Gary vs Klint vs Kyle

[toffee]

Whoa whoa whoa Clint is more of an Eastwood you have no idea how good the bad ugly is gonna be

Quayle had a bad debate; he is more impressive in person. I had breakfast with him once, ok, I was one of the 50 or so guests. He was no Jack Kennedy, but he was quite good.

 

[SilasJohnson]

With that preseason teaser, I'm intrigued with what Klint could do with this offense, so I asked GPT5 about the differences between Gary, Klint and Kyle's offenses. We know who Kyle is and what he's done. As for Gary, he has multiple Championships on his resume:

Gary Kubiak’s Championships​

• Super Bowl Rings (4 total):
  • HC: Super Bowl 50 (2015 Broncos, beat Panthers 24–10).
  • QB Coach: Super Bowl XXIX (1994 49ers, beat Chargers 49–26).
  • OC: Super Bowl XXXII (1997 Broncos, beat Packers 31–24).
  • OC: Super Bowl XXXIII (1998 Broncos, beat Falcons 34–19).

According to GPT 5, Klint's offense is a hybrid of Gary Kubiak’s classic zone-play action system and Kyle Shanahan’s modern, motion-heavy, YAC-focused evolution.

The Coaching DNA​

• Gary Kubiak (the father):
  • Core = outside zone run game + under-center play-action/bootlegs.
  • Goal = simplify reads, move the pocket, balance run/pass, wear defenses down.
  • Famous for turning mid-round RBs (Terrell Davis, Arian Foster) into stars and making QBs efficient (Matt Schaub, late-career John Elway).
• Kyle Shanahan (Gary’s protégé):
  • Core = same outside zone roots, but modernized.
  • Added heavy pre-snap motion, formation shifts, gap/power run wrinkles, and yards-after-catch passing concepts.
  • The offense is deceptive and QB-friendly: lots of “layup throws” with playmakers (Deebo, Kittle, McCaffrey).
• Klint Kubiak:
  • Grew up in Gary’s system, coached with both his dad and Kyle Shanahan.
  • His playbook blends the disciplined, run-centric balance of Gary’s system with the motion/YAC wrinkles of Kyle’s system.
  • This hybridization is what we’re now seeing unfold in Seattle.

How Klint’s Offense Mirrors Gary’s​

1. Run First Philosophy
   • Just like Gary, Klint builds everything off the outside zone run game.
2. Under-Center Emphasis
   • Klint is bringing Seattle back to under-center football after a shotgun-heavy year in 2024. This mirrors his dad’s classic style and sets up stronger play-action deception.
3. Bootlegs & Play-Action Deep Shots
   • Darnold will live on bootlegs, half-rolls, and deep posts — the bread and butter of Gary’s system.

How Klint’s Offense Mirrors Kyle’s​

1. Motion and Shifts
   • Klint uses more pre-snap movement than his dad ever did — not as much as Kyle (who uses motion almost every play), but enough to create mismatches and disguises.
2. Passing Game Tweaks
   • While Gary’s pass game leaned on timing routes and occasional deep shots, Klint integrates crossers, drags, and in-breakers that mirror Kyle’s YAC focus.
   • Players like JSN and Cooper Kupp are perfect for this — they catch short/intermediate passes and create explosive plays after the catch.
3. Run Variety Beyond Outside Zone
   • Gary was almost pure outside zone. Kyle expanded to include inside zone, duo, counter, toss-crack, gap schemes. Klint is incorporating this diversity too (Charbonnet as the power complement).
4. Shotgun & RPO Elements
   • Kyle (and McVay) modernized the tree with shotgun looks and occasional RPOs. Klint has adopted these too — something Gary never leaned on.

Key Differences: Gary vs. Klint vs. Kyle​

Element	Gary Kubiak (Classic)	Kyle Shanahan (Modern)	Klint Kubiak (Hybrid)
Run Game	Outside zone heavy	Outside zone + gap/power + toss	Outside zone base + inside zone/gap mix
QB Usage	Under center, bootlegs	Both under center & shotgun, motion defines reads	Under center emphasis, adds shotgun/RPOs
Passing	Play-action deep shots, timing	YAC crossers, motion layups, spacing	PA + crossers + quick game + YAC
Motion	Minimal	Heavy, nearly every snap	Moderate, situational
Identity	“Run to set up the pass”	“Deception + YAC factory”	“Balanced, run first but adaptable”

Summary​

Klint Kubiak is carrying forward Gary’s DNA — disciplined outside zone, under-center play-action, QB-friendly reads — but he’s layered in Kyle Shanahan’s modern wrinkles: motion, formation variety, diversified run schemes, and a passing game built for YAC.

Think of it this way:

• Gary’s scheme = foundation.
• Kyle’s innovations = upgrades.
• Klint’s playbook = a bridge between the two.

That makes Seattle’s 2025 offense potentially very dangerous: physical enough to pound teams on the ground (Gary-style), but modern enough to stay deceptive and dynamic (Kyle-style).

Really like this breakdown — Klint’s hybrid approach makes a lot of sense. Looks like Seattle could have a balanced, run-first offense that’s still creative and explosive in the passing game.