Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Report-card grades & analysis from Weeks 1 through 4

By Peter Panacy

CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers runs around the outside edge during the third quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 23: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers runs around the outside edge during the third quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium on September 23rd, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

A. . . . RUNNING BACK

Raise your hand if you thought Matt Breida would wind up being the league’s top rusher through the first three weeks of 2018.

Anyone?

The 49ers may have struggled with consistency, offensively, over the first four weeks of the year. But the rushing attack hasn’t been a problem. And to think some of the gaudy numbers Breida and Co. have been able to put up without Jerick McKinnon being a factor is impressive.

Breida was slowed to just 39 yards on nine carries against the Chargers in Week 4, bringing his total to 313 total rush yards on the season — an average of 78.3 per contest.

Still, that’s pretty good.

It will be interesting to see how Breida’s efforts match up with Jimmy Garoppolo out and teams forcing C.J. Beathard to beat them with his passing game. Right now, Breida is the Niners’ top offensive weapon outside of George Kittle.

What’s Good

Breida saw his numbers take a bit of a hit in Week 4, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s capable of breaking off huge chunks on the ground on any given play. And with No. 2 tailback Alfred Morris beginning to carve out a solid role, Kyle Shanahan will likely continue to lean heavily on the running game to give his offense a chance and to take pressure off his defense.

What Needs Improvement

The 49ers have had success on the ground, although some of the inside runs haven’t gone as well as expected this season. Shanahan’s offense is predicated on the outside zone, meaning there would be some advantages to bumping outside into open space.

Let Breida thrive in this role.