How the San Francisco 49ers Rediscovered Their Running Identity

An offensive identity can be an elusive thing in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers just reestablished theirs in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles that saw them go back to what they do often, and do well: run the ball.

Coordinators want to lean on the strengths of the unit placed before them, putting players in situations that maximize their talent as often as possible. But the delicate balance begins when a coordinator also doesn't want to be predictable, or worse, one-dimensional.

That’s the juggling act 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman fights through every week. The problem is that eventually you have to force your game and your offense, regardless of what the defense is showing.

That wasn’t Roman’s approach during a Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals with his game plan that was partly dictated by the absence of the team’s top two tight ends. He rolled out a spread offense featuring formations with four or five options for Colin Kaepernick. An emphasis was placed on quick, high-percentage passes, and the first two drives ended in touchdowns.

Then every other drive resulted in zero points.

Even with the offense sputtering in Week 3, Roman stuck with the spread and used his backfield minimally. Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde combined for nine carries all afternoon, only two of which came in the second half of a 23-14 outcome that wasn’t lopsided at any point.

For Roman it was a matter of going away from the teeth of the defense, as he explained in a press conference prior to Week 4:

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With what [the Cardinals] were doing going into the game, I mean, they were selling out, like, full, waving-the-flag selling out to stop the run. You always want to get Frank involved, but again, you’ve got to kind of weigh how much, when and how. And then you’ve got to factor in everything that you think is going to happen and then everything that is actually happening.

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Even with that thinking, only a single carry for Gore in the second half still seemed extreme. It was, and when we look back on the 49ers’ first three games a mini trend that pops up.

Niners running backs simply weren't getting the ball.

	Carries	Yards	Yds/Carry	Result
Week 1	25	116	4.6	Win
Week 2	17	63	3.7	Loss
Week 3	9	23	2.6	Loss
Week 4	34	145	4.3	Win

That’s even a low workload in Week 1 considering San Francisco had a 28-3 lead over the Dallas Cowboys at halftime after scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter. Over the first three weeks, 49ers running backs were given an average of 17.3 carries per game, significantly down from last year’s hearty diet of 25.1 carries each week (a total of 401 on the season).

Then quickly in Week 4 a course correction came, and all is right with the world again.

Gore finished with 119 yards on 24 carries, an average of five yards each time Kaepernick placed the football in his gut. That included a rumbling run of 28 yards, Gore’s second 20-plus-yard run of the season. That long jog provides an example of the running muscle which was largely absent or used sparingly during the 49ers’ 1-2 start.

The key for a successful running game is always getting a numbers advantage. If you can put your running back in a situation where he has only one defender between him and a significant chunk gain, wonderful things usually follow.

It’s 1st-and-10 here with the Niners on their own 36-yard line. The play is designed to go outside to the left, with guard Mike Iupati pulling and fullback Bruce Miller out in front as Gore’s lead blocker.

Gore has to find the edge and turn the corner, and to do that he needs those numbers. Ideally, he’ll be able to use his speed and sprint toward the sideline, beating the middle linebacker there with a better angle and then continuing to the second level for a nice gain.

Which is exactly what happened.

NFL Game Rewind

When Iupati pulled, he eliminated one defender (DeMeco Ryans), promptly giving the Eagles linebacker a nice grass resting place. With that taken care of and the house-like Anquan Boldin firmly engaged with his block, Miller was free to run with Gore behind him into the second level. He didn't even find anyone to block until Gore had already gained five yards, until he eventually took down cornerback Cary Williams.

Aside from being patient and following his blocks, Gore’s only responsibility was to choose an angle which would allow him to get by inside linebacker Emmanuel Acho (No. 51). He did, and then he was gone. Three plays later Phil Dawson kicked a 46-yard field goal to give San Francisco a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

That run alone more than doubled Gore’s rushing production in Week 3. It gets better: As Cam Inman from the San Jose Mercury News noted, after only three quarters Gore was already creeping close to his rushing total on the season entering the game.

The 49ers have a solid running back tandem with Gore and Hyde, a strong and mobile offensive line and the constant threat of the read-option presented by Kaepernick, which makes linebackers hesitate.

That’s their offensive engine, and it needs to keep humming. Especially with two of San Francisco’s next four games coming against an atrocious Rams run defense currently allowing 5.7 yards per carry. The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t much better than that (5.1 per carry), and they should also see plenty of Gore and Hyde next week.

Though there are times when an opposing defense's strength encourages a different approach, the 49ers are a far more threatening and imposing offense when they’re banging bodies regularly on the ground.

That’s their offensive identity, and it’s central to future success.