SANTA CLARA — 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey had the spin move that made a Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback whiff.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk knocked another defensive back on his back side. And Ray-Ray McCloud provided the block on Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson that paved the way for the final 25 yards of McCaffrey’s 65-yard touchdown run in the 49ers' 30-7 win Sunday.
But before any of that, the 49ers’ unheralded four offensive linemen did their jobs to swing the gate open for the team’s big-play running back.
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“There’s probably like 15 to 20 plays a game where you kind of feel like you did that exact thing and it just doesn’t work out for some reason or another,” 49ers center Jake Brendel said. “It’s just awesome to feel that, and be part of the reason why it sprung for 65 yards.”
On the backside, right guard Spencer Burford joined right tackle Colton McKivitz on a combination block of Steelers defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal before cutting off linebacker Cole Holcomb from pursuing the play.
The hole that delivered McCaffrey to the third level was a product of Brendel and left guard Aaron Banks executing the play as it was drawn up.
“I wouldn’t say it was perfection,” Banks said. “Every play has something that could be better, but I think we did a good job of it. And shout-out to Christian for finding the hole, creasing it, and making a man miss. If he doesn’t make him miss, it’s a 5-yard play.”
San Francisco 49ers
Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams, the three-technique, lined up over Banks. At the snap of the ball, Brendel helped Banks with a combination block before seeking out linebacker Kwon Alexander.
In the 49ers’ zone run game, offensive linemen are constantly adjusting their targets on the fly. Brendel’s main responsibility was to take care of the linebacker. But his athleticism allowed him the opportunity to first help Banks drive Adams out of the way.
“I just took my steps, stayed on my track and I snapped the three (technique) out a little bit and got up to the linebacker just in time for Christian to hit the hole,” Brendel said. “And the rest is all him.
“If the linebacker hits it right away, I can’t really hit the D-lineman at all. It’s more of the pre-snap look. Where’s the linebacker when we snap the ball? If I have the opportunity to, I’m going to hit the D-lineman. If not, I’m going right up to the linebacker.”
McCaffrey could have bounced the run outside of Banks, but that would have taken him on a direct path to cornerback Levi Wallace. Instead, McCaffrey found his way into a small opening between Banks and Brendel.
“Sometimes that’s all you need, just enough for a guy to sneak through,” Banks said. “Luckily we have backs who can break arm tackles and get by and make guys miss. That’s what makes our offense pretty good.”
Wallace was unblocked. He might have lost sight of McCaffrey, who could have been obscured behind the big bodies of Banks and Adams. Wallace slightly overran McCaffrey, whose spin move caused the Steelers cornerback to come up empty.
“Christian is an elite athlete,” Brendel said. “If that’s what he had to do to get through the line of scrimmage and make somebody miss, that’s what he had to do.”
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Once McCaffrey got to the third level, Banks and Brendel’s job on that particular play was over and they could enjoy the play that gave the 49ers a 27-7 lead just 58 seconds into the third quarter.
Well, Banks' job was not over quite yet.
He hustled all the way down the field and was the first player to join McCaffrey, Aiyuk and McCloud to celebrate in the end zone. Banks, who is listed at 325 pounds, said there is a practical reason he ran the distance of McCaffrey’s memorable touchdown.
“I’m following the play to just cover the ball,” Banks said. “You never know when that thing is going to pop out.
“Also, part of it, it’s hard to get explosives and hard to get touchdowns in this league. So when you do break big plays like that, I run down and celebrate with my guys.”