URL = http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/19/will-49ers-carlos-hydes-new-speed-translate-to-tds/

Will 49ers Carlos Hyde’s new speed translate to TDs?

It’s been 10 games since starting running back has scored rushing touchdown

SANTA CLARA – Carlos Hyde topped out at 19.96 mph Sunday when he raced southbound on Seattle’s CenturyLink Field. His sleeker, redesigned body style was on full display and it produced a career-long, 61-yard run.

Only 14 players have run faster in the NFL this season, according to the league’s “Next Gen Stats.”

But no matter how fast he looked or timed, Hyde never made it across the finish line. The end zone eluded him just as it has all other 49ers in their 0-2 start.

“Next time I break a run like that, I’ve got to get in the end zone. Can’t get tackled,” Hyde said after the 12-9 defeat to the Seahawks. “It wasn’t enough, so it doesn’t really matter.”

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This is the first time the 49ers haven’t scored a touchdown through their first two games. If they fail to do so Thursday night at home against the Los Angeles Rams, they’ll match a franchise-record three-game drought. That was set in 2005, when Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett quarterbacked in place of injured rookie Alex Smith.

Hyde, who turns 27 on Wednesday, insisted the 49ers’ latest loss be “put on my shoulders” because he never found pay dirt.

On that 61-yard run sprung by Kyle Juszczyk’s lead block, Hyde got chased down from behind by cornerback Jeremy Lane at the Seattle 22. The 49ers settled for a field goal.

On a 27-yard run next possession, Hyde broke free on a spin move, dashed to his right and got pushed out of bounds by Richard Sherman at the Seattle 28. The 49ers settled for a field goal.

“We just have to get more points on the board,” Hyde added. “Not field goals. We’ve got to get touchdowns on the board.”

Touchdowns are sparse in Hyde’s career. He hasn’t run for one in his last 10 games. He has 13 career rushing touchdowns, including two in last season’s opening win over the Rams, a 28-0 shutout at Levi’s Stadium. All three of his career receiving touchdowns came last season.

In comparison – as unfair it may be based on their supporting casts — fellow Ohio State product Ezekiel Elliott had 15 rushing touchdowns last season alone as a Dallas Cowboys rookie.

So what are the chances Hyde runs for a touchdown Thursday against the Rams, who last week welcomed back run-stuffer Aaron Donald but still allowed two rushing touchdowns in a 27-20 loss to Washington?

“Kyle Shanahan does a great job scheming up and coming up with some unique runs, and he’s done that for a long time in Washington and Atlanta obviously,” the Seahawks’ Sherman said Sunday of the 49ers’ 159 rushing yards. “So you got to give them credit, too, and Hyde did a great job reading it and making big plays.”

Hyde, for his efforts in a losing cause, is among six players nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Player of the Week, which is determined by fans’ online voting.

Hyde has only 24 carries through two games, and with an average of 7 yards per carry, it’s fair to wonder why he hasn’t been fed more. His understudy, rookie Matt Breida, is not stealing carries, with just eight for 46 yards.

“In order to run the ball more, you don’t just call more runs,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “You have to get first downs and stay on the field.”

Hyde, known best as a power back, arrived at training camp 228 pounds, his lightest since high school. Such a svelte frame was to enhance his speed for a team being rebuilt around the notion of playing faster than ever.

“I know Carlos lost a bunch of weight since last year, and I’ve seen that during OTAs and training camp, how much faster he got,” Breida said. “People don’t realize he’s got some speed behind him.”

Hyde, a 2014 second-round draft pick, is in the final year of his contract. He might have only 14 games left until free agency, where he might be the most coveted running back behind Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh’s 2017 franchise-tagged player.

Hyde declared on Day 1 of training camp that he wants to win the league’s rushing title. Two games in, Hyde has the fourth-most yards (169). He trails the Kansas City Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt (229 yards), the Denver Broncos’ C.J. Anderson (199 yards) and the Minnesota Vikings’ Dalvin Cook (191).

