Niner Noise
FanSided

3 depth players who need to step up for 49ers in 2020 playoffs

By Robert Morrison

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Matt Breida #22 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 29: Running back Matt Breida #22 San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 29: Running back Matt Breida #22 San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Running back Matt Breida

It’s been a strange back half of the 2019 season for running back Matt Breida, a player who looked like he was going to be the starter at the position coming into the year and had people asking questions about how he and fellow back Jerick McKinnon would coexist.

McKinnon’s re-aggravating of  knee injury, the signing of Tevin Coleman, and the emergence of Raheem Mostert as more than a special teams stalwart, not to mention Breida’s own injury luck, have created an interesting logjam in the 49ers backfield.

And Breida’s snap count has suffered because of it. Since returning against the Saints in Week 14 after being out for three weeks, the former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern has been on the field for 12, 12, zero and eight snaps, respectively, carrying the ball just 14 times for 81 yards during those games.

Regarding the zero snaps he saw against the Los Angeles Rams, Kyle Shanahan noted the 49ers “didn’t go in not planning for him to not have any plays on offense. It just worked out that way,” which is another thing to consider heading into the playoffs.

If nothing else, Shanahan has shown he will go with players who are contributing over players who outsiders might believe “should” be the starters. This is part of why Mostert has seen his snaps at running back rise, while Coleman and Breida have seen declines.

Still, the 49ers are a running-back-by-committee team, and it seems natural opportunities will come for Breida, so it will be important for him to take advantage of the carries when they come. He’s been more good than bad when called upon this season, finishing the regular season with a rushing average of 5.1 yards per carry.

And, of course, he’s always capable of doing something like this run against the Cleveland Browns.

Because of this, the 49ers back should be an important cog in making the offense go during the playoffs, and should be ready to make an impact when called upon.