SANTA CLARA -- Running back Elijah Mitchell has always targeted the game after the bye week for his return to the 49ers’ lineup.
Now, he said he feels even greater excitement with the way his teammates finished their Week 8 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
“I’m excited,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday. “I’m just excited to come in and help out even more. It’s going to be awesome.”
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The 49ers came up with huge efforts on both sides of the ball in a dominating second-half performance over the Rams.
They appear to be geared up for a serious playoff push in the second half of the season with some of their talented players, such as Mitchell, getting healthy.
Coach Kyle Shanahan paced the 49ers through a brief practice on Tuesday morning before excusing the team until Monday. But Mitchell said he is not going anywhere during the bye week.
“I’ll be around here, getting better, taking care of my body, getting ready for Sunday night,” Mitchell said.
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The 49ers return to action on Sunday Night Football, Nov. 13, against the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi’s Stadium. Mitchell said he fully expects to be ready to go after sustaining a knee injury in the Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears.
When Mitchell gets back off injured reserve, the 49ers’ backfield will have a different look.
Two weeks ago, the 49ers acquired running back Christian McCaffrey in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. On Tuesday, the 49ers dealt Jeff Wilson to the Miami Dolphins for a fifth-round draft pick.
McCaffrey is clearly now the 49ers’ No. 1 running back, but there should be plenty of opportunities for Mitchell, too.
“We’re going to complement each other,” Mitchell said. “My reaction (to the trade) was always good to add somebody to the running backs room.
“We have a lot of good players, great players in the room, the more talent you have, the better.”
McCaffrey was the 49ers’ driving force in their important 31-14 victory over the Rams that pulled the 49ers’ record to 4-4 on the season.
McCaffrey became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to account for a touchdown as a passer, receiver and runner.
“He’s an amazing player,” Mitchell said of McCaffrey. “He can do it all: Throw, catch and run.
“Really, I’m learning from him, too. He’s a vet, so he knows what it’s like.”
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Mitchell led the 49ers last season with 963 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) and five touchdowns on 207 rushing attempts. He is also adept at catching passes out of the backfield. Mitchell had 19 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. He could now see more opportunities as a pass-catcher.
Shanahan has a lot of options with Mitchell, along with McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, capable of filling various roles in the offense.
“I always knew I could catch the ball,” he said. “So definitely when it’s my turn to get in for third downs or whatever, I can definitely do that, too.”