You'd have thought the Panthers left all their Harry Potter references behind in London, especially after two days practicing at the prestigious Harrow School, where parts of the Potter films were shot.
And yet, here we are after the team's bye week, talking about three-headed monsters.
Well, not the Cerberus (three-headed dog) sort of monster locked up in Hogwarts. Instead, this "monster" pertains to football: specifically, the San Francisco 49ers' three running backs and the NFL's No. 2 rushing offense.
"People talk about the three-headed monster, and I think all three backs are good," coach Ron Rivera said. "All three have the same types of qualities, so it really doesn't matter which one is in there _ they have the potential to make a play."
The statistics back that up. The 49ers are averaging 172.7 rush yards per game, and it's not as if one player in particular is doing an overwhelming amount of that damage.
Matt Breida receives the most work out of the backfield, and as such, he leads the team in yards (411) and attempts (73). But right behind him is Tevin Coleman, the longtime Atlanta Falcon, with 60 carries for 227 yards. Then there's Raheem Mostert, with 45 carries for 249 yards.
But even those pure running numbers don't tell the full story. Because while Breida leads the way in carries and yards, he only has one rushing touchdown to Coleman's two. Mostert doesn't have any _ but fourth-string back Jeff Wilson has four.
Point being: Whether it's two, three or four heads in that San Francisco backfield _ and oftentimes more than one ball carrier at once _ the 49ers run game qualifies as monstrous.
"Trust me," defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said, "we know we have to deal with four guys."
There's obviously a freshness that comes with being able to cycle running backs in and out of the lineup. Like regular substitutions along the defensive line, when one guy gets tired, another capable player hops in.
The difficulties in defending San Francisco's rushing attack are more complicated than just fresh legs, though.
Since former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan became head coach in 2017, the 49ers' offensive line has been one of the team's primary strengths. Per Pro Football Focus, that unit has been ranked in the Top 6 in run-blocking each of the past three seasons, including as high as third in 2019.
Additionally, Shanahan's offensive scheme is predicated on misdirection _ not unlike that of Carolina offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
"They get a lot of runs on the edge, on the perimeter, outside zones and things like that," linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. said. "Some of the motions they give pre-snap, it's affected the defenses they've played a lot.
"Lot of misdirection. Motion one way, but run the opposite way; send the fullback one way, then bring him back. It's just all about being aligned and being aligned in the right place."
And as if that misdirection isn't enough?
The 49ers also operate at an up-tempo pace, further complicating matters.
"It's one thing when you have motion, but when you basically have a no-huddle tempo and you're doing all those things, that's challenging for a defense," defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. "Because the enemy for us is not being set in a position where we can fire off and engage our assignment with maximum violence, intensity and effort and compliance."
That play disguise at that pace, coupled with quick backs and one of the NFL's more proven offensive lines, means the 49ers running backs are starting ahead of the curve seemingly every snap. As such, it should come as no surprise that Breida (5.6 yards per carry) and Mostert (5.5) have two of the highest per-carry averages in the league.
All this said,. it's not like the 49ers run game is sneaking up on anyone anymore, and not when they're the NFC's only remaining undefeated team. Defenses have loaded up to stop San Francisco's three rushers, to the point that they face eight or more defenders in the box one in every four carries.
But the numbers keep coming.
That should be alarming for the Panthers, who thus far this season have seen their run defense slip. Carolina has the 10th-worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 119 ground yards per game. Considering the 49ers' defense allows just 133 passing yards per game, that's problematic.
McCoy and defensive tackle Dontari Poe said that one way to slow San Francisco is to focus on the team's scheme instead of which running back is in the game on any given play.
"Different backs present different problems for a defense, but our defense is just basic gap discipline. A man in the gap; hit, tackle, play downhill, penetrate. That's all we do," Poe said. "As long as we stick to what we do, we'll be all right."
There's an information overload surrounding this 49ers run game, in-depth stats on everything from running splits to offensive line grades. And it's easy to feel overwhelmed _ or outmatched _ when analyzing it all.
But for all the hard data, there's one maxim Rivera is preaching to his team this week that might engender hope:
"It's funny because I hear people talk about other teams and talk about three-headed monsters (at running back) or all the receivers they have or all the tight ends they have, but just remember: There's only one football," Rivera said. "(Shanahan's) got three quality running backs in this league, and that's a luxury to have three quality ones like they do.
"When they're in there, there's just one football though."
