By admin 
George Kittle offered up a new nickname for him and fullback Kyle Juszczyk tied to the 49ers’ rejuvenated rushing attack.
Read more Sacramento Kings unveil new Kings Radio options for fans. Here is what’s new
“It’s called ‘Dash Bros,’” Kittle said Thursday.
It’s not quite as catchy as “YAC Bros” coined by Deebo Samuel in 2020 — perhaps after the more famous Bash Bros or Golden State Warriors’ Splash Bros — when 49ers pass catchers were among the NFL’s best at getting yards after the catch. “Dash Bros” is a nod to the pre-snap motion that proved to be so effective during San Francisco’s 27-7 victory over the vaunted Los Angeles Rams that included averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
“Dash” motion is when Kittle or Juszczyk run into the back field from the line of scrimmage, quickly changing the look for the defense moments before the snap. It forces defenders to act quickly as they reconfigure their responsibilities and change the gaps they have to defend. Making things more complicated is Kittle or Juszczyk changing directions as the ball is snapped.
“They’re not my favorite, but they’re very effective,” Kittle said. “So I just put my pride aside and just do them. … I just don’t like cutting and running that much. I like lining up and hitting people in the face. That’s kind of what I do.”
The 49ers used pre-snap motion on 24 of their 30 runs against the Rams, with many being the “dash” variety. They averaged 6.4 yards per carry on runs with motion, and came out of the NFL’s first week ranking first in running game success rate (57%).
It was only one game, but San Francisco is hoping to continue running the ball well after its typically strong ground game was far less effective in 2025, ranking 30th in the NFL averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Up next is Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, who spent the week practicing in Napa after their road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
49ers coaches brought in a renewed emphasis on improving the running game in the offseason, with head coach Kyle Shanahan, coordinator Klay Kubiak and new run game coordinator Joe Graves looking for new ways to spring Christian McCaffrey and rookie running mate Kaelon Black.
“We’re always evaluating our team and trying to stay ahead of things and trying to evolve,” Kubiak said. “(Last year) wasn’t good enough.”
Read more Jessica Shepard’s triple-double paces Wings past Sparks
Part of the revamped rushing attack is taking some of the workload off McCaffrey after he led the NFL with 413 regular season touches last season. McCaffrey had led the league in touches two previous times, 2019 and 2023, and played seven games combined in 2020 and 2024.
It led to San Francisco using a third-round pick on Black, who had four more carries than McCaffrey against the Rams while McCaffrey in part because McCaffrey dealt with cramps in the first half. But cramps aside, the 49ers sound like they will use a two-pronged rushing attack more this season than any other since McCaffrey was acquired midway through 2022.
“I think that’s a big part of it, is (for) the defense, there’s two guys who are going to carry the ball who are a problem,” Kubiak said. “Kaelon’s just been great since he’s been year. And I think aside from wanting the rotation with Christian to spare him a little bit in the game, we just wanted to get Kaelon touches. He’s a good player, he deserves touches.”
Quarterback Brock Purdy, who said being able to time the snap with all the 49ers’ pre-snap motion takes hours of study time before each game, noticed a focus on improving the running game throughout the offseason program.
“Having Joe Graves come in this offseason, we’ve had some meetings and stuff where it’s like, ‘Hey, this is who we are. This is the Niners standard. We run the ball and this is how important it is.’” Purdy said. “It opens up our play (action) pass, drop back passes, all the things. It all ties together for our offense. So for us, running the ball here is huge.”
However, Black popped up on the injury report on Thursday with a groin injury after not being listed Wednesday, leaving his status uncertain for Sunday against the Dolphins. Any missed time would mean an elevated role for second-year running back Jordan James, who impressed in the preseason but was inactive Week 1.
Read more Dominant ground game propels undefeated Pitt over Syracuse