49ers rushing attack will be vital in NFC Championship vs Packers

The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Round. The same run game that has led them to this point will make or break the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers.

When the Minnesota Vikings visited the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, there was a lot of hype surrounding another potential upset. Of course, much of the chatter was legitimate.

The Vikings had just come off their second playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints in the past three years, quarterback Kirk Cousins had finally won a primetime game, and everything was pointing to another upset.

Except there was only one problem for Minnesota: The 49ers’ run game.

Now the Green Bay Packers, who defeated the Seattle Seahawks in their NFC Divisional Round game, will have to attempt to stop the snowball which has been rolling downhill at top speed since September.

The 49ers pose one of the best backfields in the NFL. Running backs Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert all have over 500 yards rushing; each average at least 40 yards per game; and have combined for a total of 15 touchdowns.

It’s pretty hard to find a team who’s interested in using more than one or two running backs, never mind three.

In their last seven games, the Packers have allowed four teams to eclipse 100 rushing yards. One of those teams was the 49ers, which racked up 112 yards back in Week 12. That game was a well-balanced attack by head coach and offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan.

They were without Breida, but running back Jeff Wilson came in and rumbled off a 25-yard run.

Shanahan likes to have his run game move in all sorts of directions. He’s not afraid to allow one of his backs to run through the opponent’s defensive line, but he also likes to use wide receiver Deebo Samuel in a sweep motion to get the defense to run sideline to sideline.

Here’s an example of how Shanahan utilizes Samuel, and how the offensive line creates a lane for the speedster:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1211466058353139712

A play like this opens up a healthy amount of options for the rest of the game. The defense has to respect the fact a pitch to a receiver is possible on any given drive. Defensive linemen also like to run down field rather than side to side. They like to hit at the line of scrimmage.

All this makes the run game even better late in the game.

Going back to the Sunday Night Football game when the 49ers hosted the Packers, we’ll see how Mostert is able to not only use his slick escaping abilities, but just how tired a defense becomes against San Francisco:

https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1198814211838623744

The Packers’ defense can’t get off their blocks, which creates a lane for Mostert. It makes the job a lot easier for the offensive line when they just need push aside a defender.

Mostert is also a high energy athlete. When the defensive line tires from chasing the running backs all game, it allows the playmakers to create opportunities and utilize their skills.

The 49ers can take advantage of the Packers’ unpredictable rush defense, which has allowed the 10th-most rushing yards and ninth-most rushing touchdowns.

Shanahan is an intelligent coach. When the run game hasn’t been there, he’s perfectly fine allowing his quarterback to throw the ball.

But when you’re up against a defense that has given up back-to-back 100 yard games, it’s hard not to look at the possibilities when you have such a dynamic trio in the backfield.

It’s a prime match up for a hungry 49ers rushing attack. If everyone continues to buy into the game plan and execute their jobs, the Packers will have a tough time making it to Super Bowl LIV.