Christian McCaffrey delivered an outstanding performance on Sunday, showcasing his abilities as a key player for the San Francisco 49ers. In the winner-take-all game, McCaffrey rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns. His performance, as well as that of tight end George Kittle, highlighted the duet’s full wrath on the pitch. In the second game that Kittle was unavailable, McCaffrey’s rushing game cratered. He had three yards on four carries.
Over the course of the season, McCaffrey has established himself as one of the top players in the league. He went off for a season-high 129 rushing yards on 24 carries. With this performance, he moved even further ahead of the pack as the league leader in scrimmage yards. His six total touchdowns through four appearances this season have him tied for the fourth most in the league. After overcoming a ton of adversity with injuries, McCaffrey has proven he can make it work and accomplishments thus far prove his fight and talent.
With this season’s 1,000-yard rushing/receiving double in sight for McCaffrey, it sounds obvious, but it is nonetheless true. If he stays on this pace, he will destroy the NFL record for receiving yards by a running back in a season. That record currently sits at 1,097 yards. Against Seattle, that earned him the second-highest single-game total of his career, with 201 scrimmage yards. That total accounted for 62% of the team’s total scrimmage yards, the highest percentage by a player in any game this year.
The chemistry between McCaffrey and Kittle has jumped out as so obvious. McCaffrey’s performances have improved significantly when Kittle is on the field, and it is clear that Kittle’s presence opens up opportunities for the running back.
“It’s a different ball game when he’s in there,” – Christian McCaffrey
Kittle in particular has made no secret of how crucial it is to establish emotional goals — like through the team’s practice setting — on the team.
“Every Saturday night, our tight end coach [Brian] Fleury wants all the tight ends to get up in front of the room and set a goal,” – George Kittle
This collaborative mindset fosters a broad dynamic of healthy competition within the 49ers’ locker room, especially their offense. Secondly, it raises their game day-to-day off the field.
McCaffrey’s performance tells the story of how historically important he’s been to the franchise. He joined Roger Craig as just the second 49er to accomplish seven straight games of 100-plus scrimmage yards. Indeed, it’s an amazing accomplishment to have achieved this early in the season. This achievement speaks to his greatness and ability to deliver as a model professional and ever-present performer.
Not only was McCaffrey a force on the ground, he had a major impact in the passing attack as well. Engram caught seven passes for 72 yards. Of those, he turned one of them into a critical 17-yard catch on third-and-13 which led to his game-sealing four-yard touchdown run. That versatility all but guarantees that McCaffrey will become an impactful presence on multiple levels of the offense.
His historic talent to use both rushing and receiving skills is apparent in his career stats. He moved into remarkable territory by registering his ninth-career game with 100-plus rushing yards and 50-plus receiving yards. This feat catches him up with icons Jim Brown and Priest Holmes for the third-most in NFL history. He’s on pace for eight games this season with 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards. Shifting the record This achievement places him above everyone else in NFL history for such games in a team’s first seven hearings.
Even in the face of injuries all season, McCaffrey is still at the center of the 49ers’ offensive plan. His knack for consistently coming through in the clutch has turned him into an irreplaceable player for the club.
It was evident that McCaffrey had made an impact on the entire defense, especially to one opposing defensive rookie of the year candidate, Tatum Bethune.
“I saw all of it and as a defense we didn’t talk about it but I felt a certain way about it,” – Tatum Bethune
It’s a testament to what his competition thinks of McCaffrey’s varied skill set and his ability to affect the outcome of a game.
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