Getty Kyle Shanahan during Week 1 of the 2022 season.
The San Francisco 49ers are in need of help in one of their blueprint positions: The running back room.
Elijah Mitchell, last season’s leading rusher, has a sprained MCL expecting to sideline him for at least two months. Prized draft find Ty Davis-Price was listed as out for the upcoming Monday Night Football heavyweight rematch with the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, October 1.
The run-heavy 49ers are down to Jeff Wilson and Deebo Samuel as the primary options against the team that prevented them from making a third trip to SoFi Stadium last season in Super Bowl 56. And of the two, head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted to reporters that teams have began to figure out Samuel as a running back — with that wrinkle unveiled in last season’s meeting at Levi’s Stadium between the 49ers and Rams.
So who can potentially help the 49ers? Some fans hope it’s undrafted rookie Jordan Mason who gets the call to add a needed filler in the backfield. However, Matt Barrows of The Athletic unveiled who “could be” in the lineup.
Could practice squadder Tevin Coleman be elevated for Monday’s game?
“Could be,” Kyle Shanahan said.
And if Coleman is a go, he and the 49ers have this opportunity: Improving a crucial stat over the Rams.
Coleman Versus the Rams: An Overview
Should Coleman indeed suit up and handle some carries for Shanahan and the 49ers offense, the 29-year-old gets the chance to elevate to 5-0 lifetime versus the Rams.
That’s right, the rival Rams are winless against the 49ers when Coleman is in the lineup. And, Coleman holds two other victories over the Rams before he showed up to Northern California.
Here’s an overview of how Coleman has fared in each game and how involved he was in the 49ers’ offense per Pro Football Reference:
December 11, 2016: Coleman’s first meeting versus the Rams was also before Shanahan, John Lynch and Jimmy Garoppolo arrived to the Bay Area…when Coleman was a Falcon. Coleman not only combined for 55 total yards from scrimmage, but scored twice in the 42-14 trouncing of the Rams. Coleman’s touchdowns were both 6-yarders and came when Shanahan was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator.
January 6, 2018: The Rams have their rematch with Coleman and the then-defending NFC champion Falcons at the first NFL playoff game inside the L.A. Memorial Coliseum since January 1994. That contest was also Sean McVay’s first playoff game as head coach. Coleman and Atlanta, however, quickly eliminated the Rams 26-13 by totaling 68 yards on 17 touches.
October 13, 2019: Coleman touched the football 20 times — racking up 61 total yards but joining Garoppolo in crossing the goal line during the 20-7 win down in L.A.
December 21, 2019: In Coleman’s last meeting against the Rams, he was mainly used on the rushing side. But still averaged more than six yards a carry (five carries for 33 yards) in the 34-31 shootout win at Santa Clara.
Coleman Was Supposed to be Used Sooner
Turns out, the Week 3 game at Denver was supposed to be Coleman’s 49ers return. But per The Athletic’s David Lombardi, here was the reason why Coleman was held out:
Coleman would’ve certainly come in handy for a 49ers ground attack that was bottled to 88 yards there — especially with Ex-49ers interior defender D.J. Jones helping clog some lanes.
While Coleman has a “could be” blurted out by Shanahan, one other 49ers coach believes Coleman is energized to get some carries in the 49ers backfield again.
“I think Tev is ready to roll,” said run game coordinator Chris Foerster on Friday, September 30. “I can’t say whether he’s been up or down. I don’t know any of that. I just know he’s been practicing and working his tail off every week. Tev has that explosiveness to him that he can really hit it and go, and (we) really enjoy the way he can do that. So it’s good to have him back that way.”
And again, if Coleman is out there, he has the chance to get the 49ers their fourth straight home win over the Rams…and his chance to stay unbeaten against the NFC West adversary.