Niner Noise
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49ers vs. Redskins: Breaking down San Francisco’s offensive game plan

By Josh Altorfer

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 and Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Kittle caught a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won the game 31-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 and Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Kittle caught a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won the game 31-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball for an 83-yard touchdown run against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 07: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers carries the ball for an 83-yard touchdown run against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Keep on running the ball

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will be motivated to beat the Redskins since he was the longtime offensive coordinator in Washington. He didn’t have much good to say about his former team.

Check out the pregame presser below from 95.7 The Game:

The old adage “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” definitely applies for the San Francisco offense. The Niners have averaged 180-plus yards on the ground per game, which ranks second in the league this year.

The Redskins give up the fifth most yards on the ground, so expect the 49ers to continue to give running back Matt Breida and Co. the ball early and often.

It’s no secret Shanahan’s offense revolves around running the football. Breida has stepped into the No. 1 running back role and currently has a Pro Football Focus ranking of 81.8 out of 100.

PFF uses analytics to rate players on every snap that they play. While it is far from perfect, it does a great job of giving a reliable numerical system to use to compare players.

The 49ers’ outstanding running game has been the peanut butter to the elite defense’s jelly. A team that can keep the opposition out of the end zone and controls the time of possession on offense will win a lot of games in the NFL.

The Niners’ 5-0 start is reflective of that.

Expect San Francisco to continue to give running backs Brieda and Tevin Coleman the ball in the matchup against Washington.