49ers' Christian McCaffrey decision could prove to be a season-defining gamble
The case can be made that there is no player more important to the San Francisco 49ers' hopes of winning the Super Bowl than Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey, acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers last season, has, in short order established himself as the engine of a high-powered offense teeming with stars. It would […]
The case can be made that there is no player more important to the San Francisco 49ers' hopes of winning the Super Bowl than Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey, acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers last season, has, in short order established himself as the engine of a high-powered offense teeming with stars.
It would seem an undue risk, therefore, to have McCaffrey play just over a week after suffering an oblique injury in a primetime game with the Minnesota Vikings for which the Niners are comfortable favorites.
But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that McCaffrey, listed as questionable, will play as the 49ers look to bounce back from their first loss of the season in a gamble that could well prove a defining one in what they hope will be a triumphant season.
Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (h/t 49ers Webzone) reported on Sunday that McCaffrey has a slight tear in the oblique. That description would suggest it is an injury liable to get worse if the 49ers overuse a player who already has 133 touches through six games and is on track to have the second-most in a season in franchise history.
Yet asked by reporters on Saturday how he felt after returning to practice, McCaffrey repeatedly offered the same response: "great".
Right from the start of the week of practice, McCaffrey made his intention to play in primetime clear, reportedly telling head coach Kyle Shanahan not to take any plays out of the playbook and to prepare as if the do-it-all running back would play.
McCaffrey's determination combined with his primacy in the offense, particularly in a matchup against a hyper aggressive Vikings defense, makes the prospect of him receiving any less than his usual heavy workload an unlikely one.
Minnesota has blitzed on 58 percent of dropbacks this season, per Pro Football Reference. Brian Flores' emphasis on sending extra rushers could make quarterback Brock Purdy uncomfortable, especially in a game where he will be without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and one of his primary mismatch creators in Deebo Samuel (shoulder).
But McCaffrey serves as the 49ers' ultimate mismatch creator with what he can do on the ground and as a receiver both out of the backfield and in the formation.
McCaffrey, averaging five yards per carry, can neutralize the aggression of the Vikings with his abilities as a runner, while his receiving strengths and the strain he puts on defenses when he goes in motion have consistently proven key in giving Purdy easy answers in the passing game.
Though the Niners will be expected to prevail with little difficulty regardless of how often McCaffrey is on the field, this is a game where Purdy, given the players he will not have available, needs those easy answers.
The solutions McCaffrey provides make life a lot easier on his quarterback, and their defeat to the Cleveland Browns perfectly illustrated just how vital the tailback is to the offense.
In the first half, with McCaffrey out there, the Niners had 176 net yards. In the second, when they were shorn of his presence save for one carry, they had 47, his absence also crucial as the Niners' backup running backs made key errors in pass protection.
Under pressure to respond after losing to the Browns on a missed game-winning field goal attempt at the end of the worst performance of Purdy's career, the onus is firmly on the 49ers to deliver in primetime and maintain pace with the 6-1 Eagles.
In that sense it is an easy decision to play McCaffrey and, should he help inspire them to victory and get through the game without aggravating his injury, the 49ers will be in an outstanding position going into a Week 8 home game with the Cincinnati Bengals.
But there is a clear risk that the decision not to rest McCaffrey backfires and the 49ers, irrespective of the outcome against the Vikings, are left without him not only for a difficult assignment against the Bengals, but also potentially for some of the five-game stretch post bye that will see them face the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles either side of divisional matchups with the Seattle Seahawks.
That run will be crucial in the 49ers' fight for a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It's one for which they desperately need McCaffrey to be healthy and, as such, it's by no means a stretch to say the call to play him in primetime in Week 7 could have major implications for San Francisco's Super Bowl aspirations.
How to watch and stream San Francisco 49ers-Minnesota Vikings in Week 7
The 49ers are aiming to bounce back.