Hyde’s counterpart Thursday night, the Los Angeles Rams’ Todd Gurley, ranks eighth with 128 yards, and he’s ran for a touchdown in each game so far. Gurley followed up his 1,106-yard rookie season with a dip in 2016, totaling 885 yards and no 100-yard games.

Gurley, by the way, edged Hyde on Sunday’s “Next Gen Stats” radar gun, clocking 19.98 mph on an 18-yard run in the Rams’ loss to Washington.

“He’s shifty, he’s got speed, does a good job bouncing to the sideline,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “We have to corral him and keep him inside the box.”

Is Gurley the fastest back the 49ers will have faced this year?

“Might be. They all look fast to me,” Saleh responded.

EXTRA POINTS

— Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster right-ankle sprain is recovering well, as he walked Tuesday without a stabilizing boot. Foster missed Sunday’s game and is unlikely to play Thursday night.

— The 49ers defense is allowing the 10th-fewest points (17.5 per game) and yards (299.5). Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s response: “The results are not what we want. Yards and all that, we don’t look at it. The bottom line is points, trying to keep them off the board and give us a chance to win every week.

“The thing I’m excited about,” Saleh added, “is our style was represented last week, all across the board for the entire team. … The violence, the speed, attacking the ball.”

— The 49ers offense ranks last in yards (232.5 per game) and time of possession (24:21). Quarterback Brian Hoyer said: “When you watch the film and see you’re an inch off here or there, it drives you to be that much better. An inch better. One play better. One play can change a game. That’s what’s driven us.”

— Left tackle Joe Staley said the 49ers’ rushing performance in Seattle (159 yards, 8.4 yards per carry) was the best there in his 11 seasons. “We’re definitely making strides,” Staley said. “Guys are feeling a lot more comfortable on where our targets are. You’re seeing that we’re able to break some runs about really strong defenses, but it’s all about consistency.”

— The Pro Football Hall of Fame added to its display 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers’ game-day shirt and playbook binder. She is the league’s first openly gay coach and second-ever full-time female assistant.

URL = https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/preview/NFL_20170921_LAR@SF/

Rebuilding 49ers, Rams can assess progress in Thursday game

Sep 19, 2017

The Los Angeles Rams travel north to take on their long-time NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers in this week’s Thursday night game.

This game should be a good test of two franchises that are in rebuilding modes.

However, each team has some injury issues. San Francisco safety Eric Reid injured his knee and won’t play against the Rams, and linebacker Reuben Foster is not expected to play because of an ankle injury.

Rams tight end Gerald Everett suffered a thigh injury and cornerback Kayvon Webster (shoulder) did not play against Washington.

Both teams have first-year head coaches: Sean McVay for the Rams and Kyle Shanahan for the 49ers.

The Rams are 1-1 on the season and the 49ers are 0-2. But both teams are improved from 2016 and have shown growth under their new regimes, especially on offense.

San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde has been impressive in each of the team’s first two games and he will be a focal point against the Rams. Hyde is fourth in the league in rushing with 169 yards. What is more impressive is the fact he is averaging 7.0 yards a carry. The only issue with the 49ers’ ground game is the lack of touchdowns by Hyde. He enters the Thursday night game with no rushing scores.

“I’ve been pleased with Carlos in both games,” Shanahan said Monday after having a chance to look at the game film. “He came to compete (Sunday), and it showed.”

The Rams’ defense was poor against the Redskins in Week 2 and will need to shore up its tackling while matching up against an improving offensive line. San Francisco guard Laken Tomlinson, who spent the preseason with the Lions but was acquired in a trade, started in Week 2 and made a noticeable impact on the interior run game. This week he will be facing one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, Aaron Donald. Donald did not play in Week 1 after a training camp holdout and looked sluggish in Week 2 against the Redskins. He finished with just one tackle and an assist.

“I didn’t win my one-on-ones,” Donald said. “When I have one-on-ones, I usually win those. I was doing too much thinking. I keep trying to say, that’s on me so I just have to play better.”

