The 49ers made a statement to the rest of the league during their second consecutive road victory to start the 2019 NFL regular season. Outside of a long garbage-time touchdown given up in the final minute of the matchup, the 49ers\u2019 defense was dominant, finishing the game with four sacks, nine tackles-for-loss and one interception.<\/p>\n
But despite holding the Bengals to just 25 yards on 19 rushing attempts, San Francisco\u2019s offensive unit shined the brightest in Week 2 \u2014 which brings us to our first game ball:<\/p>\n
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan<\/h3>\n
San Francisco\u2019s offensive attack was nearly unstoppable in Week 2, and much of their success should be credited to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan<\/a>, who called one of his best games since arriving in the Bay Area over two seasons ago. The Niners tallied 572 net yards on offense at an 8.4 yards-per-play clip, and were forced to punt the ball just once during meaningful play, prior to the final two minutes of the game.<\/p>\n Shanahan \u2014 the 49ers\u2019 de facto offensive coordinator \u2014 was always one step ahead of the Bengals\u2019 defense, which was constantly confused by the Niners\u2019 flurry of misdirection plays. With Cincinnati\u2019s defenders forced to play both passively and reactionary, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a> took advantage by throwing for 297 passing yards and three scores. Garoppolo executed on the field, but he had Shanahan\u2019s superb game plan to thank for his FexEx Air Passer of the Week<\/a> nomination, as well as his 131.2 passer rating and his 11.9 yards-per-pass-attempt \u2014 both of which were tops in the NFL in Week 2.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prior to the beginning of the regular season, many analysts wrote 49ers running back Matt Breida<\/a> off as either a potential change-of-pace option<\/a>\u00a0in San Francisco\u2019s backfield or a player who would simply ride the bench<\/a>\u00a0in 2019. But just two games into the season, Breida has officially put that talk to rest by claiming his well-deserved spot at the top of the 49ers\u2019 running back depth chart, even after fellow RB Tevin Coleman<\/a> eventually returns from injury.<\/p>\n Breida was electric on Sunday as he tallied 121 rushing yards on only 12 carries, and added 11 yards through the air on one reception. The former undrafted free agent may never be a 25-carry feature back, but it\u2019s hard to ignore a runner who averages over 10 yards-per-touch. Breida\u2019s outstanding Week 2 performance was\u00a0 highlighted by a 34-yard gain on a third-and-short run, where he looked a lot more like Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders<\/a> than a bench player who should be relegated to the sidelines:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s your Victory Monday dose of #49ers<\/a> RB Matt Breida @MattBreida<\/a> from #SFvsCIN<\/a>. That 3rd-and-1 run\u2026 \u2014 Chris Wilson (@cgawilson) September 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Although Breida has the speed and agility necessary to break off long runs after making defenders miss, he surely didn\u2019t mind running through some of the gaping holes the 49ers\u2019 offensive line provided on Sunday. Breida wasn\u2019t the only beneficiary of San Francisco\u2019s big men up front, as the 49ers\u2019 trio of running backs graded out as the NFL\u2019s\u00a0top unit of the week<\/a> by Pro Football Focus (PFF). Recent practice-squad RB Jeff Wilson<\/a> found the end zone for a pair of scores in the contest, and dual-threat running back Raheem Mostert<\/a> followed his blockers on long runs and screen passes en route to a spot on PFF\u2019s \u201cNFL Team of the Week\u201d for Week 2:<\/p>\n #49ers<\/a> RB Raheem Mostert @RMos_8Ball<\/a>, LB Kwon Alexander @kwon<\/a> and EDGE Ronald Blair @superblair<\/a> are all featured in @PFF<\/a>\u2018s NFL Team of the Week. The @49ers<\/a>\u2018 running backs also graded out as the #NFL<\/a>\u2018s top group of RBs in Week 2. https:\/\/t.co\/zbfzmMtEs0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chris Wilson (@cgawilson) September 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It was a near-perfect day for the Niners\u2019 offensive line, as they also kept Garoppolo\u2019s jersey clean for the vast majority of the game. But a dark cloud fell over the group in the third quarter of the team\u2019s Week 2 victory, when left tackle Joe Staley<\/a> sustained a\u00a0fractured left fibula<\/a> which will keep the 49ers\u2019 top lineman out of action for approximately six to eight weeks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last week, linebacker Kwon Alexander<\/a>\u00a0received a\u00a0game ball from Shanahan<\/a> in the 49ers\u2019 locker room after the team\u2019s 31-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite his early exit from his Niners debut. Alexander was ejected from the contest when his helmet made contact with the helmet of former teammate\u00a0Jameis Winston<\/a>, when the quarterback awkwardly went to the ground at the end of a third-down scramble. In the limited time prior to his questionable ejection, Alexander looked like the player Shanahan and general manager John Lynch hoped to sign, as the 25-year-old linebacker flew around the field making plays and hyping up his teammates.<\/p>\n Last Sunday, Alexander earned his 49ers game ball for his leadership in the locker room and his passion for the game. This Sunday, Alexander earned Locked On 49ers game ball for his leadership in the locker room, his passion for the game and his production on the field. Alexander not only brought the same level of intensity to Cincinnati, but the linebacker was also one of the best \u2014 and most productive \u2014 players on the field in Week 2. With a key interception, three defended passes and six tackles, Alexander earned PFF \u201cNFL Team of the Week\u201d honors, and our final game ball of the week:<\/p>\n In case you thought #49ers<\/a> LB Kwon Alexander @kwon<\/a> only gets hyped up when he\u2019s facing his old squad. #SFvsCIN<\/a> #49wz<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FqwYfcQSA9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Chris Wilson (@cgawilson) September 16, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Listen to Locked On 49ers host Brian Peacock\u2019s review of the San Francisco 49ers\u2019 Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals \u2014 including game notes and key takeaways from the Niners\u2019 second matchup of the 2019 NFL regular season \u2014 on yesterday\u2019s\u00a0Rapid React podcast<\/a>:<\/p>\n49ers RB Matt Breida<\/h3>\n
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49ers Offensive Line<\/h3>\n
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49ers LB Kwon Alexander<\/h3>\n
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