passing game. Looking back at the great 49er teams and you’ll see Roger Craig and Dwight Clark playing a big role in the passing attack. In fact, Roger Craig had a 1000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. The Niners rarely went out of a “Pro Formation” meaning they used 2 WR’s, 1 TE, 1 FB and 1 RB – however all these players went out on passing patterns. This is where the match-up problems for the defense come in. When the offense can force a LB to have to cover a RB on a passing play it is usually an advantage for the offense.

Steve Marriuci discusses Bill Walsh and how the West Coast Offense as evolved.

As for the running game, some teams that run the West Coast Offense also employed the vaunted Zone Blocking Scheme. This scheme is intended so that the offensive line works in unison off the snap to get the defense flowing in one direction. The key is for the entire line to move together and they need mobility to slide down the line of scrimmage. Since mobility is key, usually the linemen are smaller and more agile. The running back is then responsible for finding the proper lane then making one cut and then head down hill. While the line is moving in one direction, the backside (away from the direction of the flow) of the offensive line “cuts” (meaning bring to the ground) the defensive linemen thus opening an opportunity if the original running lane is clogged. One of the many geniuses of this system is that often times the offensive line would get to the “second level”, meaning a Center or Guard on a Linebacker or Safety. If the Running Back hits the hole at the proper time he only has on or two guys left to beat which can mean big plays. It is a running system that proved a one cut style runner who could hit the hole hard could do well. If the Running Back has great vision and ellusive abilities he can become elite. In this highlight we show how the O-Line moves in unison in one direction and Terrell Davis finds the open hole, puts a foot in the ground, squares his shoulders and heads downhill. Notice how #69 (Mark Schlereth) of the Broncos gets to the second level putting a block on linebacker #52 (Pepper Johnson) leaving only a defensive back left to make the tackle. After making that one lone defender miss Davis goes the rest of the way untouched! Zone Blocking at it’s finest!

The West Coast Offense mastered by Bill Walsh uses a combination of formations and pass catchers to create match-up problems for the defense. The WR’s and QB’s need to be on the same page or the system won’t work. Running Backs and Tight Ends are very involved in the passing attack and the Offensive line typically works in unison in the running game. When done properly, as the San Francisco 49er’s did in the 1980′s, it is almost impossible to stop!

Bill Walsh’s “Coaching Tree” has had a major influence on many teams in the NFL and his legacy will always carry on!