The Rams’ running game appears markedly better than the team showed in 2016. Running back Todd Gurley, the 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, is ranked eighth in the NFL with 128 yards. Though he is only averaging 3.7 yards a carry, Gurley had two rushing scores in the first two games and has added value as a pass catcher with eight receptions for 104 yards and another score. The Rams will need Gurley to continue to be that dual-threat player against the 49ers defense.

Second-year quarterback Jared Goff has grown as a player under McVay. Though he threw a costly interception late in the game against the Redskins to halt the team’s comeback, Goff has been poised in the pocket and has shown confidence in his arm and his receivers. Goff had a breakout game in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts and was solid in Week 2.

Even though the Rams lost to the Redskins, Goff was pleased with the way the team battled to come from behind. He said he was impressed with “our ability to fight back that we now know we have. Knowing that we can go down 13-nothing, we probably could’ve even gone down 17-nothing and get a chance to fight back. We’ve got the weapons out there to make plays — to make big plays and we get ourselves back in the game. I think it’s drastically improved. We now know that we’re never out of the fight and continue to keep going. As long as we execute and take care of the ball — good things will happen.”

The 49ers’ passing attack under quarterback Brian Hoyer has been dreadful. Hoyer passed for a mere 99 yards in Week 2, and the offense has yet to score a touchdown in 2017.

While the offense has leaned on the rushing attack, Hoyer has been plagued by missed throws and critical drops. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has dropped two potential game-changing plays in back-to-back weeks. If the 49ers expect to win at home on Thursday night, they will need more efficient offense out of Hoyer and the wide receivers.

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URL = https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20170917_WAS@LAR/

Cousins, Thompson lead Redskins to 27-20 win vs Rams
STATS AP
Sep 17, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Washington Redskins ran and ran and ran some more.

They did let Kirk Cousins throw the ball some, and he came through with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Grant with 1:49 to play to give the Redskins a 27-20 victory Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams and rookie head coach Sean McVay.

But this victory was earned with smash-mouth running. The Redskins (1-1) rushed 39 times for 229 yards, including touchdowns of 71 and 7 yards by Chris Thompson.

This was billed a showdown between McVay and his former boss, Redskins coach Jay Gruden.

Gruden got the upper hand with his play calling.

”We definitely needed this,” Thompson said. ”It was big for us to finally get going. We had a rough preseason running the ball. Last week was rough also. So to be able to go out there and get over 200 yards rushing was great. Now it’s on us. We’ve got to continue to keep it going.”

Cousins capped the winning 70-yard drive by finding Grant in the front left corner of the end zone. Even that drive was run heavy, with Samaje Perine carrying seven times.

”It’s always good to make plays in the passing game,” Cousins said. ”But make no mistake, it’s always nice to hand off to Chris Thompson and watch him just go 50, 60 yards for a touchdown. So I’ve got no complaints, either.”

Washington ran the ball seven straight times on a drive capped by Thompson’s 7-yard run for a 10-0 lead.

”I don’t know how many times that happens in a season where you have an entire drive of running the ball,” Cousins said. ”You have to credit the offensive line.”

The Rams had tied the game at 20 on Greg Zuerlein’s 40-yard field goal with 7:16 to play. It was set up on a trick play, when punter Johnny Hekker completed a 28-yard pass to Josh Reynolds to the Washington 17. But two penalties stalled the drive and the Rams had to settle for the field goal.

After Grant’s score, Mason Foster sealed the win with 1:37 to go by intercepting Jared Goff.

Cousins had a much better day than in a season-opening loss to Philadelphia, when he had three turnovers. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions.

THE RUNNING BACKS: Late in the second half, on second-and-6 from the Washington 39, Thompson took a delayed handoff from Cousins out of the shotgun and burst through the defense for his long TD run and a 20-10 lead.

He finished with 77 yards on three carries. Rob Kelley, who suffered a thigh injury midway through the second quarter, had 78 yards on 12 carries. Perine finished with 67 yards on 21 carries.

