3 bold predictions for SF 49ers in Week 3 vs. NY Giants
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon rushes for 100-plus yards, two touchdowns
With Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman out, the focus on the ground now shifts to Jerick McKinnon to ensure San Francisco’s rushing attack doesn’t lose any steam heading into Week 3.
And that’s not exactly a bad thing.
Through two weeks, McKinnon already ranks second for the SF 49ers with 121 all-purpose yards from scrimmage and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with two. Additionally, McKinnon’s 16.8 yards-per-carry average is tops in the NFL so far for running backs, highly influenced by his 55-yard run for a first down against the Jets on a 3rd-and-31 play:
New York has surrendered an average of 138 rush yards per game over the first two weeks, and it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners focus as much as possible on the rushing attack in this contest to alleviate the pressure on Nick Mullens.
That could mean a big day for McKinnon, who would look to pick up chunk yards on the ground against a Giants defense that’s expected to be on the field a lot with Saquon Barkley out of the picture.
If that’s the case, look for McKinnon to go over 100 yards rushing while adding two more touchdowns to his season total.