The cliché that operating backs do not matter within the NFL anymore — that means one participant at that exact place is unlikely to make a big impression with the league turning into one based mostly on passing — might maintain some advantage. Nevertheless, that is not the case with regards to Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers. They’re an ideal 9-0 following his addition to their beginning lineup.

The 49ers’ mind belief of head coach Kyle Shanahan and common supervisor John Lynch despatched a boatload of picks to the Carolina Panthers in alternate for the All-Professional operating again — 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round alternatives, plus a fifth-round choose in 2024 — all whereas absorbing McCaffrey’s $16 million common annual wage, the very best at his place, previous to their Week 7 loss in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. 

Their acquisition of the 26-year-old has saved the 49ers’ season, rocket-launching them from 3-4 and struggling to remain afloat to 12-4 and in competition for the NFC’s high seed and solely first-round bye coming into Week 18 since he joined the beginning lineup in Week 8. The nine-game profitable streak is San Francisco’s longest in a single season below Kyle Shanahan since he turned their head coach in 2017, and the fifth-such profitable streak of 9 or extra video games in crew historical past. Every of the primary 4 occurrences resulted in at the very least an NFC Championship look with two leading to taking the Lombardi Trophy again to Northern California within the 1984 and 1994 seasons. 

The 49ers averaged 20.7 factors per sport in Weeks 1-7, which ranked twentieth within the NFL. Since McCaffrey joined their beginning lineup in Week 8, San Francisco has averaged the second-most factors per sport (29.7) within the league over that point. 

49ers offense earlier than and after McCaffrey joined beginning lineup

* Since McCaffrey joined the 49ers’ beginning lineup 

After the Niners’ Week 17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy — the crew’s starter since Week 14 following Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot harm — famous McCaffrey as the primary participant defenses need to account for when game-planning to decelerate the 49ers. 

“It goes again to all of the playmakers that we’ve got, guys need to dial issues as much as cease Christian, then George [Kittle], BA [Brandon Aiyuk] and even Jauan [Jennings] and Ray-Ray [McCloud],” Purdy stated Sunday. “Man, that is troublesome. All I’ve to do is belief Kyle’s sport plan and get the ball to these guys.”

McCaffrey stats throughout 49ers’ nine-game win streak

* Amongst 38 gamers with 90+ touches since Week 8

McCaffrey’s manufacturing this season since altering groups has made Lynch and Shanahan appear like geniuses since his 113.1 scrimmage yards per sport with the 49ers is a rise from the 111.7 scrimmage yards per sport he averaged with the Panthers. With these numbers, McCaffrey can be part of Corridor of Fame operating again Eric Dickerson as the one gamers in NFL historical past to common 100 or extra scrimmage yards per sport for 2 completely different groups in the identical season. Dickerson earned First-Staff All-Professional and Professional Bowl honors in 1987 throughout his time with the Rams and Colts.

McCaffrey by crew this season

* 2nd participant in NFL historical past with 100+ scrimmage YPG for 2 groups in a single season (Eric Dickerson in 1987)

The Stanford alum has been on a tear of late as a featured a part of Shanahan’s offense with 5 consecutive video games scoring a landing and 4 in a row with a dashing landing. Because of his newest efficiency within the 49ers’ 37-34 additional time victory on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 19 — 121 dashing yards and a dashing landing on 19 carries in addition to 72 receiving yards on six catches — McCaffrey has rushed for over 100 yards in three of his final 4 video games and now has 12 scrimmage touchdowns this season, his most in a season since a league-leading 19 in 2019.

Doing It All

McCaffrey’s output has been well timed along with simply filling up the stat sheet. He took a display go with below three minutes remaining in a 27-27 sport within the fourth quarter in opposition to the Raiders and utilized nice imaginative and prescient and endurance to arrange blocks en path to a 38-yard achieve that arrange the go-ahead, 14-yard landing run by rookie backup operating again Jordan Mason with 2:17 left in regulation. That play ensured San Francisco would not be ready to lose on Sunday even when its top-ranked scoring protection surrendered a landing on the ultimate possession, which it did. 

“Actually, they introduced an all-out blitz, so I knew I needed to look somewhat faster, Brock did an excellent job getting the ball off, and [Dane] Brunskill made an excellent block,” McCaffrey stated Sunday. “After that, I simply noticed pink and [thought to] go get as many yards as I can.”

“He [McCaffrey] was nice, we want it,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan stated Sunday. “That display on the finish was enormous. He had an actual good one earlier that obtained referred to as again once we had one among our guys downfield. I believed he ran onerous. … Christian has carried out some nice issues, serving to us within the run and go sport. I really feel very lucky to have him.” 

McCaffrey has helped within the passing sport simply as a lot as anybody in San Francisco since he has been focused on 22.8 % of the 49ers’ passing makes an attempt since he started beginning for them in Week 8, which is tied for the crew lead in that span with large receiver Brandon Aiyuk. McCaffrey’s crew goal proportion of twenty-two.8 % is tied for twenty second in the complete NFL since Week 8, and he’s the one operating again within the high 40 in that metric. 

It is smart that Shanahan and Purdy look to characteristic McCaffrey with regularity via the air out of the backfield since he strikes the chains for first downs on his routes at a price in step with arguably one of the best large receiver within the NFL. The 49ers operating again has earned a primary down on 10.3 % of his go routes since Week 8, the identical proportion as Raiders large receiver Davante Adams, the NFL’s chief in receiving touchdowns with 14 in that span. The typical proportion for operating backs this season is 4.8%. 

Making Historical past

Via 16 video games performed this season and with another to go, McCaffrey has 1,094 dashing yards and 707 receiving yards, his third profession season with greater than 1,000 yards on the bottom and greater than 700 yards via the air. Solely Corridor of Fame operating again Marshall Faulk has extra such seasons with 4. The all-purpose again additionally surpassed 49ers legend Roger Craig for probably the most catches via a operating again’s first six seasons in NFL historical past as his six catches gave him 439 profession receptions, 5 greater than the 434 Craig had from 1983-1988. 

In Craig’s first six seasons, he was part of three 49ers Tremendous Bowl championship groups, together with the Tremendous Bowl XXIII championship crew, to cap his sixth NFL season in 1988. If McCaffrey continues to carry out at this present stage, the 49ers may make extra historical past in his sixth season with a sixth Tremendous Bowl title, which might be tied for probably the most by any crew, becoming a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.