There were a number of bright spots for the 49ers in their victory over the Giants this past weekend, but the performance of Carlos Hyde was one of the most visible.
The fourth-year running back from Ohio State had his second-best game of the season, rushing for 98 yards on 17 carries while averaging 5.76 yards per attempt. The 49ers as a team rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a balanced attack that took some of the pressure off young quarterback C.J. Beathard.
The analytic website Pro Football Focus noted that Hyde picked up 84 yards after initial contact.
“He forced a total of three missed tackles,” wrote Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus. “His average of 4.94 yards after contact per attempt ranks first among 23 players at the position that carried the ball at least 10 times during Week 10’s slate of games.”
Twice, Hyde had runs of 15 yards or more, including a 28-yard burst on the team’s first play from scrimmage that set the tone for the day.
It was the second straight game in which Hyde has totaled more than 100 yards from scrimmage. Against the Giants, Hyde also had two catches for six yards to give him 104 total yards. The week before, in a loss to the Cardinals, Hyde had 41 yards rushing and 84 yards on nine catches for 125 total yards. Hyde’s biggest rushing game of the season came in Week 2, when he picked up 124 yards on 15 carries against Seattle.
Hyde has shown that when healthy, he can be a very effective running back. He’s now in the final year of his contract, and it’s uncertain if he’ll return for 2018. His backup, rookie Matt Breida, has played well and could take over if Hyde departs. Hyde recently told his agent he didn’t want to work yet on an extension with the team until it gets its first win of the season. Despite the team’s rough season, Hyde says he’s where he wants to be.
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“I’m just happy,” he said. “I’m in a good place, despite our record. I stay positive in times like this. It’s easy to be down and be sad, so I’d rather go in a direction to be positive.”
The 49ers have their bye this week. They resume on Sunday, Nov. 26, with a game against the Seahawks at Levi's Stadium.
