San Francisco 49ers’ Carlos Hyde Upstages Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson

 

Before the final N.F.L. game of Week 1, there was certainly an expectation that a running back might have a big game.

Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was resuming a stellar career after almost a year off because of a suspension over accusations of child abuse. Peterson was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in fantasy football this year, and those who drafted him expected their choice to start paying off immediately.

Overlooked was San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde.

Hyde ran for only 333 yards in his rookie season. As a sophomore, his role was expected to increase, but he was still seen as a middle-of-the-pack back, with many Niners fans more interested in the free-agent signing Reggie Bush.

But Bush had just two carries before straining his calf, and from then on it was all Hyde on Monday night.

Late in the first half, he got the ball and headed right, but finding a cluster of players there, made a full spin and then headed in the other direction like a shot for a 10-yard touchdown that was the first score of the game. He added the game’s only other touchdown in the fourth quarter, finding a hole for a 17-yard score.

San Francisco, whose stock had fallen precipitously after a tumultuous off-season, won, 20-3.

Hyde wound up with 26 carries for 168 yards, the highest total in Week 1. He also caught two passes, and ranked first by a comfortable margin in standard fantasy scoring for running backs.

Peterson ranked 33rd, not what those who grabbed him with the top pick had in mind. He ran for 31 yards on 10 attempts, and had three catches for 21 yards.

“I felt a little hesitant a couple of times coming out of the shotgun,” Peterson told The Associated Press. “I couldn’t really get into a rhythm.”

Vikings fans, and fantasy owners who built their teams around him, will hope he finds that rhythm soon.