Defensive Conversion

Saleh transforming unit from size to speed

- Kevin Lynch

 

Sometimes, the best innovations occur purely by mistake. Bill Walsh stumbled upon the West Coast offense as an offensive coordinator for the Bengals in the early 1970s when his quarterback, Greg Cook, sustained a shoulder injury.

Cook was ticketed for greatness coming out of the University of Cincinnati with his strapping frame and big arm. But the 1969 AFC Rookie of the Year injured his shoulder when tackled by Kansas City linebacker Jim Lynch during the third game of his rookie season.

Cook tore his rotator cuff and had a partially torn biceps tendon that went undiagnosed. As the year progressed, his shoulder deteriorated, and the once rocket arm was reduced to a pop gun.

Walsh had to adjust, and continued to modify the passing game from a vertical attack to short, quick, horizontal passes that Cook could handle. Instead of combining a strong running game with deep strikes, Walsh used a timing offense with quick throws to conduct long, unstoppable drives that sapped a defense and led to the birth of the West Coast offense.

While the current 49ers defense isn’t on the precipice of such a momentous innovation, the team may have discovered something new with the current front seven of its defense.

The team is now combining the long defensive ends and pass rushers from former general manager Trent Baalke’s era, with shorter, smaller, quicker defenders favored by current head coach Kyle Shanahan and his defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.