Praising the Chiefs, Ravens, Lions, and 49ers, the last four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs, is a form of flattery.
Copying their blueprints is the best form.
What can other teams learn by analyzing how AFC and NFC Championship Game teams are constructed and watching how they play?
Five of the last four trends are:
offensive head coach
Andy Reid (Chiefs), Dan Campbell (Lions) and Kyle Shanahan (49ers) all come from offense. John Harbaugh (Ravens) is an outlier, but it's not just in the playoffs.
Harbaugh, a former special teams coordinator, is the only non-offensive-minded head coach to reach conference championship weekend in each of the last three years.
In addition to Reid and Shanahan's recurring appearances, Nick Sirianni (Eagles), Zac Taylor (Bengals), and Sean McVay (Rams) (the latter two, as Shanahan and Reid once did) (also calls plays) has joined the group. period.
Bill Belichick was the last defensive-minded head coach to reach the Super Bowl in 2018 (his ninth).
Of the NFL's 28 current head coaches (with four vacancies), 18 come from an offense background, suggesting more offensive coaches will be promoted.
But the division is unequal.
Does that mean hiring a properly defensive-minded head coach is a bad idea?
The Texans have no qualms on the buyer's side after DiMeco Ryans revived a devastated franchise with a district title and a playoff win.
tight end beats receiver
You don't have to have three wideouts over 1,000 yards like the Bengals do to have a great passing attack. In a league that takes advantage of mismatches, all four teams count the tight end as his No. 1 or No. 2 pass catcher.
Travis Kelce led the Chiefs in receptions and yards (93 of 984).
Sam LaPorta was second for the Lions in both categories (86 of 889) and tied for first with 10 touchdowns.
George Kittle ranks second on the 49ers in receiving yards (1,020), and Mark Andrews led the Ravens in yards per catch (45) for the fifth straight season before missing the final six games of the regular season with an ankle injury. Ta.
Fill-in starter Isaiah appears to have scored five touchdowns in the past six games.
The Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown (1,515 yards) and the 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk (1,342 yards) are the only wideouts to reach 80 yards per catch or 950 yards receiving.
In addition to the four starting pitchers, Likely was added to the five difference-making tight ends, none of whom were first-round draft picks (second, two-thirds, fourth, and fifth). Cheaper to produce.
local talent
Every general manager says the same thing on their first day on the job. “We draft and develop.”
Now, according to overthecap.com, the Ravens, 49ers, and Chiefs actually had a higher percentage of homegrown players (draft picks or originally signed undrafted free agents) on their 53-man rosters in Week 1 of this season. It is said that he adheres to the philosophy based on
They tied for 4th, 7th, and 10th place, respectively. Six of the top eight teams (all at 68.4 percent or higher) made the playoffs.
The Lions' No. 19 (58.6 percent) seems unusual, but based on general manager Brad Holmes' impressive draft performance over three seasons, that number will rise even further: nine of Holmes' picks were in the district round. A victory that greatly contributed to the.
Four players have already been selected to the Pro Bowl. Seven non-first-rounders have been primary starting pitchers for at least one season.
stability, symmetry, perseverance
Harbaugh (started in 2008), Reid (2013) and Shanahan (2017) are three of the six longest-tenured NFL head coaches. To get there, Shanahan weathered a two-year start at 10-22, and the Ravens were 40-40 when Harbaugh missed the playoffs four times in five years (2013-2017). I didn't think my message was ignored.
On the general manager side, Brett Veach of the Chiefs and Eric DeCosta of the Ravens were promoted in 2017 and 2019, respectively, but both initially worked with their respective head coaches in other roles for more than a decade. Ta.
The 49ers hired Hall of Famer John Lynch out of the broadcast booth, and his first act was to hire Shanahan.
Despite going 0-10-1 in his 2021 debut, Holmes didn't immediately pull the trigger on Campbell in his first appearance — 12 NFL head coaches have done so since 2011. He was fired during his first year or after the first season.
defense wins
This adage holds true even in quarterback-dominated leagues.
The Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers ranked first, second, and third, respectively, in scoring defense. The Lions rank second in rush defense, up from 29th last season.
One common theme for the Ravens, 49ers, and Lions is valuing the inside linebacker while other linebackers downplay the position.
According to overthecap.com, the 49ers are spending a league-high $36.7 million on linebackers, including Drew Greenlaw (two interceptions in the last game) and All-Pro Fred Warner. There is.
The Ravens traded two draft picks for Roquan Smith, pairing him with Patrick Queen.
The Lions acquired Jack Campbell, who was selected to the All-Rookie team in the 2023 draft, with a first-round pick.
Chiefs forward Nick Bolton, who scored a touchdown in last year's Super Bowl, is a rising star.
