Shanahan brings zone blocking scheme

The Falcons managed to piece to gather a reasonably effective offensive line during the 2014 season in spite of a boatload of injuries to starters. They’ll have to do it again with a new coaching staff and while incorporating a radically different approach to blocking in the run game under coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

“We believe in the outside zone scheme,” Shanahan said during his intro news conference Tuesday. “We are going to do a lot of things but we are going to major in using the outside zone. It’s what I used in Houston. It’s what I did in Cleveland. It’s what I did in Washington. It’s something I believe in very strongly.

“The main thing when get these linemen in here is we are going to get them to run. They are going to run more than they ever have before. We are going to challenge the defense sideline to sideline, not just between the tackles. It’s a challenge to get guys to run and still be as physical as anybody.”

The system was popularized in the 1990s by the Broncos with assistant Alex Gibbs and coach Mike Shanahan, Kyle’s father. Gibbs later coached with the Falcons under Jim L. Mora.

“First of all it’s worked for a long time,” Shanahan said. “It makes sense to me, just thinking about it and watching it. When you have years and years of tape to watch it confirms it. Similar to what Dan Quinn preaches on defense, as coaches we are not trying to make ourselves smarter than we really are. We need something sound that we believe in that puts defenses in a bind and we need to be very good at it. When you believe in something that is sound, you drill it over and over and over until you get really good at it. Zone is what I believe in.”