Getty San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
The San Francisco 49ers took a major beatdown on Sunday, and that was partially due to a rough performance from RB Christian McCaffrey.
San Francisco took a 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the second-most lopsided loss of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s 8-year tenure. And while there was plenty of criticism for Shanahan during and after the game, most of the fandom was zeroed in on McCaffrey’s struggles.
“The return of Christian McCaffrey destroyed the 49ers season. Jordan Mason never should’ve been taken out of the lineup,” @cousinplas posted on X.
It was a brutal day for C-Mac, who only managed 31 yards on 11 carries. While he did catch 3 passes for 37 yards, his biggest gain of the day ended with him fumbling the ball after a 23-yard gain.
“Not great for the 49ers that Christian McCaffrey’s injury turned him into Kevan Barlow with a weird watch commercial,” The Athletic writer Steve Berman wrote.
Fellow Bay Area media member Grant Cohn also chimed in, stating that McCaffrey’s return from bilaterial Achilles tendinitis has only brought the 49ers down.
“The 49ers thought Christian McCaffrey would fix all their problems. Instead, he made them worse,” Cohn posted.
Some San Francisco fans do believe the blame should go to how Shanahan used the RB. Either way, things are not working for the Niners.
“It’s like Kyle Shanahan is playing Madden, he’s running the same play with Christian McCaffrey over and over hoping it works,” @GalaxiaLive wrote.
McCaffrey Failing to Match Backup’s Pace
While McCaffrey was out, the 49ers relied on Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo to carry the rock. While San Francisco was still struggling to win consistently, Mason was playing at an elite level.
Over his first six games, Mason totaled 609 rushing yards on 114 carries with 3 TDs. That would be a good start to the campaign for any RB, including McCaffrey.
And while Mason has slowed down due to getting banged up himself, he is still beating McCaffrey in most statistical categories. Maybe the most important stat being the rushing averages, in which Mason is carrying for 5.1 yards per touch to C-Mac’s 3.7 yards per carry.
McCaffrey’s ability is undeniable, but as things stand, Mason has been the more effective back for San Francisco this season.
49ers Urged to Reduce McCaffrey’s Role
In a recent SI.com article, Cohn suggested that the Niners look away from McCaffrey in favor of Mason and Guerendo. Cohn doesn’t necessarily want McCaffrey on the bench, but he does want the backups to be involved more.
“Adding McCaffrey to Mason and Guerendo only should make the 49ers offense better. But instead of using all three running backs, the 49ers have used mainly McCaffrey, who’s clearly not 100 percent himself yet… But for the time being, McCaffrey is hurting the running game. The 49ers need to redistribute some of his carries to Mason and Guerendo to balance out the offense,” Cohn wrote on November 19.
Considering the Packers game was maybe his worst performance yet, a shift in gear could absolutely happen. That being said, the 49ers may be better off icing C-Mac and waiting until next year to get him back.
Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier
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