Watters: 49ers' Hyde was pressing after fumble vs Panthers

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Running back Carlos Hyde was critical of himself on Sunday after rushing for just 34 yards on 14 carries in the 49ers’ 46-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“I was a little too fast on certain runs, not letting them develop all the way,” Hyde said afterward. “I just have to be more patient and more decisive, and get going.”

Former 49ers running back Ricky Watters said Monday on CSN Bay Area’s "Press Conference Live" that he believes Hyde’s mindset might have changed after Carolina linebacker Shaq Thompson returned his first-quarter fumble for a touchdown.

“There’s no worse feeling for a running back, first of all, than when you cough up the football and you turn around and look for it and try to get it, and you see someone else scoop it up for the other team and run it in,” Watters said.

“So I think once that happened, his mind was probably shot. He was pressing everything after that. He wanted to probably get back all of it in one play. And that’s what happens. He still has to stay patient because what made him so effective in the first week was he was very patient. He used his eyes, which he has very good vision. And then when he sees it, then explode up in there. And I think he’ll be fine.”

Offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins on Tuesday agreed that Hyde could have waited a split-second longer on some of his runs to properly set up his blockers.

“There are some times, yeah, where he could be more patient,” Modkins said. “There are some times where he knows he just wants to hit it and let’s go get two or three yards because that loosens the defense up and now we can play off of that.

“Carlos is going to be fine. We all have runs that we’d like to get back. So I don’t anticipate that being an issue, but I think he’ll be fine with that.”

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