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San Francisco 49ers: Former Head Coach Chip Kelly Deserves Some Credit for 2016 Efforts

By Peter Panacy

January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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49ers Hyde
December 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs the football against New York Jets cornerback Juston Burris (32) and outside linebacker Darron Lee (50) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Running Game

For all the woes San Francisco went through on both sides of the ball, the Niners did enjoy a top-five year on the ground.

On offense, that is.

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Yes, the 49ers finished with the NFL’s fourth-best rushing attack — a total of 2,019 yards on the ground.

True, part of this has to be attributed to the lack of weapons in the passing game. San Francisco wasn’t build to be a pass-happy offense, but at least Chip Kelly tried to maximize whatever strengths the Niners had.

And that strength included running back Carlos Hyde.

Hyde nearly reached 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career, only to fall 12 short after suffering a season-ending MCL sprain in Week 16. The 2014 second-round pick also led San Francisco in touchdowns (six) and remains a focal point for the 49ers offense moving forward.

In comparison, a similarly bad roster last year finished with 1,544 rushing yards — 21st in the NFL during the 2015 season.