Rookie running back Trey Sermon finished Week 3 with 31 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. That was enough to be the San Francisco 49ers' leading rusher, which will paint a clear picture of how much trouble the team is having in getting its rushing attack going.
For all intents and purposes, it was Sermon's first game. He played the week before but carried the football just once before suffering a concussion. Sermon was inactive during Week 1, as the coaching staff felt the team's other rookie running back, Elijah Mitchell, was more prepared to back up Raheem Mostert. Mostert left that game with an injury, thrusting Mitchell into a more significant role.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel spoke with reporters after Thursday's practice and was asked about his evaluation of Sermon's first extensive playing time.
"There were definitely things that he improved on, as the game wore on," McDaniel said. "There was also things that he'd been short-changed in terms of he hasn't played tackle football that much, when you really think about it. He had the COVID year, and then going into this season, we had padded practices, but we're not going to the ground. And then, preseason, he got dinged.
"He did get better, and there were also things in his play that we looked at, and we're like, 'Hey, here's another thing that you can improve on.
"What I will say is, probably as much, if not more than any player on the team this week, you can tell that he learned from the experience. He had as deliberate of a week practicing as anybody. I think a lot of players on our team are very confident in him moving forward. I know he is confident and excited for the opportunity and just excited to continue to progress."
The 49ers made Sermon a third-round pick out of Ohio State in April. Three rounds later, the team drafted Mitchell out of Louisiana.