© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers (1-3) entered Week 4 with the second-best rushing attack in the league. With Jimmy Garoppolo out for the season with a torn ACL, many expected them to lean heavily on the Matt Breida-Alfred Morris-led backfield in C.J. Beathard’s first game of the 2018 season as the starting quarterback.
They did not. In their 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Breida recorded nine carries for 36 yards, and Morris ran four times for 14 yards. Meanwhile, Beathard threw 37 times, completing 23 of those attempts, for 298 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
On Monday afternoon, Kyle Shanahan explained his decision to lean on the passing game.
“I think it was extremely hard to run the ball with the way (the Chargers) were playing,” Shanahan said. “It didn’t feel like that’s what the best thing was to do.”
There were several factors that played into the decision. The 49ers lost three starting offensive linemen with knee injuries for varying amounts of time. Center Weston Richburg hobbled off the field during the first drive. He did not miss a snap, though Shanahan noted he was playing through pain for the remainder of the game. Left tackle Joe Staley was injured in the second quarter and did not return, making Garry Gilliam the immediate replacement. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey exited the game and returned after sitting for three plays.
Combine the deteriorating health with Los Angeles’ tendency to stack the box, and Shanahan felt that favoring the passing game would benefit the 49ers.
“It’s an eight-man front every single play,” Shanahan said. “(The Chargers) are running pressures to stop the run, to me, not for the pass. (I) felt good with what we did; we just didn’t get it done.”
Four of San Francisco’s first nine plays were runs. On their third drive, the 49ers threw the ball 14 times during a 21-play drive that lasted nearly 11 minutes. Beathard completed throws on five third-down conversions, and the 49ers ultimately capped the drive with a field goal.
One of the drives that played an important part in the two-point loss was San Francisco’s final first-half possession. Leading 17-14, the 49ers got the ball back at their own 25-yard line with 47 seconds remaining in the second quarter. They ran three consecutive pass plays but failed to gain a first down. After 13 seconds on the game clock lapsed, they punted on fourth down— and nearly allowed a touchdown on the return. The Chargers kicked a field goal to tie the game at 17 entering halftime.
Shanahan backed his play-calling Monday.
“I know how big of a deal a three-and-out is, I did,” Shanahan said. “You realize you put the defense in a bad situation there. If you know that’s going to happen, I’d rather just take a knee and hope we made it easier. I also know that if I had to do it over again, I am going to try that. And 17-14, I think we need to score some points in this game, and I think we have an opportunity to do it there.”
The 49ers relied on Beathard’s arm to cut a nine-point deficit in the third quarter. His 82-yard touchdown to George Kittle cut the Chargers’ lead to two, but the 49ers never regained the lead in the second half.
Despite Breida’s limited workload last Sunday, he sits at third in the NFL with 313 rushing yards with a quarter of the season in the books. His 7.6 yards per carry comfortably leads the league.
