No. 3: Getting the SF 49ers rushing attack going again
It was something of a disappointment Kyle Shanahan’s ground attack didn’t reach full bore last Sunday against the Cardinals. While this attack method did manage 123 yards on the ground and recorded an average of 4.9 yards per carry, Arizona ended up clamping down on the rushing prowess from runners Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon in the second half.
At least enough to prevent the Niners from taking over the game, offensively.
While a lot of the focus has been on Jimmy Garoppolo and his lack of prowess in Week 1, the fact still remains Shanahan’s offense is a run-first one.
But this won’t necessarily play right into the hands of San Francisco versus the Jets in Week 2.
Last year’s stats are just that. But New York performed surprisingly well against the run, as its defensive line ranked No. 1 defending opponents’ rushing attacks, according to Football Outsiders, allowing an adjusted-line yards total of 3.0.
That’s impressive, especially considering the Niners ranked 13th in this particular category (4.16).
Early on, it seems that trend is carrying over for the Jets, as they surrendered an average of just 3.1 yards per rush against the Bills. Granted, Buffalo was able to utilize its new-look wide receiver corps to great effect in Week 1, essentially negating the need for a strong rushing attack.
Yet San Francisco is built completely differently, especially because of the lack of impact wide receivers available.