Elijah Mitchell’s out till mid-November<\/a>, and the 49ers are again thin at tailback. Mitchell was doing a fantastic job toting the rock on Sunday, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, including multiple runs of 10+ yards. But the 49ers will miss their starting running back for at least the next eight weeks. <\/p>\nSo without Mitchell in tow, what’s the 49ers’ plan at running back? <\/p>\n
Shanahan could lean on veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. \u2014 who averaged a measly 2.4 yards per carry and looked a little slow carrying the ball. <\/p>\n
The 49ers’ head coach could lean on Ty Davis-Price \u2014 the third-round pick this season who didn’t dress on Sunday \u2014 or Jordan Mason, the undrafted rookie free agent who sneaked onto the roster over Trey Sermon. Both rookies didn’t play a snap on offense, and Shanahan seemed to indicate on Monday that it could be because of their struggles without the ball (or pass protection). <\/p>\n
Given the juxtaposition the 49ers are in, I think it’s time to play their best option at running back, and that’s Deebo Samuel. When the “wide back” had the ball in his hands, he was a lethal threat, rushing for 52 yards on eight carries, including a huge touchdown run that inflicted pain on Bears’ safety Eddie Jackson.<\/p>\n
Samuel was a key cog in the 49ers’ rushing attack in 2021 due to a need and lack of depth, and I think the 49ers should rely on him while they bring Davis-Price and Mason up to speed. Shanahan clearly trusts Samuel with the ball in key positions, and he’s made defenders look silly over and over again. <\/p>\n
I think the use of the split-back motion, bringing Deebo Samuel into the backfield with another back (Kyle Juszczyk, for example) with Trey Lance, has been a preferred formation for Shanahan. It creates different mesh points and running angles that make it even harder for defenses to bring down Samuel.<\/p>\n
While the 49ers try to bring along their young backs, I think it’s time they lean on the recently-paid wide back to keep their rushing attack afloat early in the season.<\/p>\n
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photo by Michael Reaves\/Getty Images With Elijah Mitchell out for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":9372712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_meta":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[427,91],"yoast_head":"\n
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