The 49ers should be on the run just at the prospect of losing to the Patriots.
SANTA CLARA: The 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t concerned about the New England Patriots’ 13 points per game average, even though it shows no signs of slowing down. The Patriots carried the ball 75 times in their opening two games—a victory over Cincinnati and a defeat to Seattle in overtime. In those instances, the 355 yards of yardage are nearly unnecessary. You should be wary of any team that can run the ball that many times in two games.
In the age of analytics, there are more statistics available than ever before. yards following each pass, yards following the grab, and air yards. Every play involves a calculation of separation between defensive backs and receivers. Almost anything has data and formulae available. There are 49ers employees that keep an eye on everything. However, rushing attempts are a stronger sign of which team is winning when it comes to the 49ers than anything else. Not so much the yards, but the effort to run.
The 49ers (1-2) have a good chance of winning if they run the ball more than thirty times on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium against the Patriots. Should they fail to do so and the Patriots (1-2) manage to enter 30-plus territory, it could lead to a third straight game ending in disaster. More than ever, the rules reward passing attacks, but it’s obvious that Shanahan’s squad will struggle if they give up on the run, whether it’s due to game circumstances or play selection. The 49ers are 33-3 in games with 30 or more rushing attempts and 6-1 in the playoffs since 2021, the year they soared back to prominence in the NFL. The 49ers are 22-28 and 2-3 in the postseason when they don’t run the ball thirty times in that time frame, including