McVAY: The 31-year-old worked for the Redskins for seven seasons, including the last three as offensive coordinator under Gruden, before being hired by the Rams as the youngest head coach in modern league history.

Despite McVay’s familiarity with the Redskins, it didn’t translate into a win for the Rams (1-1).

”We continued to fight back, but we can’t hurt ourselves with the penalties, some of the different things that occurred throughout the course of the game,” McVay said.

TODD GURLEY: The Rams, who didn’t look near as sharp as they did in routing Indianapolis a week earlier, made a game of it thanks to a spectacular play by the running back.

Midway through the third quarter, Gurley caught a swing pass from Goff, hurdled cornerback Bashaud Breeland and then reached for the pylon to complete the 18-yard play and pull the Rams to 20-17.

Gurley also scored on a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter. His fumble helped set up a 22-yard field goal by Washington’s Dustin Hopkins in the second quarter.

OLYMPICS RETURN

To commemorate the awarding of the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles, IOC President Thomas Bach lit the Olympic torch atop the peristyle end of the Coliseum before kickoff. He was joined by Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA 2028 Chairman Casey Wasserman and Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson. Johnson, who lit the Coliseum cauldron to kick off the 1984 Olympics, was drafted by the Rams in 1959. Los Angeles also hosted the Olympics in 1932. The Coliseum opened in 1923.

INJURIES

Washington: Foster hurt his right shoulder late in the second quarter. … TE Jordan Reed suffered a chest injury in the third quarter. … S Montae Nicholson hurt a shoulder in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles: TE Gerald Everett suffered a thigh injury in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Washington: The Redskins host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday night.

Los Angeles: The Rams play their NFC West opener at San Francisco on Thursday night.

he was great in Repo Man and a real son of bitch as Roman Grant in Big Love.

I too didn’t realize that he was that old…..

The touch pass to Everett that set up Gurley’s TD was pretty impressive too….

Rams have offered him a ton of money and now he’s missing games that count………. maybe AD doesn’t want to play in a 3-4 alignment…..

I thought that both Goff and Mannion played pretty good.

That strip sack TD was a 14 point swing, shit happens, you can’t pin all the blame on Goff on that play, it was a good defensive play.

The concern I have is that it’s been noted that McVay’s drives didn’t finish with TD’s in Wash… it happened yesterday

Sammy catch a pass from Goff

No injuries on the dirt infield.

be in position to make plays on both sides of the ball like they did last week…

Joe Hill, Debs, Oklahoma revolt, and many others died, were jailed, or both “for the social cause”

I’d be careful posting these links, because “they” might be coming for you buddy…..

damn, I didn’t realize this link was a 6 hour investment……..

Adam Gase was Cutler’s OC in Chicago…. that’s why the Dolphins signed him.

Cutler had his best season as a pro under Gase……

Kurt Warner’s Hall of Fame Highlight Reel: Undrafted to MVP | NFL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YlrzspaYhc

zn wrote:

DTs on the roster (besides Brockers, Donald, & Easley):

67 Bryant, Omarius DT 6-3 315 22 R Western Kentucky
66 Jefferson, A.J. DT 6-3 280 24 R Mississippi State
71 Purcell, Mike DT 6-3 328 26 3 Wyoming
70 Sayles, Casey DT 6-3 289 21 R Ohio
92 Smart, Tanzel DT 6-1 290 22 R Tulane
62 Trinca-Pasat, Louis DT 6-1 300 25 1 Iowa

Holy smokes who are these guys?

At least they’re young

Deadwood very under rated.

Swearingen….. what a fitting name… he cussed all the time

4-2 in playoff games.

3-1 in road playoff games

6′ 4″ tall

29 years old

72 TDs with only 30 INTS

He no fucking Dave Orlovsky or Sean Mannion, that’s for sure.

It’s foolish not to give this guy a shot…..

Maybe he can’t play, but maybe Chip Kelly and Jim Tomsula sucked, unless you’re Nick Foles….

it doesn’t bother me that he took a knee for Francis Scott Key…..