San Francisco

Niners Address Issue of Fumbles by Running Backs

Four lost fumbles over two summer games prompt coaches to put backs through special drills this week

There’s a lot to like about the 49ers rushing attack through the first two exhibition games.

San Francisco leads the NFL with 420 yards on the ground and six yards per carry on 70 attempts.

No. 1 running back Carlos Hyde (11 carries, 55 yards) is healthy again and eager to carry the load in Chip Kelly’s new offense, and he appears to have some capable and explosive help with rookie Kelvin Taylor (12 for 51) and second-year man Mike Davis (10 for 98).

As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk noted this summer after the 49ers ran the ball well vs. the Arizona Cardinals in Game 1, Kelly’s offense could surprise people this season.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about coach Chip Kelly’s system is that it’s a passing offense, as a lot of people equate tempo with throwing the ball around,” he wrote. “But at its core, it has always been a power offense, and the 49ers are showing some signs they’re capable of playing it.”

But the good news about the running game has come with some bad news, too, in the form of fumbles. Over two games, 49ers running backs have lost four fumbles, one by Hyde, two by Davis and one by DuJuan Harris.

So, in practices this week, 49ers coaches have been putting running backs through special drills as a reminder to get back to fundamentals and better take care of the ball. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wrote that running backs coach Tom Rathman and offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins were directing running backs through drills in which they had to negotiate a series of obstacles while coaches tried to jar the ball from their grasp.

Kelly and Modkins hope the reminders can fix the problem before the regular season.

“Everybody understands how important the turnover battle is in the game of football and if you’re on the plus side, you have increased your chances of winning the football game,” Kelly told Wagoner. “It’s something we’ve emphasized and continue to emphasize.”

The 49ers’ next exhibition game is Friday night in Green Bay vs. the Packers.

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