SANTA CLARA -- It’s not just wideout Deebo Samuel who wants to be versatile on the field. Tackle Trent Williams wants a piece of the pie as well.
In the 49ers' divisional-round win over the Green Bay Packers, the All-Pro went in motion in the backfield twice. Williams destroying a linebacker was not as much of a surprise as what Kyle Shanahan revealed about installing the play on Thursday.
“We did it once,” Shanahan said. “We did it in walk through the night before we left here. It’s not something Trent had to practice too much. He had to time out the motion with the snap count and run full speed through the D-gap and clean up whoever shows, and when they showed, they got out of there pretty fast.
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The head coach shared that the actual play is nothing new, it’s just putting their personnel in different positions. Shanahan has become famous for his pre-snap motions and Williams was just the next in a long list of players who have taken on the role.
Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle and others have been used in motion as blockers in order to open holes for the ball-carrier. Shanahan explained that the motion can be used in an outside zone run or in power.
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Williams was set up in one of each in Green Bay.
“We just look at it as the same play we’ve been doing for or 10 years,” Shanahan said. “Just what’s one more piece we can add to it. It used to only be Juice and then we added the tight ends and then we added running backs and then we added receivers. Trent mentioned it to me a long time ago kind of halfway joking.
“He was the only guy left and he’s probably the best guy you could imagine doing it.”
Williams will sit out a second consecutive practice on Thursday but the head coach believes the anchor of his offensive line will play on Sunday. With his ankle not 100 percent, the likelihood of Williams revisiting the play is less likely.
The 49ers might have to advance to the Super Bowl for fans to see another pre-snap motion from Williams, but Shanahan’s creativity will still be a huge part of the 49ers game plan heading into the NFC Championship Game.
“I thought it was one of the coolest plays I’ve seen just because of who was on it, not because of the play we ran,” Shanahan said.