5 mistakes Kyle Shanahan, SF 49ers can’t afford to make vs. Jets
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: Kyle Shanahan can’t abandon SF 49ers’ run game at any point
Well, perhaps only if the Niners find themselves trailing by multiple scores late in the fourth quarter.
But aside from that unlikely scenario, Kyle Shanahan needs to continue an emphasis on the ground game. This would put two of his most impressive offensive weapons from Week 1, running backs Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon, in a prime situation to influence the outcome of the game.
And that’s not a bad strategy anyway.
Yet Shanahan could be enticed to move away from the rushing attack based on a couple of factors. Last year, per Football Outsiders, the Jets defense actually ranked No. 2 against other teams’ rushing offenses with a DVOA (defensive value over average) metric of minus-29.4 percent, which is awfully good.
That trend appeared to continue over into Week 1 versus the Bills, where New York gave up a total of 98 yard on the ground but averaged only 3.1 yards per carry.
Based on those numbers, it could be tough for San Francisco to establish its run game with continuity early.
Still, that doesn’t mean Shanahan should abandon it altogether, particularly understanding the benefits of how the run game can influence Jimmy Garoppolo’s passing efforts.