What 49ers can learn from Titans Week 15 loss to Steelers
By Peter Panacy
Takeaway No. 2: No Derrick Henry, no problem for 49ers
In a sense, the Titans’ recent drop-off stemmed from losing All-Pro running back Derrick Henry to what could still be a season-ending foot fracture. And while Tennessee valiantly tried to sally forth without him, it’s plainly evident head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad is only a fraction of itself without Henry in the mix.
After a brief mixing of secondary and tertiary options, the Titans have settled on depth running back D’Onta Foreman to shoulder the load.
Foreman, who is averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season, could be dangerous. After all, he’s netted over 100 yards rushing in two of his last three games played.
Except it’s important to acknowledge just how poor the Steelers run defense has been this season, allowing an average of 4.9 yards per carry after 15 weeks, dead last in the entire NFL.
Meanwhile, the Niners’ own run defense has been on fire during their recent stretch of winning, preventing opponents from reaching 100 rush yards as a team in five of their last six games, the lone exception being that Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
To date, San Francisco is surrendering an average of just 4.2 yards per rush, 14th in the league and a vast improvement in comparison to what was seen earlier this season.