Originally posted by D0PEMAN:
this dude changed the identity of the team
Not really. It's the same team but he's just a better player than what we had at the position. He's a homerun threat every time he touches the ball, can run outside of the numbers, is a threat even as a checkdown and can beat any LB one on one. In the structure of Shanahan's offense, this is a lethal combination.
Prior to CMC, the defense was always condensed in that narrow cone between the numbers. Wilson doesn't have the speed to attack the edges so the defense didn't need to respect that. This is something we had with Mitchell, but CMC turns that up to 11. So no longer are we seeing Jimmy having to thread the needle with contested passes because there's always a player around. With CMC, the defense is spread out so Jimmy is throwing to WRs and TEs that now have a ton of space and can get that YAC.
On top of all of this, the explosive run game is back. The difference between this game and the game three weeks ago is that we no longer have to methodically march down the field for 7 minutes and have the perfect drive. We're like a normal football team with shorter drives due to explosive runs and passes. Add to this the return of the 3rd and manageable due to CMC getting at least 4-5 yards per run.
Wilson was a slow, middling power back that we ran up the middle frequently. He'd break like one big run a game. Mitchell and now CMC have the potential to get more of those and hit the home run. That makes it easier on anyone.
Shanahan's offense didn't change, it's just running the way it's supposed to. And I like just how CMC is the perfect complement for Jimmy. Jimmy is a gunslinger who prefers the chunk 10+ yd throw over the checkdown, but with CMC he's able to get chunk yardage on checkdowns. No more forcing it into Deebo or Kittle when they're blanketed. Get the guaranteed 7-10 yds on the checkdown.