Broncos vs. 49ers: Top Week 14 storylines for San Francisco
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Containing Broncos Running Back Phillip Lindsay
Remember back when Matt Breida was leading all NFL tailbacks in both rushing yards and average yards per carry?
Injuries cut into those stats quite a bit, of course. But Breida is still ranked third among qualifiers with an average of 5.6 yards per attempt, which is third best in the league entering Week 14.
The top guy? Broncos rookie tailback Phillip Lindsay, who’s rushing for an astounding 6.1 yards per carry. And with 937 rushing yards to his credit already this season, there’s a good chance he surpasses the 1,000-yard plateau in Santa Clara this weekend.
Not if San Francisco’s defense has anything to say about it, however.
Despite allowing 168 total rush yards to the Seahawks last week, the 49ers defense still ranks 11th in average rush yards per attempt (4.2) this season, which certainly isn’t bad. Take away that performance, and the Niners defense is allowing a little less than 95 rushing yards per game.
If San Francisco can keep Lindsay from doing the kind of damage he’s been doing seemingly all year long, there’s a chance for win No. 3 (if that’s what you are pulling for, considering Tankathon 2018, and whatever).
But with a banged-up receiving corps, it’s likely the Broncos will rely heavily on the ground attack to spark their offense, making this particular matchup one to watch in Week 14.