49ers Kyle Shanahan praised this key aspect of the Patriots offense

Whether it was completely genuine or a little extra praise during game week, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had many positives to take away for Alex Van Pelt and a specific aspect of the Patriots offense.

Shanahan spoke about New England’s offense on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan.” He noted that the Patriots should already have two wins this season and credits Van Pelt and the Patriots’ running game for that offensive success.

“Alex [Van Pelt] I’ve been doing it for a while, he does a really good job,” Shanahan said. “In these three games, especially in their first two games, they are playing very well against their personnel. They have two very good running backs, they commit to the run.

Shanahan noted that New England “made some mistakes at the end” that allowed the Seattle Seahawks to come away with an overtime victory in Week 2.

The 49ers are just above average in run defense, but have plenty of star power up front, led by Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Leonard Floyd. They will pose a significant challenge to New England’s running game, especially with an increasingly hobbled offensive line.

San Francisco is No. 9 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and is tied for 17th in the league in yards per carry allowed, according to NFL.com stats. The Patriots’ rushing stats are mixed. Through three weeks, they rank top 10 in total rushing yards, but bottom 10 in yards per carry. Still, the continued commitment to the ground game has proven effective, as long as New England can keep games close.

Shanahan also seemed to express confidence in Jacoby Brissett in his role leading this version of New England.

“They have a formula for winning,” Shanahan said. “They have the right quarterback to tie it with that, the right running back and certainly the right defense and special teams to balance that out.”

The Patriots will face the 49ers on Sunday in San Francisco. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. Eastern.