Carlos Hyde:
61-yard run highlights running back’s day.
SEATTLE — Before the season started, 49ers running back Carlos Hyde said his goal was to be the top rusher in the league. After one week, that looked a bit like a pipe dream. But after two weeks, Hyde’s goal seems decidedly more realistic.
Hyde is fourth among league rushers, behind two rookies, Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt (first) and the Vikings’ Dalvin Cook (third), and the Broncos’ C.J. Anderson (second).
Hyde rushed for 124 yards Sunday against the Seahawks, a total that included a 61-yard run, the longest of his career.
“I put in on my shoulders,” he said. “With those runs that I broke, I got to get to the end zone. If I get to the end zone, I change the game with a touchdown. Next time, I can’t get tackled.”
He didn’t score a touchdown, but he became the first running back to register consecutive 100-yard games against Seattle since 2008. Pre-Legion of Boom.
“Hats off to my offensive line, but I’ll take a victory over those 100 yards any day,” Hyde said. “It’s about being decisive. You can’t hesitate with those guys, because they play so fast. Once you see the hole, you’ve got to hit it now.”
The 61-yard sprint came in the second quarter and helped set up the 49ers’ first field goal. On the team’s next possession, Hyde had a 27-yard run that included his spin move away from a Seattle defender. The Hyde Turn could become a thing. That run set up another field goal that tied the game before halftime.
“He did a great job reading it and making big plays,” Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman said, adding praise of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s schemes.
“He’ll show you the same look out of three or four formations,” Sherman said. “Then one time it’s not a pass, it’s a run and you’re going through all of your indicators that are exactly the same . ... Schematically, it’s tough to deal with.”
The 49ers are learning the system, learning about the team. Like most of his teammates, Hyde is under no illusions about where the team is in its progress.
“We’re still trying to jell,” he said. “We’re getting there. It’s coming along ... I’m not worried. It’s only two games.”
And Hyde said he’s seeing a different attitude from the past couple of woeful seasons.
“Everybody laid it out there on the line,” he said.
Hyde still wants to get in the end zone. But after two weeks, he has made it onto the NFL rushing leaderboard. Which is a good place to be. Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist.