SF 49ers: 3 players who should be benched after Week 10 loss to Saints
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: SF 49ers Running Back Jerick McKinnon
In some regard, the SF 49ers should be thankful running back Jerick McKinnon has been able to shoulder the load while fellow runners Raheem Mostert (knee), Tevin Coleman (knee) and Jeff Wilson Jr. (ankle) have all been out with injuries in recent weeks.
San Francisco 49ers
The results, however, haven’t been pretty.
True, the Niners offensive line hasn’t done its job well enough in run blocking. But McKinnon is also lacking the burst and explosion Kyle Shanahan and Co. were hoping for when the tailback was inked to a lucrative free-agent deal back in 2018. Case in point, McKinnon recorded a mere 33 rush yards on 18 attempts, averaging just 1.8 yards per carry.
Things get worse when looking at McKinnon and the SF 49ers’ team rush totals over the last three weeks when he’s been the starter:
- Week 8 @ Seattle Seahawks: 52
- Week 9 vs. Green Bay Packers: 55
- Week 10 @ New Orleans Saints: 49
In total this season, McKinnon has 294 rush yards on 77 attempts, averaging just 3.8 yards per rush.
If there’s good news, Mostert and Coleman are likely to come back following San Francisco’s Week 11 bye, relieving McKinnon of his starting role and relegating him back again to the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
Next. 4 positives from 49ers' Week 10 loss to Saints. dark
He should stay there for the rest of 2020.