Report: Atlanta Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan among top 20 coordinators in the NFL

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's influence was felt from the moment he arrived at Flowery Branch. The team made a wholesale commitment to zone blocking this off-season in an effort to reinvigorate a nearly nonexistent running game. That's a substantial commitment, one the Falcons wouldn't undertake without really believing in Shanahan's system.

But now Shanahan is getting some league-wide props, earning a spot in NFL.com's recent top 20 coordinators rankings.

18) Kyle Shanahan, offensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons: The creative play caller is one of the best teachers of the stretch-bootleg combination (outside-zone run complemented by the bootleg passing game), but it is his ability to meld collegiate concepts with traditional NFL schemes that has made him a hot commodity in league circles.

It's good to see any member of the Falcons organization in a top twenty ranking, even if it means absolutely nothing. Shanahan does rank two spots behind former Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. The author of the rankings, Bucky Brooks, is probably a bit too generous in his assessment of Koetter's running game acumen, calling him a "crafty run game specialist."

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