The San Francisco 49ers looked new and improved in their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings as the new coaching regime got their debut win. While Colin Kaepernick looked strong in Week 1, it was Carlos Hyde that led the charge in his first game as the starting running back in place of the departed Frank Gore. While he was a fantasy home run, could an injury to Reggie Bush make those numbers even bigger?
The 49ers' win came with a price as Bush was carted off the field in his first game with his new team following his departure from the Detroit Lions. Midway through the first quarter of play, Bush took a hit and limped off the field. According to ESPN's Lindsey Czarniak Bush suffered a calf strain and could be out for some time. Bush had just two carries for eight yards before leaving the game and putting the rest of the rushing attack on Hyde.
Hyde proved his worth to San Francisco. The second-year pro had been saying for most of the preseason that he could easily replace the production Gore put up and that proved true as the running back had 168 yards off 26 carries for two touchdowns while adding another 14 yards on two catches. He was a fantasy home run and that is expected to continue with Bush out Jarryd Hayne not looking overly impressive in the win.
The surprise of the game might be Vernon Davis. The veteran tight end faced a lot of doubts about his future as he plays out the final year of his contract. Davis is on the wrong end of the NFL age scale and many wonder just how long he has with the franchise. He showed he still has it with three catches for 47 yards to lead the 49ers receiving game which lacked a lot. Anquan Boldin had just four catches for 36 yards while Torrey Smith recorded just one catch for 11 yards. That is not was San Francisco was hoping for in their leading receiving duo.
If the 49ers are going to be a contending team this season, they need more from the passing game as Kaepernick failed to record a passing touchdown. The quarterback looked improved, but not enough to compete with the likes of Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck. Regardless, head coach Jim Tomsula has all of the faith in Kaepernick. According to SFGate.com, Tomsula is preaching fun to the quarterback and believes this is only the beginning for the quarterback.