In a game this week, running back Jordan Mason of the San Francisco 49ers officially reached one month without rushing the ball.
Mason, who has participated in every game, hasn’t carried the ball since October 15, when he scored a touchdown in his second straight game. Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the Niners, defended Mason’s reduction on Friday, November 17. Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated’s “All 49ers” first raised the issue by questioning Mason’s lack of carries despite a 5.6 yard per run and what it would take to touch the ball once more.
“What would be the problem with that?” Shanahan asked.
It would take the injuries of two players ahead of him to get more there. The reporter repeated the inquiry, to which Shanahan replied, “There are three of them.” “I’m trying to understand out exactly what your question is because it seems like you’re indicating that I don’t trust him or something.
Mason is third on the team in rushing this season with 117 yards and two touchdowns on 21 touches. Christian McCaffrey, the top running back in the running game, with 747 yards and nine touchdowns on 153 carries.
The team’s backup running back, Elijah Mitchell, isn’t the second-best rusher on the field behind McCaffrey. With 73 yards on 30 tries, or 2.4 yards per rush average, he is in fifth place. The same reporter then asked another question in response to that fact.
“We consider more than just data. Mitchell is our second-best back. He’s accomplished quite a bit here, and although JP (Jordan) is our three, he’s occasionally been our two. But that’s the way most NFL situations work,” Shanahan remarked.
In a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10, Mitchell gained 23 yards on eight attempts. In Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he will once again start at running back.
Concerns Regarding Christian McCaffrey’s Workload
There have been questions raised by both McCaffrey’s excessive workload and Mason’s decreased rushing burden.
“You see how he runs between the tackles and the amount of wear and tear those guys get,” 97.5 On Wednesday, November 14, Brian Baldinger of The Game stated something on “The Morning Roast Show.” “I simply believe that you need to give them some rhythm and touches, whether it’s Mitchell, Mason, or someone else. In my opinion, you have to protect him to some extent, particularly if it’s a runaway game. You need to figure out how to remove him from the field.
McCaffrey might surpass the 284 carries from the previous season. He suffered a great deal earlier than 2022 and paid the price.
“Well, the 49ers want to play 20 games this year, if you just said 20 carries a game,” Baldinger remarked. 400 touches, to be exact. After doing that once in Carolina, he was sidelined for the following two years. between the shelves and not. It’s simply too much.
Screens Are a Greater Running Threat than Buccaneers
Despite their low ground average of 78.1 yards per game, the Buccaneers are adept at creating opportunities with screen plays. Rachaad White, a running back with the Buccaneers, had 35 receptions this season for 326 yards and a touchdown from the backfield. Shanahan anticipates being ready.
“Yes, all of us do screens, and it’s all about catching you at the right moment. Some of the defensive stuff we do also gives us more opportunities to do that,” Shanahan replied. Guys are strong, but we always anticipate it. We anticipate it each week, and based on the success others have had, we know that it will only increase until we get better at it.
