Impact In the absence of Mitchell in the 49ers' Week 3 loss to the Packers, Sermon drew the start and played 60 percent of offensive snaps, but he wasn't especially effective during his time on the field (10 carries for 31 yards and a touchdown, two receptions for three yards on three targets). Sermon wasn't helped by the 49ers trailing for most of the night, which forced the team to adopt a more pass-heavy game script than head coach Kyle Shanahan might have preferred. Assuming the 49ers aren't forced to play from behind Week 4, Sermon could be in store for a higher-volume role, but Kyle Juszczyk, Jacques Patrick and Trenton Cannon linger as candidates for backfield work if the rookie third-round pick can't get much going on the ground or as a pass catcher.
OCTOBER 3, 2021 • ROTOWIRE