The 49ers’ rushing attack is the NFL’s best through the first five weeks. They’re averaging 200 yards per game to lead the league, and they’re No. 6 with 5.2 yards per attempt.
It would stand to reason that teams would start loading up the box to stop the 49ers run game. Especially when they’re tied for fourth in rushing attempts despite playing just four games while everyone ahead of them has played five or six. Conversely, the 49ers are last in the league in passing attempts. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has only eclipsed 30 attempts once, and his season high is 32.
San Francisco’s rushing attack has been so good though that stacking the box with eight or more defenders hasn’t worked. Teams have tried, but the 49ers have the top two rushers in the league against stacked boxes according to football analytics site Pro Football Focus.
This is a product of the 49ers’ scheme, along with Breida and Mostert’s speed, execution, and the deception set up by personnel. San Francisco’s ability to run the same play out of different looks, then run different plays out of the same formations keeps defenses on their heels.
Misdirection and deception leaves defenders going the wrong way, then well-executed blocks at the line and in the second level open holes for speedsters like Breida and Mostert to run through.
San Francisco’s ability to make big plays in the run game against stacked boxes is part of why their success on the ground is sustainable. It’s hard to find a solution to stop their rushing attack that goes beyond knowing what’s coming or guessing right.
If the 49ers keep running the ball at the rate they are, especially against eight-plus defenders trying to stop them, they’d be set up to make a deep run through the postseason.
