SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, the build to Week 1 of the 2016 regular season feels awfully familiar.

Last year, the 49ers also opened the season at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football. That night, on the other side of the field, was a star running back who was garnering most of the attention in the form of Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.

As the Niners began their preparations for the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, Hyde didn't shy away from the fact that Rams running back Todd Gurley is the running back getting most of the preseason hype.

"Just like last year, I went into the Monday night game, all the talk was about Adrian Peterson," Hyde said before briefly trailing off. "We have got to go out and do our jobs, it doesn't really matter what the media is talking about or other guys. I have to go out and do my job and help my team win."

While Hyde didn't complete the initial thought, it's not hard to see where he was going with it. In the 2015 opener, Peterson was returning to football after nearly a full season away. With the spotlight on Peterson, it was Hyde who stole the show.

Carlos Hyde is looking forward to the long-yardage running plays that are a staple of the Chip Kelly offense. Troy Babbitt/USA TODAY Sports

Hyde finished with 26 carries for 168 yards with two touchdowns in San Francisco's 20-3 win. Peterson managed just 31 yards on 10 carries. That, of course, turned out to be the high-water mark of Hyde's season, as he played six more games in which he didn't exceed 93 rushing yards before a foot injury ended his year.

Although Hyde might not be getting the preseason hype that Gurley or Peterson is, there's still been plenty of buzz about a potential breakthrough for the third-year runner.

Much of that buzz stems from the glimpses of potential Hyde has shown in the past but also because of an offensive line that appears to be improved and coach Chip Kelly's uptempo, run-heavy system. Hyde said he played in an offense with similar concepts at Ohio State and has an understanding of the approach required in a zone running scheme.

In limited preseason reps, three of Hyde's 15 carries went for 20 yards or more. Those type of explosive runs weren't evident a year ago, when he had just one such run on 115 attempts.

"Even though it's just been preseason, every game I've had an explosive run but I'm definitely excited for the regular season to start and see the guys really rolling, us in there the whole game and taking over the game," Hyde said. "I'm really looking forward to that."

Asked if the Niners' revamped line with Anthony Davis at right guard, Zane Beadles at left guard and Daniel Kilgore returning at center has opened bigger holes than he's seen in the past, Hyde couldn't contain his grin.

"A lot bigger," Hyde said. "Actually some like big holes you can see, you could run right through it. That's a chance to get me one-on-one with a safety, and it's my job to make that guy miss and get yards after that."

Such holes might be readily available for Hyde in the opener if the past four years of slow starts by the Rams run defense are any indication. Since coach Jeff Fisher took over in 2012, the Rams have allowed 134.7 rushing yards per game (31st in the NFL), 4.66 yards per carry (30th) and 18 rushing touchdowns (tied for 30th) in weeks one through four. This year's version is still integrating a new middle linebacker and new starters at cornerback and safety.

This week, Hyde has progressed from a concussion suffered in the third preseason game, and Kelly has said Hyde is on track to play Monday night. Assuming he's cleared, it's safe to expect Hyde to get plenty of touches, though he said he has no set number he wants.

"I think I'm like one of the main parts of the offense," Hyde said. "We have definitely got to get the run game going. I feel like if we get the run game going that will open up the passing lanes for Blaine [Gabbert] to get it out to the receivers. Once that's clicking and the run game is clicking, it's kind of hard to stop the offense then."

While casual observers often mistake Kelly's preferred tempo for a high-octane passing attack, the reality is that he prefers to get it done on the ground. When Kelly's Eagles finished second in the NFL in total offense in 2013, they led the league in rushing by a whopping 16.2 yards per game with LeSean McCoy as the focal point.

Kelly sees game-changing potential in Hyde.

"There's a physicality to this game," Kelly said. "I think it makes him a dangerous weapon in terms of being able to not only make people miss, but to kind of go through and to break arm tackles and to gain that tough yardage when it really looks like there's nothing there."

Early in training camp, Hyde declared his two primary individual goals for this season are to stay healthy and rush for 1,500 yards. His belief is that if he can do the first -- no small feat since he hasn't been able to play a full season yet -- then the second could follow.

If that happens, Hyde won't find himself in anyone's shadow again anytime soon.