The 49ers made me a believer of Zone Blocking.

I have always had a pretty strong understanding of zone blocking principles. Simply stated, it is the Oline philosophy in which the player blocks an area not a player. It is important to state that this principle is mostly applicable for running plays, in most pass blocking situations the Oline is shielding using a zone concept to avoid falling victim to stunts (when a defensive player attacks inside from an outside alignment.) However, if I am being honest I was never a big fan. I love pull blocks, crack backs, traps, and the overall expression of big boy athleticism! 

The 49ers against Dallas completely changed my perspective on the efficacy of the philosophy. Primarily, I misunderstood the advantages. A prevailing narrative of offensive line success is the coordinated effort of the unit, The idea that the success of the whole is primarily a product of  group organization. A Zone blocking scheme makes that fundamental principle exponentially more possible. Why?

First: The oline by design must move in unison. Instead of pulling and trapping, where big men have to navigate short spaces quickly to attack a gap where they can only assume who and how to attack risking imbalance; they move in one direction in a personification of a moving wall.

Second: I can reasonably assume that the oline as a unit using this philosophy is more likely to hold each other accountable as a unit. Under this scheme all 5 lineman are as accountable for the success of the play considering that the unit by design moves as a flock. 

Third: Besides the tackles, individual athleticism is not as essential, allowing a team to easily find competent lineman that can intellectually understand and execute this system predicated on unit synergy.

Fourth: I am not sure if this is an advantage or not, but considering how difficult it is to teach this system, very few college programs run this principle. Which means that running backs are not versed in the intricacy of their responsibilities. The system explicitly places the onus on the vision of the RB. In college most RB’s are taught to attack a certain gap, in a zone scheme they are tasked to patiently analyze how the blocking unfolds. I realize that might sound like a disadvantage, but I would argue that it opens a world of possibility to find a talent with the vision that was overlooked because of the rarity of the discipline. I.E. Terrel Davis.

Fifth and the one I most overlooked: When watching San Fran I came to a sobering realization. San Fran used the unit and scheme to keep Dallas off balance. The unit effectively became an indicator to play direction. When a guard pulls, or a tackle traps, the defense can reasonably assume the direction of the play, all that is in question is whether the individual matchup can be won. However, when five large athletic and powerful men consistently move in unison it trips a three fire alarm in a defensive front. This makes counters, misdirection and jet motion, more effective. Furthermore, it results in more consistent one on one blocking assignments for your TE or FB.

The only disadvantage to this system is how difficult it is to teach, but I would argue that in this environment of college spread offenses, it is far more difficult to find elite Offensive Lineman than it is to teach a professional to play the team oriented scheme of zone blocking.