The San Francisco 49ers are still searching for their third win of the season. They will head into Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos without running back Matt Breida and safety Jaquiski Tartt, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Monday.
After back-to-back 100-yard performances during Weeks 10 and 12, Breida was limited to just six yards on five carries on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. He also recorded three receptions for 51 yards.
Rookie Jeff Wilson received the bulk of the running back touches, carrying the football 15 times for 61 yards and catching eight passes for 73 yards.
Why was Breida, who is having an impressive season substituting as the 49ers' featured back, so limited against Seattle? The second-year running back re-injured his ankle during warmups on Sunday, it got worse during the game, and the coaching staff decided to pull him from the action.
While he wasn't on the team's official injury report leading to the game, Breida was limited during two of the 49ers' three practices last week. He has been dealing with an ankle injury for much of the season. Sunday's setback was to the same ankle, Shanahan told reporters after the game.
"Same ankle, different sprain," Shanahan clarified on Monday.
The 49ers signed Breida as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern last year. He has registered 744 yards on 132 carries with three rushing touchdowns this season while adding 21 receptions for 209 yards with two touchdown receptions.
Before Sunday's outing, Breida was on pace to become the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2014 to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He is unlikely to hit that milestone now.
Tartt suffered a shoulder stinger against the Seahawks and did not return to the game. He has 42 combined tackles, two passes defensed, and an interception through eight games this season.
The 49ers made Tartt a second-round draft pick out of Samford in 2015. He has registered 223 combined tackles, 3.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed, three interceptions, and a forced fumble in four seasons with San Francisco.
