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Christian McCaffrey started the day as one of two 49ers’ do-it-all offensive weapons. He ended the day as their only such player, and they made good use of him in the 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.
McCaffrey’s two touchdowns showed off his All-Pro versatility — the trait that the 49ers prized when they surprised the NFL by acquiring McCaffrey with an all-in trade in October. The Niners will rely upon McCaffrey’s adaptability after Deebo Samuel, the other player capable of beating defenses as a wide receiver or a running back, went out with an ankle injury.
McCaffrey’s first touchdown of the game came with the nominal running back lined up at wide receiver. On third-and-5 from Tampa Bay’s 27-yard line, he split out to the left boundary and ran a straight “go” route against Bucs safety Logan Ryan. He showed wide receiver-level skill in catching the ball, gathering it again after Ryan swiped it out at the goal line, and tapping his left toe again to solidify possession and score a touchdown.
That’s a Purdy good throw and catch 🔥#ProBowlVote @CMC_22
📺 #TBvsSF on FOX
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/d2FDeaE8pp pic.twitter.com/HeDUnTWVZq— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 11, 2022
In just three quarters of play, McCaffrey led the 49ers with 119 yards rushing on 14 carries, good for an average of 8.5 yards per rush. That total included a 38-yard burst right after halftime to stretch the Niners’ lead to 35-0 and effectively put the game away with more than 29 minutes left to go.
As a team, the 49ers got the run game going after Buccaneers nose tackle and Milpitas High graduate Vita Vea went out with a calf injury: Samuel scored on a toss before his injury and the Niners finished with 207 yards on 32 carries as rookie Jordan Mason racked up 59 yards after spelling McCaffrey.
Even with the run-game machine whirring broadly, the 49ers traded four draft picks for McCaffrey because he can shapeshift. His ability to play running back and wide receiver opens up Kyle Shanahan’s playbook and forces opposing defenses into difficult decisions without changing personnel.
Those mismatches created by McCaffrey’s presence can only help rookie quarterback Brock Purdy as he aims to keep the 49ers in contention for the Super Bowl.
Samuel’s injury — and Elijah Mitchell’s knee injury two weeks ago — means the Niners are likely to continue to rely on McCaffrey through the regular season and into the playoffs.
No need to review that one 😏 CMC’s 2nd TD of the day!#ProBowlVote @CMC_22
📺 #TBvsSF on FOX
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/d2FDeaE8pp pic.twitter.com/CnRx1jYNbg— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 11, 2022
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