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Cowboys vs. 49ers: 5 Bold Week 4 Predictions for San Francisco

By Peter Panacy

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Andrew Gachkar (52) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) is tackled by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Andrew Gachkar (52) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: RB Carlos Hyde Will Have Another 100-Yard Game

Running back Carlos Hyde is the 49ers’ best weapon on offense. He’s the current bell cow of head coach Chip Kelly’s uptempo scheme, so getting Hyde involved early and often will be critical for any San Francisco success.

Unfortunately for the Niners, other teams know this too. Hyde is essentially the lone offensive player against whom other teams have to scheme.

So look for Dallas to try and shut him down from the first snap.

The Cowboys have been respectable over three weeks against the run. Their defense currently sits at No. 12 with just 273 yards given up on the ground.

Digging deeper, Dallas’ defense is averaging 5.0 yards per rushing attempt — 29th in the league. Based on this stat, teams rushing against the Cowboys are capable of picking up some sizable gains.

Considering the 49ers want to feature the running game, it’s likely Hyde will be able to put up some big numbers.

Let’s just hope they won’t come in garbage time, as was the case last week in Seattle.