Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Which Offensive System is Better: Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan?
Oct 30, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay meets with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan following the game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan rivalry is so complex, with it being propped up by the fact that the players representing the teams they coach hate each other, that everything between the two franchises gets put under evaluation.

Considering both men are legacies, with McVay's grandfather John having built a Golden dynasty with Bill Walsh and the 49ers, and Shanahan's father Mike having won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Denver Broncos, there's a lot of history, especially when both men are close in age, used to work together in Washington, and are considered offensive gurus.

So when ESPN's Dan Graziano starts to ask questions about the quarterbacks in the NFL and Sam Darnold comes up, how Darnold performs in 2025 could indicate who has the superior offensive system, McVay or Shanahan.

"What happens if the Sam Darnold resurrection wasn't real?"

"The somewhat tepid market for Darnold in free agency indicates that there was a fair bit of skepticism around the league about the sustainability of his breakout 2024 season," wrote Graziano.

"Seattle got a pretty nice deal -- three years, $100.5 million and just $37.5 million guaranteed -- and if Darnold does play the way he did in Minnesota, it'll look like a massive steal. If Darnold reverts to the jittery, turnover-prone ways of his early career, Seattle is likely in for a rough campaign. But at least the Seahawks aren't committed to him beyond this season."

"Drew Lock and third-round rookie Jalen Milroe are the other options on the roster if Darnold falters. As of now, coach Mike Macdonald has been very clear Darnold is the starter and that it would take an injury to change that. Expect Darnold to get the year, or at least the bulk of it, to prove that 2024 was not a fluke."

Darnold's resurrection was very real. We all literally saw it unfold. Well some could say that's because he had Justin Jefferson and they would be right, Darnold also had Justin Jefferson in a McVay offense under Kevin O'Connell.

So if he goes to Seattle, a team with a plethora of weapons, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and fails, one may have to question if that's due to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense, a system that is Shanahan-based.

Darnold spent 2023 with the 49ers, so he should know how to run Kubiak's system so which leads to a new question. If Darnold doesn't come close to looking as good as he did in Minnesota, is it the system? If so, that's one more notch to McVay.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Rams on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Packers Get Worrisome Update on $77 Million Offensive Lineman
NFL

Packers Get Worrisome Update on $77 Million Offensive Lineman

The Packers are banking on the offensive line making big strides this season, but may have suffered a setback during one of the first practices of training camp. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Aaron Banks went down with some sort of injury midway through Thursday’s practice. “Left guard Aaron Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million contract in the offseason, did not finish the practice,” Demovsky noted for ESPN. “He appeared to drop out halfway through the one-hour, 54-minute session. He remained on the field with a helmet on but did not return.” The severity of whatever ailment Banks suffered is unknown at this time, but if he is forced to miss any meaningful practice time it could deal a blow to the Packers trying to build a strong chemistry and cohesion up front. Last season, for the San Francisco 49ers, Banks allowed just one sack but his 25 pressures ranked 105th in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

Yankees among teams in talks to acquire Padres starter
MLB

Yankees among teams in talks to acquire Padres starter

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stirred up a whirlwind, looking to fulfill his priority of bringing a frontline starter to New York. In his latest round of relentless phone calls, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that Cashman spoke to San Diego Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, about two-time Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. Cease has been a source of interest for MLB teams since 2022, when he pitched to a spectacular 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, coming second in the Cy Young voting. Landing with the Padres last season, Cease again flashed potential, tossing to a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts through 189.1 innings of work. That year, he placed fourth in Cy Young voting. But as much as Cease is talented, he is also flawed. In 2023, just after his best year, Cease posted a lackluster 4.58 ERA, and this season has been no better. Through 113.2 innings this year, Cease owns a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts. Cease has been quite the strikeout artist since his debut, but the rest of his results haven’t always been that good. His 42 walks and 16 home runs surrendered on the year make him a risky bet. According to Heyman, the Yankees are one of four teams that have “checked in” on Cease. He notes that trading Cease is a long shot since the Padres are in contention, but they still may be inclined to do so as he is in the last year of his contract. One might also add that his performance this year probably won’t help them reach the World Series. For the Yankees, or any other interested team for that matter, dealing prospects or players for a slumping half-year rental might not be the best idea. Still, the Padres might just receive a decent haul for Cease since the market for spotless, front-line aces is non-existent at this trade deadline.

Cardinals Last-Second Prediction Sends All-Star To Dodgers
MLB

Cardinals Last-Second Prediction Sends All-Star To Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals have been the talk of the trade block all season and now we are just days away from decision day. With the trade deadline coming on July 31st, we will soon know the team’s thoughts. The Cardinals have been clear that the standings will dictate deadline decisions and things haven’t been trending in the right direction since the All-Star break. The Cardinals have a few days to turn things around, but a slight sale seems possible at this point. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicted the Cardinals will end up moving pieces and send Ryan Helsley to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Los Angeles Dodgers: P Ryan Helsley," Axisa said. "The Dodgers needed bullpen even before Tanner Scott exited Monday's game with a forearm issue. Scott and Kirby Yates have underwhelmed, and who knows how effective Blake Treinen will be when he returns from his own forearm issue in the coming weeks? He's been out since mid-April. POBO Andrew Friedman doesn't like overpaying at the trade deadline, but he doesn't have much of a choice right now. The Dodgers are the most win-now team in the sport and the bullpen is a huge weakness. "The Cardinals are hanging around the wild-card race themselves and I suppose they could keep Helsley, though he will be a free agent after the season, and I think the market for high-end relievers will be too strong to pass up. I could see St. Louis buying and selling at the same time. Trade Helsley, then pick up a different (controllable) reliever to backfill his innings. The Dodgers seem likely to add multiple relievers at the deadline. I'll bet on Helsley being the most impactful." This is a popular prediction at this point. Now, it's a matter of seeing if it comes true.

Insider shares promising update on Jets QB Justin Fields' toe injury
NFL

Insider shares promising update on Jets QB Justin Fields' toe injury

New York Jets fans understandably panicked when it was learned on Thursday morning that quarterback Justin Fields was carted off the practice field with an apparent lower right leg injury. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t Kevin Patra) later reported that "the initial diagnosis is that Fields suffered a dislocated toe," which isn't his big toe. ESPN's Rich Cimini offered more positive news regarding the situation, claiming that a source revealed "that the injury is not considered significant and that the quarterback should not be sidelined for long." The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed in March to be their starting QB after he spent last summer competing with Russell Wilson for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 gig. Fields went 4-2 as Wilson spent the first six weeks of the 2024 season recovering from a lingering calf problem before Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin started Wilson from Week 7 through the wild-card round of the playoffs. The Jets can escape Fields' contract as soon as next offseason, meaning backup Tyrod Taylor theoretically could give first-year head coach Aaron Glenn something to think about by performing well in Fields' absence. Gang Green opens the regular season with a home game against the Steelers on Sept. 7. "I think the most important part is, if anything does happen to Justin, I don't think there's any drop-off as far as what we want to do when it comes to play," Glenn said on Thursday about having to turn to Taylor temporarily. If Fields' injury is worse than feared, the Jets could give the Cleveland Browns a call about the status of Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Cleveland is expected to carry rookie signal-callers Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel on the active roster through September, meaning either Flacco or Pickett could be deemed surplus by the end of the preseason.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!