Brian Hill

A fourth runner, Brian Hill, was elevated from the practice squad for the game and played 16 snaps on special teams. Hill’s was only a short-term promotion while cornerback Saivion Smith and receiver River Cracraft were signed to the 53-man roster. Perhaps that’s an indication the 49ers feel Elijah Mitchell will be back this week. (Smith, meanwhile, was waived on Monday but, per a league source, the 49ers plan to sign him back to the practice squad after he clears waivers.)

Related players: Jeff Wilson

It may be a little bit of a read-between-the-lines situation here, but it's at least a sign of hope for Mitchell owners who may have survived Week 14 and are heading into the playoffs and Week 15. The story also talked about how Mitchell maybe can't be relied on for 25 touches a game based on his injuries, and the story indicated Wilson could steal some touches to limit Mitchell and keep him healthy for the stretch run. If Mitchell can't go, Wilson, who played on a team-high 42 snaps, would likely get the biggest workload in Week 15.