The San Francisco 49ers are trekking through another difficult season coming off a blowout 43-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
It came at a bit of a cost as running back Matt Brieda has suffered a setback with his ankle injury that will force him to miss this week's game against the Denver Broncos, according to Matt Barrows of the Athletic.
Matt Breida (ankle) will be out this week, Dekoda Watson (torn calf) will go on IR.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 4, 2018
When healthy, Breida has been their primary offensive factor out of the backfield this season as he rushed for 744 yards with three touchdowns in 12 games played. This will mark his first missed action this season as he has previously toughed it out through his ankle issues. He tallied six rushing yards on five carries against the Seahawks before suffering an ankle reaggravation.
Brieda was coming off the most productive stretch of his brief NFL career with back-to-back 100 rushing yard performances, which account for two out of his three such outings this season. He stepped into the primary option in the backfield to start the season after offseason addition Jerick McKinnon suffered a torn ACL during the preseason. Breida provided more than expected proving to be a highly dependable asset in the running game and looked like he was finding his way over the last couple of games prior to the injury.
His absence now could potentially thrust Alfred Morris into a more significant role out of the backfield. The 49ers have struggled with injuries throughout the year that have prevented them from making any significant headway on the field as they have faltered to one of the worst marks in the league heading into the last month of the regular season. The Broncos could present a difficult challenge for the 49ers given their recent surge back into the playoff picture, having won their last three straight games.
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