49ers preseason 2018: Running back battle a key focal point vs. Cowboys

The San Francisco 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys for Week 1 of the preseason, and the battle at running back between Joe Williams and Matt Breida should be a hot storyline for the contest.

Out of a number of intriguing position battles the San Francisco 49ers will carry into their preseason debut against the Dallas Cowboys this week, the battle at No. 2 running back should be one of the most provocative.

Already, head coach Kyle Shanahan has announced his starters will see playing time in Week 1 of the preseason. The only question is how much.

That means the Niners’ No. 1 running back, Jerick McKinnon, will get some snaps. But as the bona fide starter heading into 2018, that’s not much of a competition. There is competition, however, immediately behind McKinnon.

Namely between backup running backs Matt Breida and Joe Williams.

Entering training camp, Breida was the hands-down favorite to earn the No. 2 spot, particularly after Williams’ redshirted 2017 campaign in which he struggled with both ball security and a sense of urgency. Yet Williams has been more than productive throughout training camp, flashing all the abilities that made him a highly touted target out of Utah by Shanahan in last year’s NFL Draft.

Williams has impressed Shanahan too, which is equally as important:

The problem for Williams, though, is Breida has been just as effective throughout camp.

San Francisco’s depth chart at running back is fairly crowded, particularly if Shanahan elects to keep no more than three runners on the 53-man roster this season. With McKinnon cemented in at No. 1, there are three names for the other two spots — Breida, Williams and special teams ace Raheem Mostert.

Mostert’s value on special teams could force Shanahan to make a choice between Breida and Williams. And we might get an idea to which side the head coach is leaning right now based off the number of reps and pecking order from the Niners’ first preseason contest.

With Shanahan likely to play his starters for a drive or two, either Breida or Williams will be handed the second-string reps — likely towards the end of the first quarter or early in the second. And while it might be tempting to assume whoever sees action first, or the most action by the time the game is over, don’t necessarily count on that being the final deciding factor.

An increase in reps could merely mean Shanahan wants to see how either Breida or Williams looks under a larger workload. Especially if that means going up against the Cowboys’ primary backups — many of whom likely make their own 53-man roster this season.

It’s possible the script flips in Week 2 of the preseason, when the Niners visit the Houston Texans. If Breida winds up getting the lion’s share in Week 1, Williams could be the benefactor the following week.

Regardless, Shanahan and the 49ers have a difficult decision pending between Breida and Williams. Both have starred in camp so far. And while it’s possible he keeps them both, likely at Mostert’s expense, there’s far more that needs to be determined.

It’s why San Francisco’s home contest versus Dallas this Thursday night is so important.