The San Francisco 49ers’ backfield has been a conundrum all season with Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson Jr., and even Trey Sermon playing starting snaps. With injuries being a key factor all year and a Thursday Night Football matchup on the horizon, which back will be the “lead”? Is Mitchell playing in Week 16, or will Wilson or Sermon take over the backfield?
Is Elijah Mitchell playing tonight vs. the Titans?
After a short week, the 49ers take on the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football. It is an important game for both teams, with the 49ers battling to keep a Wild Card spot and the Titans clinging to the AFC South in the NFL standings. However, the 49ers are going to need to win without a key element.
Early Wednesday, San Francisco decided to quell any questions about Mitchell’s availability for this game by declaring him out. Mitchell has been out since suffering a knee injury against the Seahawks in Week 13.
This means that Wilson will be the starting back for this prime-time showdown.
It is a significant loss for the Niners, considering how integral Mitchell has been for them this year. A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Mitchell currently leads the 49ers with 759 yards rushing. He’s gone over 100 yards in four games this season.
What will this 49ers run game look like without Mitchell?
The 49ers are going to need to rely on their passing attack and QB Jimmy Garropolo if they want to win this one. The Titans are the second-best run defense in the NFL, allowing only an average of 86.9 yards per game. They also allow the fewest fantasy points to running backs in the league.
There are only two RBs who have found success against the Titans — Jonathan Taylor and James Robinson. Unfortunately for Wilson, both those backs are in a different tier — one is even fighting for the league MVP right now.
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If Mitchell was playing, he would likely struggle in this game as well. So far this year, Wilson has not looked very good as the lead back. Yes, against the Falcons in Week 15, he put up a stat line of 21 carries for 110 yards and a TD. But the Falcons are near the bottom of the NFL in rushing defense.
Luckily for San Francisco, they have several weapons to rely on without Mitchell, such as Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk. As long as this passing game can find success against a bottom-half pass defense, the 49ers might not miss Mitchell as much as it seems.
