San Francisco 49ers: Why Three-Headed Running Game Must Emerge in Week 11

Ask someone about the San Francisco 49ers’ running game this season and expect a reaction laced with much frustration and doubt.

Inconsistent, ineffective and simply nonexistent are some of the adjectives with which expert analysts and casual fans alike describe the 49ers execution on the ground in 2014.

Oxymoronic, right?

The team that has continually lived in the top five in NFL rushing totals has fallen into the lower echelons among many of those categories.

Yes—the same squad that features Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, Colin Kaepernick and a bulldozing offensive line.

Entering Week 11, the 49ers rank ninth in total rushing but have generated 89 yards or fewer on the ground in four separate games, including a recent streak of three straight.

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They rate 13th in yards per attempt, 19th in gains of 20-plus yards and 22nd in first-down percentage on run plays.

After tallying a rushing touchdown in each of the first three weeks, the Greg Roman-coordinated offense went the next five games without scoring another.

Hyde led the way with just two scores, Gore had only one and Kap sported a goose egg on the stat sheet.

It came as no surprise when a win over the New Orleans Saints arrived with the help of touchdowns from Niners running backs on the two opening drives of the game.

Remember that the 49ers produced a mere three over their first eight contests.

So, if they wish to continue winning games and make the playoffs, they must develop a consistent ground attack behind Gore, Hyde and Kaepernick.

A three-headed monster, if you will, must emerge for the Red and Gold.

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OK, but why must it start in this week’s matchup against the hapless New York Giants?

We’ll make it simple: The 49ers can no longer abandon what they do best. They cannot shy away from a high-volume, power run game on a weekly basis.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh and his lieutenants cannot overthink schemes and must authorize a game plan that has produced 11-plus wins for three straight seasons.

The 49ers are 40-2-1 when Gore tallies at least 20 carries since 2011. That includes a 2-0 mark this year, not to mention an 0-4 record when he collects 14 or fewer.

This team overall has averaged 31 designed runs in its five wins and 18.5 in its four losses, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Again, the offensive formula for San Francisco is simple: let Gore carry the load, use Hyde as an explosive element in reserve and call a few read-option runs with Kaepernick on the outside.

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Plus, could there possibly be a better time for this run-heavy approach?

The 3-6 Giants own the NFL’s worst ranking against the run. Take a gander:

• League-high 5.0 yards per carry
• League-high 144.7 yards per game
• League-high 13 touchdowns
• Second-most gains of 20-plus yards (10) and 40-plus yards (two)
• Fourth-most first downs (67)

In short, the 49ers must use this favorable matchup as a springboard to the postseason.

Pound the rock with Gore and keep him fresh with Hyde’s complementary explosion.

Utilize Kaepernick’s unmatched physical ability on the ground and watch as his confidence—and accuracy—skyrockets in the passing game.

Like an NBA jump-shooter uses the free-throw line to boost his touch, so will Kap’s effectiveness as a passer improve when he gashes opposing defenses with his legs.

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And let us not forget how much the Niners’ offensive line relishes their run-blocking duties.

Because games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage, let the boys up front maul in the trenches. Their work in pass protection will only get better as a result.

Boil it all together and the 49ers can reclaim their winning modus operandi for the stretch run.

They must establish it now in New York and bring it to Levi’s Stadium against the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks.

They must take it back on the road to Oakland and Seattle, and once again at home vs. the San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals.

If the 49ers do indeed maintain this run-based identity, fans should expect an 11-5 record at season's end and a wild-card berth in the playoffs.

May the march toward January football commence.

All team and player statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, ESPN and NFL.com. Advanced metrics provided by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Joe Levitt is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, waxing academic, colloquial and statistical eloquence on the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him on Twitter @jlevitt16