San Francisco 49ers: Nick Mullens, players to watch vs. Giants in Week 10

Matt Breida

Breida has been unable to hit the heights of earlier in the season in recent weeks as he has battled through various injuries. He looked close to his best last week but had only 44 carries on 12 yards, though his lack of production partly owed to the 49ers success in the passing game and the success of Raheem Mostert, who had 86 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.

However, with Mostert lost for the year to a gruesome broken arm and Alfred Morris having struggled to make an impact in a very limited role in the last few games, there will be added emphasis on Breida to take some of the pressure off Mullens and thrive against a middling Giants run defense that should be reinvigorated following the bye.

Kendrick Bourne

Mullens’ greatest rapport against the Raiders appeared to be with Pierre Garcon. However, a knee injury will keep him on the sideline against the Giants, likely meaning more snaps for Kendrick Bourne.

Bourne has quietly strung together some impressive performances this season. The second-year former undrafted free agent has been one of the Niners’ best red zone weapons, catching three touchdowns, and has been able to engineer separation with his route-running.

With Garcon out, he will likely be relied on to do the latter consistently and provide Mullens with a reliable weapon on the outside along with Marquise Goodwin. The 49ers could well be in the market for wide receiver help in the offseason but, if Bourne can take advantage of these kind of opportunities, it may convince San Francisco that reinforcements shouldn’t be a high priority.