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Rams vs. 49ers: 5 Week 1 Bold Predictions for San Francisco

By Peter Panacy

November 2, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs against St. Louis Rams free safety Rodney McLeod (23) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Rams defeated the 49ers 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 2, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs against St. Louis Rams free safety Rodney McLeod (23) during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Rams defeated the 49ers 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates with fans after scoring on a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 14, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates with fans after scoring on a 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: RB Carlos Hyde Eclipses His Week 1 Effort from 2015

Remember this play?

That was part of running back Carlos Hyde’s 168-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 last year. And it fell on Monday Night Football as well.

There is a key difference here though. Last season, the 49ers were thought to have a bit of a passing game. The offense boasted wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick hadn’t hit rock bottom yet.

This year, Los Angeles will know San Francisco’s rushing attack is coming. It’s the 49ers’ best weapon on offense.

Still, head coach Chip Kelly will be featuring the run. The Niners led the NFL in preseason rushing yards with 737 — nearly 100 more than the second-place Tennessee Titans (644).

So that means a lot of Hyde.

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Hyde was dealing with a concussion and the subsequent recovery protocol. But he’s currently not on the injury report for this contest. And that’s a very good thing.

Combine Hyde’s elusiveness with Kelly’s uptempo, wearing-down offense, and the Niners could be in for a very big night on the ground.

Next: Rams vs. 49ers: 5 Matchups to Watch for San Francisco

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.