The San Francisco 49ers barely ran the ball in Sunday’s loss to the rival Arizona Cardinals, as feature back Frank Gore was upset with the fact that he received just six carries, turning them into only ten yards. Gore is normally a workhorse in the 49ers offense, but the 31-year-old has lost carries to impressive rookie RB Carlos Hyde and to the 49ers improved passing attack. At 31, the lower usage is better for Gore, but his average of four yards per carry so far this season shows that he could also benefit from better blocking.
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According to the San Jose Mercury News’s Cam Inman, Gore expects star right tackle Anthony Davis to return this week and play against the Philadelphia Eagles in what will be a critical matchup between two playoff teams. Davis missed the first three weeks of the regular season with a hamstring injury, though he was expected to get some practice in last week. Right now, Davis is trying to get on the practice field today, and we’ll have to monitor his status closely throughout the week.
49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has a toned down outlook on Davis’s chances of playing against the Eagles this week, as he is “hopeful” (he doesn’t quite “expect”) that the right tackle can come back. Davis would give the 49ers offensive line a huge boost, especially since he is one of the league’s best run-blocking tackles.