Once again, Matt Breida's number got called when the San Francisco 49ers' starting running back, Tevin Coleman, went down with an ankle injury during Week 1. And I use the term "starting" loosely because the coaching staff rotates the backs throughout the game and depending on the situation.

Coleman returned to the lineup on Monday night against the Cleveland Browns, and he and Breida combined for 211 rushing yards. The team owns the top-ranked rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 200 yards per game and 5.2 yards per attempt.

"All gas, no brakes," is a term used by coordinator Robert Saleh to describe his defense. Maybe it can be used for Breida, too.

Breida had two touchdowns against the Browns, one carrying the football and another through the air. It was the former where the running back was clocked at an impressive 22.3 MPH during the 83-yard score. While his speed has earned him the nickname "Breida the Cheetah," the 49ers back has his sights set on even faster speeds.



"I was trying to shoot higher," Breida said on Friday during a KNBR interview with Greg Papa and John Lund. "Maybe if I didn't wave at the end, I probably could have hit 23 (MPH). I'm always trying to shoot for higher than that.

"I'm just happy to have that run. The guys that blocked on that play for me, the offensive line, the tight end, receivers, everyone did their job, and everything worked out great. That run belongs to them just as much as me."

The 49ers running backs could be a little handicapped heading into this weekend's NFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Rams. The team, already without its starting left tackle, lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey and fullback Kyle Juszczyk this week.

During the scoring run, you can see Juszczyk delivering a blow to a defender and helping to open things up for Breida, who exploded past the Browns. How will the offense be different without the fullback, who, like McGlinchey, is expected to miss four to six weeks?

"A lot," Breida answered. "He can do a lot of things. I feel like he can play every position on offense, even quarterback. He's that special of a player, and it's going to be tough without him. But like we say around here, it's next man up, so whoever is in for him or whatever personnel we've got in there, I think they're going to do a great job."


Added Breida: "He creates mismatch problems out there. Just having him on the field, in general, is a great asset to us. Like I said, not having him there is going to suck but next man up. Whoever takes his place is going to do their job, and I've got a lot of trust in them."

You can listen to the entire conversation with Breida below.


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