Your Week 1 NFL rushing leader? That's Pierre Garçon.
Hyde's 168-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Minnesota Vikings has earned him a nomination for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. The San Francisco 49ers second-year running back also caught two passes for 14 yards to go with his 26 carries.
"He ran great," Colin Kaepernick said postgame. "He ran aggressive. That's what we need out of him. He came out and performed well. Our offensive line and our tight ends did a great job. Our receivers got in there and helped create some holes too."
The game proved to be Hyde's coming out party as he now owns the title of featured running back for the 49ers, replacing the franchise's all-time leading rusher, Frank Gore, who is now with the Indianapolis Colts.
An active night for Hyde got even busier when Reggie Bush left the game in the first quarter with a calf strain. That meant more snaps for the former Ohio State Buckeye, especially on third down. Hyde took advantage, steamrolling the Vikings defense to the tune of 6.5 yards per carry.
"You just always have to be ready," Hyde said postgame. "Tonight, I think I was ready."
On his first touchdown, a 10-yard run in the second quarter, Hyde shook Vikings defensive lineman Everson Griffin with a filthy spin move that opened up the entire left side of the field. Apparently, he's been doing the same thing to his own teammates on the practice field.
"That's what you see him doing every day," Jim Tomsula said. "Almost got somebody hurt the other day."
By comparison, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was held to just 31 rushing yards.
Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (141 rushing yards, 1 touchdown) and New York Jets running back Chris Ivory (91 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns) are the other two 'backs up for the award.
In othe words, it really should be no competition who deserves the Week 1 honor.
You can vote here.
Is there a limit to how many times you can vote, you ask? Geat question. No, there is no limit to voting. Thus, selecting Hyde for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week over and over (and over and over) sounds like a fantastic way to spend your Tuesday afternoon.
