49ers Are Finding Success With One of the NFL’s Most Unusual Offenses

The San Francisco 49ers have achieved high offensive efficiency by heavily utilizing two-running-back sets rather than following the league-wide trend of three-receiver formations. Head coach Kyle Shanahan deploys two or more running backs on 43% of offensive plays, leading the NFL. A central element is 21 personnel, used on 35% of plays, where the 49ers rank first in EPA per play at +0.11 and average 6.4 yards per play.

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk plays a crucial role by providing blocking power while remaining a versatile threat in the passing game. Despite using standard three-receiver 11 personnel on just 32% of snaps, San Francisco still leads the league in EPA per play (+0.29) out of that grouping, showing strong efficiency across multiple offensive packages.