Sunday's win over the New Orleans Saints may not have been Christian McCaffrey's flashiest outing in a San Francisco 49ers uniform, but the team believes it could have been one of his most efficient.

McCaffrey finished with 107 total yards—55 rushing and 52 receiving—while adding a touchdown. It wasn't his biggest statistical performance this season; in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, he tallied 142 scrimmage yards. But according to general manager John Lynch, the 49ers' analytics team determined that Week 2 ranked as McCaffrey's most efficient game since arriving in Santa Clara.


"It's a matchup nightmare for people," Lynch said Thursday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR. He noted that it's a tough ask for linebackers and cornerbacks to go one-on-one against McCaffrey when he is being used as a receiving option.

"Christian, I thought, had a fantastic game," Lynch added. "You looked at the stat sheet after, and it wasn't as big, but I think he's really close to just busting out on some explosives. But he's playing at such a high level. He's such a good football player in every facet, and it's going to be fun to watch him round into form this year."

Lynch praised the depth in San Francisco's backfield, pointing to Brian Robinson, rookie Isaac Guerendo, and Jordan James as complementary pieces who allow McCaffrey to stay fresh.

"That's the NFL these days," Lynch added. "Most teams have four backs, and they get used at some point during the year. But our bell cow is Christian. He plays at such a high level and throws so much for opposing defenses to be able to stop. You take one thing away, he's going to beat you in another facet, so it's certainly nice to have him on our side."

On Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan praised McCaffrey's impact on the field. When asked where McCaffrey ranks as a route runner among the running backs he has coached, Shanahan didn't hesitate.


"The best," Shanahan said.

When pressed if McCaffrey was far and away the best, the coach doubled down: "Yes, definitely."

McCaffrey appreciated Shanahan's praise, saying, "It means a lot coming from him."

Injuries limited McCaffrey to just four games last season, and there was debate about whether the running back would have the same explosiveness he displayed during his 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year campaign.

"You look at things analytically and all this, and our analytics team said that was his most efficient game since he's been a Niner, the other day," Lynch said. "Yards over expected, all the different metrics they look at. And so, I think it's really close. The way things work, I think that the more we continue to make plays, like [WR] Jauan [Jennings] did, explosives there, the less attention they can just focus on Christian, and pull people close to the line of scrimmage. They're going to have to back off a little. So it all works together."


Lynch noted that the 49ers' offense can improve even further by refining details, particularly in blocking assignments and passing game execution.

He concluded, "Christian, believe me, he's plenty explosive. Ask the opponents he's playing against. He's a threat to go the distance on each and every play."



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