McCaffrey: Total Domination with 49ers, Kittle Predicted Success

McCaffrey Shines in 49ers’ Victory Over the Falcons

In a match where expectations were high, Christian McCaffrey proved his worth once more, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a resounding victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Kyle Shanahan hinted at his desire for the match to be memorable for McCaffrey, and the star player responded with a stellar performance. Shanahan had urged his team to achieve 40 carries against the Falcons, a figure that would underscore the Niners’ control at the line of scrimmage and how often the ball would be given to McCaffrey. Tight end George Kittle, who was returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out five games, was more direct in his predictions.

“My goal this week was for CMC to be the NFC Player of the Week. And if I actually predicted that, it might be the best guess of all time,” Kittle said.

George Kittle

After the 20-10 victory, Kittle’s goal seemed to come true. McCaffrey, who has been the focal point of the Niners’ offense despite injuries, had his best performance of the season. McCaffrey rushed for 129 rushing yards on 24 carries with two rushing touchdowns. He also led the Niners in receiving with seven catches for 72 yards, including a crucial 17-yard reception on third down and 13 to go, before his 4-yard touchdown that sealed the victory. His 201 total yards were the most for McCaffrey as a Niner and represented 62% of the team’s total yards, the highest percentage for any player in a game this season. Although the 49ers fell one carry short of the 40-carry goal set by Shanahan, they accumulated 174 rushing yards on 39 attempts, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, also their best mark of the season. McCaffrey continues to write his name in the franchise and league record books for his total production.

• This was McCaffrey’s sixth game this season with more than 50 rushing yards and more than 50 receiving yards, the most for any player in NFL history in the first seven games of a season.
• It was his ninth career game with more than 100 rushing yards and more than 50 receiving yards, tied with Jim Brown and Priest Holmes for third in NFL history.
• McCaffrey joined Roger Craig (1988) as the only 49ers with seven consecutive games of 100+ total yards to start a season.

As of Sunday night’s games, McCaffrey leads the NFL in total yards (981), and his six total touchdowns are tied for fourth. Despite the fact that the running game struggled in the first six games, McCaffrey is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving, and, at his current pace, would surpass the NFL record of 1,097 receiving yards by a running back in a season.

“He’s huge,” Shanahan said. “He’s the most consistent player I’ve been around. He just allows you to stay on schedule. He gets every yard in the run game and more, and what he does in the pass game… it’s rare you throw him the ball and don’t get a catch.”

Kyle Shanahan

After another complete performance, McCaffrey quickly praised his teammates. It was no coincidence that the 49ers’ running game took off with Kittle’s return. McCaffrey had 20 carries for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns when Kittle was on the field, compared to four carries for 3 yards when he wasn’t.

Although Kittle’s streak of 114 games with a reception came to an end, his presence was felt not only as a blocker in the running game, but also in the attention he drew from defenders. On the third down and 13 to go that helped seal the victory, 49ers quarterback Mac Jones said he saw multiple Falcons defenders covering Kittle, leaving McCaffrey in a one-on-one for the easy first down. “It’s a different game when he’s out there,” McCaffrey said. “Even when he doesn’t have a great statistical game, the attention he draws opens up a lot… When you have guys like that on the field, just their presence generates a lot of fear in the coordinators and, therefore, you have to keep your eyes on them.” Kittle’s return wasn’t the only emotional boost for the 49ers. After losing star linebacker Fred Warner (right ankle surgery) for the season, the Niners spent the week answering questions about how the defense would fare without Warner (and star defensive end Nick Bosa, who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in Week 3). Niners linebacker Dee Winters arrived at the game wearing Warner’s number 54 jersey, several players warmed up wearing a jersey with Warner’s face on it, and Warner received a loud ovation before the game as he made his way onto the field with the help of a scooter. During the game, Warner was shown holding his young son in a box and elicited cheers so loud that Kittle joked that the Niners’ offense almost had to go to a silent count on that play.

Perhaps no one felt more inspired by Warner’s absence than his replacement, second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune. Bethune said he cried before the game, not only because Warner was out, but because of the opportunity to prove to skeptics that the 49ers’ defense can still stop opponents.

For the second consecutive week, Bethune finished with 10 tackles, leading a Niners defense that held Atlanta to 292 yards on 4.9 yards per play, including a season-low 62 rushing yards.

“I saw it all and, as a defense, we don’t talk about it, but I felt something,” Bethune said. “I got emotional before the game… It’s a shame Fred got injured, but it’s also an opportunity for me to expand and improve while I can before he returns.”