Panthers defense can’t slow Coleman

SANTA CLARA >> In theory, the Carolina Panthers’ defense posed one of the greater challenges to the San Francisco 49ers’ vaunted rushing attack.

Luke Keuchly and Shaq Thompson form somewhat of a staunch inside linebacker duo alongside linebacker Bruce Irvin, and the Panthers walked into Levi’s Stadium on Sunday with the NFL’s third-ranked defense with a pass rush that had allowed a third-best 5.1 net yards per pass.

The pass defense buffers out some of the Panthers’ bumps; they entered the game having allowed a middling seven rushing touchdowns.

“They are great, great D and they have great players on their D,” 49ers running back Tevin Coleman said. “So we definitely had to work and get our details down, just t o play against them. Kyle and the other coaches came up with a great scheme to do that.”

Those details came naturally, it seemed. Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s shifty motion offense acted as a punitive attack against that shaky rush defense, and running back Coleman — his running back in his offensive coordinating days in Atlanta — was his weapon.

Coleman got plenty of time to party in the end zone, rushing for three touchdowns and receiving one more in the 49ers’ 51-13 beatdown — they’re 7-0, in case you haven’t heard.

“I think Tevin is very similar to how he was in Atlanta, just the skill set and everything hasn’t changed,” Shanahan said. “I had him first two years and now he’s a veteran and has been through a lot more.”

“He knows what he wants he knows how to play in the offense, Tevin can play in any offense, it doesn’t matter. Tevin had a lot of good looks today and when Tevin has a lot of good looks, he can get it into the end zone.”

The Panthers were biting and bamboozled on the Niners’ play action and flurry of misdirection, a space in which Coleman thrives.

His first touchdown came with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Out of the shotgun, Jimmy Garoppolo perfectly executed the hand-off and pump fake to dizzy outside linebacker Brian Burns, allowing Coleman the easy path up the middle to scamper 19 yards into the end zone.

Coleman’s speed and vision helped secure his second touchdown. Garoppolo tossed him a short pass in the flat, and Coleman breezed 16 yards into the end zone.

He finished the game with 105 rushing yards on 11 attempts.