The San Francisco 49ers looked like an improved team in their Week 1 win over the Minnesota Vikings. With a new coaching regime in place, Colin Kaepernick looked like a more mature quarterback and Carlos Hyde had a breakout game as the new leading running back. However, Week 2 could pose some challenges as the team is dealing with nagging injuries.
Reggie Bush will not be playing in Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to head coach Jim Tomsula via the team Twitter account, Bush will not be making the trip to the East Coast after suffering a calf strain on Monday night. Bush's night ended early as he was carted off the field in the first quarter. The 49ers were originally optimistic about his health after an MRI looked good, but Bush did not get in enough work to play this week.
The loss of Bush might not be an issue considering the game Hyde put up as the starter. The running back had 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the leading rusher. He is likely to continue those numbers as his stock skyrockets in terms of fantasy football. In place of Bush, Jarryd Hayne could see more time on the field. The former Rugby star's debut was quiet with just 13 yards on the ground. However, he is confident that will improve over time as Kaepernick has confidence in the rusher.
"He's come leaps and bounds," Kaepernick said, via the team website. "It's really hard to describe because it's such a unique situation. If I went over there and tried to play rugby (league), I'd probably be lost. So him coming over, being able to pick up football and the schemes that we have and what we're trying to ask him to do in such a short period of time has really been amazing."
Kaepernick will likely look to get the receivers more involved in the coming week. The quarterback spread the ball out very effectively against the Vikings. Vernon Davis led the way which could be a trend in Week 2 after seeing how much the Steelers struggled against Rob Gronkowski. Anquan Boldin had just 36 yards while Torrey Smith recorded one catch in his debut for the team. As Bruce Ellington struggles with an injury, those two players will be relied upon more in the coming week.
