How big of a loss is Tevin Coleman's absence for the 49ers?
Yesterday's big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a bit of repercussions for the San Francisco 49ers. Running back Tevin Coleman exited the game with an ankle injury that is now expected to put him out for some time. Tests revealed he suffered an ankle sprain, but the severity and exact time he will miss is still fuzzy. Coleman was having a decent game until leaving the game yesterday. He ran well in the run game and got a couple of chunk plays in the passing game.
Coleman was expected to be a bit of workhorse for the 49ers with Matt Breida in rotation. He is the most adept for Kyle Shanahan's system since he played for him back with the Atlanta Falcons. Assuming Coleman is out for a considerable amount of time, how big of a loss is his absence for the San Francisco 49ers?
Tevin Coleman's absence will definitely be felt, but it won't derail the offense or at least not more than ever so slightly. That's because of the position he play. Running back is the most interchangeable position in all of football. Coaches can plug and play players there and still operate the offense well. Luckily for the 49ers, they have Matt Breida who has prove more than a capable talent.
There is also Raheem Mostert who can move the chains from time to time. The loss of Jerick McKinnon is sure to be felt now, but only because of the depth. How will Mostert fare receiving an increase of snaps? His skill-set is similar to that of Coleman and Breida, which is perfect because the offense doesn't need to make any adjustments. It's the best part about every single running back the 49ers have.
Shanahan made it a point to have their backs be similar in case of one dropping off either because of production or injury. The contingencies were set from the moment the 53 man roster was announced. Jeff Wilson is expected to be called up from the practice squad and I would expect he will do a decent job spelling as the number three running back.
The San Francisco 49ers offense won't skip a beat just because of Tevin Coleman's absence. It will be a felt a bit because he is a very talented player, but the offense will function normally. The only injuries that will really impact the 49ers offense are of course Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, or the offensive tackles.
San Francisco will have to make do over the next few games or longer without Coleman. Hopefully it will be sooner than that because watching Coleman play is a treat. But the 49ers will have to move on without him next week on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
