NFL Picks Week 9: San Francisco 49ers Will Run Rampant Against the Redskins

The San Francisco 49ers are off to a hot start, and I expect them to run rampant against the Redskins this Sunday at Washington. 

In this day and age, where most teams have abandoned the run as their primary means to move the football on offense, Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are bucking the trend. San Francisco have relied on a punishing rushing attack led by All-Pro running back Frank Gore.

After a miserable start for the first three games and worries about his health, Frank Gore has been a man on fire since the fourth game in Philadelphia.

His statistics for the last four games are staggering—in 81 attempts, he has racked up 527 yards, at 6.5 yards per carry, and four touchdowns. 

Frank Gore wasn't the only player to receive criticism for a lacklustre performance, as the offensive line was also unable to perform at a high level for the first three games. Fans, coaches and players alike were frustrated at their inability to generate any push up front or to open up any holes for Gore and rookie running back Kendall Hunter. 

Gore's amazing run has been made possible by the very players who had let him down. Since Week 4, they too have vastly improved and have performed at the levels we thought they were capable of.

The Washington Redskins have been pushed around on defense the last three weeks, and they have given up totals of 138, 175 and 192 yards of rushing in that span.

Given Harbaugh's track record this season for having no qualms about depending on Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and the big guys up front, I can't see any other outcome than another huge day for the 49ers' running backs.