Christian McCaffrey, while he admittedly did not feel 100 percent like himself, still impacted the 49ers' 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in more ways than one.
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year had a modest day on the ground, rushing 13 times for only 39 yards, but caught six passes for 68 yards through the air in his 2024 season debut Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
As one of, if not the best pass-catching running backs in the league, McCaffrey is a dual-threat weapon that keeps opposing defenses up at night. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, in speaking to reporters postgame, explained how McCaffrey's presence in the passing game alone impacts the 49ers' offense as a whole.
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"I think it was awesome. What he can do running the ball and them coming out of the backfield in our pass game, we had multiple plays with him out of the backfield that were some big plays throwing the ball," Purdy said. "And then for defenses, they have to scheme that up. They have to acknowledge him, which can open up some other guys. I thought at the end, we had one-on-one opportunities, we saw Ricky Pearsall winning and there's guys that are now one-on-one and can win matchups.
"For us as an offense, we know that, but more than anything just seeing how gritty and tough the is, we get behind him. He inspires us and he keeps us all sort of going and lights that fire in our huddle. It's huge having him in there."
Brock on how CMC's presence opens up opportunities for others on offense pic.twitter.com/iy1bbp5BPW
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024
One example of McCaffrey's presence out of the backfield creating one-on-one opportunities for others was Purdy's 14-yard completion to Pearsall over the middle of the field with 0:31 remaining in the game, which helped set up San Francisco's eventual game-winning field goal (0:43 timestamp of the video below).
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Ricky Pearsall is going to be a smooth operator pic.twitter.com/HAERns85DI
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) November 11, 2024
McCaffrey's gravity on offense always has drawn an orbit of defenders, a trait that the 49ers' offense certainly has missed this season.
And with him back in the fold, it should result in more big plays and touchdowns for other playmakers.