Offensive mastermind’s scheme lifts San Francisco past Saints 26-21
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) — Kyle Shanahan once again showed why he is considered one of football’s premier offensive minds. On Sunday, his San Francisco 49ers left the Superdome with a 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints, led not by their starter Brock Purdy, but by Mac Jones, a quarterback making his first start with the team.
Jones, acquired in the offseason as a backup, looked as if he had been in the system for years. He finished 26 of 39 for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. While the stat line was impressive, the performance underscored a larger point: Shanahan’s offense continues to insulate quarterbacks and elevate their play.
For years, Shanahan’s scheme has been called quarterback-friendly, but that undersells its sophistication. It is built on misdirection, timing and balance, forcing defenses to defend every blade of grass. The run game sets the stage with outside zone looks, then seamlessly flows into play-action passes that create open windows for quarterbacks. Even an opponent as disciplined as the Saints struggled to predict where the ball would go.
Jones thrived on third downs, completing seven of 12 attempts for 121 yards and all three of his touchdown passes. That situational excellence reflected Shanahan’s knack for designing plays that free receivers in key moments. Instead of asking his quarterback to fit passes into tight coverage, Shanahan schemed open Jauan Jennings for a 42-yard strike and relied on versatile weapons in the slot and backfield to extend drives.
The hallmark of Shanahan’s approach is simplicity for the quarterback paired with complexity for the defense. While the Saints tried to bring pressure, Jones had built-in answers: short routes, quick reads and safety valves like Christian McCaffrey, who kept defenders honest as both a rusher and receiver. The result was a rhythm that kept the chains moving and prevented New Orleans from seizing momentum.
What stood out most was the lack of hesitation in Jones’ play. In New England, inconsistency and turnovers derailed his development. With San Francisco, Shanahan’s system didn’t just hide his flaws — it highlighted his strengths. Timing, accuracy and decision-making were enough to win the game, and Shanahan made sure those traits were at the center of the plan.
The 49ers’ ability to plug in a quarterback and keep rolling is no accident. Over Shanahan’s tenure, different passers have stepped in — from Jimmy Garoppolo to Purdy, and now Jones — and the offense has remained among the NFL’s most efficient. The system asks quarterbacks to operate within structure, not outside of it, and that structure consistently yields results.
Sunday’s win wasn’t just about a backup quarterback exceeding expectations. It was another reminder that Shanahan’s offensive vision is the constant in San Francisco. Whether it is Purdy or Jones under center, the 49ers remain a threat because their head coach is the one truly steering the offense.
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