Why Tevin Coleman Struggled in 2019
Tevin Coleman should have played well last season for the 49ers, but didn’t.
To be fair, it was his first season on the team, but he played for head coach Kyle Shanahan from 2015 to 2016 in Atlanta -- Coleman knew the offense, and it’s one of the most running-back-friendly offenses in the NFL.
Plus, he had George Kittle blocking for him. Kittle is one of the league’s best blockers. The 49ers averaged a whopping 5.0 yards per carry whenever Kittle was on the field last season.
And yet, somehow Coleman averaged only 4.0 yards per carry in 2019, despite all the advantages the 49ers provided him.
Let’s examine why he struggled.
Exhibit A: Week 8 vs. the Panthers. Second Quarter. 2:00. First and Five at the Panthers 48-yard line.
Coleman had good moments, too, and this one probably is his best. Notice Jimmy Garoppolo is in the shotgun. From this alignment, Coleman averaged 7.6 yards per carry in 2019. Fantastic.
Here, Coleman receives the handoff, sees two Panthers in the backfield, sticks his left foot in the ground and immediately cuts back to his right. Then he runs through the defense, beats Panthers free safety Tre Boston to the pylon and scores a 48-yard touchdown.
Coleman loves to cut back. Putting him in the shotgun gives him opportunities to do so.
Exhibit B: Week 15 vs. the Falcons. Second Quarter. 2:31. Second and 15 at the 49ers 20-yard line.
One more example of Coleman’s comfort from the shotgun. This time it’s an outside-zone run to the left. Again, he sees two defenders in the backfield, quickly spots a cutback lane and gains 37 yards. This is Coleman at his best, when he makes a quick cutback behind the line of scrimmage.
Exhibit C: Week 6 @ Rams. First Quarter. 14:55. First and 10 at the 49ers’ 16-yard line.
This is Coleman at his worst -- when the quarterback is under center. From this alignment, Coleman averaged just 2.8 yards per carry last season.
Here, he receives a pitch to his left and has two blockers in front of him -- left tackle Justin Skule and tight end Ross Dwelley. Coleman simply needs to outrun Rams inside linebacker Troy Reeder, who runs a 4.63. Coleman runs a 4.4, but still can’t beat Reeder to the sideline and turn the corner.
Coleman doesn’t seem to have the juice he had in Atlanta. No explosion. No burst. He gains just one yard before running out of bounds.
Exhibit D. Week 7 @ Washington. Fourth Quarter. 5:59. Second and Seven at the 49ers’ 36-yard line.
This is an outside zone run to the 49ers’ left, with Kittle at the point of attack. Coleman should want to run behind Kittle -- he’s an elite blocker. And he ties up Washington defensive end Montez Sweat and creates a lane for Coleman to run around the edge for a big gain.
But Coleman gets the ball, takes one step and cuts back away from Kittle and into four defenders. Coleman gains just three yards.
Why would he want to run AWAY from Kittle? Follow him, Tevin. He’ll make you look good.
Exhibit E: Week 17 @ the Seahawks. First Quarter. 3:00. First and 10 at the 49ers’ 16-yard line.
This is a pitch to the 49ers’ left, and this time Coleman has Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk leading the way. Those two create an edge for Coleman to run around. But again, Coleman cuts back into four defenders and gains just three yards. Maybe this style worked for him in Atlanta, but on the 49ers he doesn’t take advantage of his best blockers.
Exhibit F: NFC Playoffs vs. the Vikings. Second Quarter. 4:45. First and 10 at the 49ers 8-yard line.
Kittle motions to the left. He and Deebo Samuel create an edge for Coleman. And Coleman cuts back into the teeth of the defense where two defenders tackle him immediately.
THE VERDICT
Either Coleman doesn’t trust his ability to outrun the defense to the sideline anymore, or he doesn’t understand how to benefit from Kittle. Maybe Coleman never was 100-percent healthy -- he injured his ankle during the season opener. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable on a new team. Maybe he will improve next season. He’d better. The 49ers have lots of capable running backs who can take his spot.
