SF 49ers: 4 biggest problems offense must fix vs. Cowboys

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The San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 3: SF 49ers can’t abandon the run

Running back Raheem Mostert is banged up. So is fellow tailback Jeff Wilson Jr. Meanwhile, runners Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon have become something of forgotten commodities buried deep on the depth chart.

Even if Mostert and/or Wilson wind up being limited or shelved during the contest, Kyle Shanahan needs to stick with the “bread and butter” of his offense: the run game.

For good reason, too. No other team in the NFL is worse than the Cowboys defending the run this season. While their league-high 2,115 rush yards allowed can somewhat be attributed to Dallas being behind in most games this season and its opponents using the ground game to wind down the clock, seeing the defense allowing a league-worst 5.1 yards per carry presents Shanahan with the opportunity to almost literally run on every play with the chance of picking up a first down.

Yes, the Cowboys will likely stack the box with the full understanding the SF 49ers passing offense isn’t exactly prolific.

But if Dallas isn’t overly privy to stopping the run anyway, it would be more than beneficial for the Niners to rely heavily on what has tended to work best this season.

Keep the ball on the ground, Shanahan.