The San Francisco 49ers put in what was undeniably a impressive display on Monday night, showcasing both offensive and defensive prowess to put away what may end up being one of the league’s sneaky better teams in the AFC this season, and perhaps even a dark horse to make a deep playoff run: the New York Jets.
They did this despite missing one critical factor on their team – reigning Offensive Player of the Year and unanimous #1 overall pick in virtually every fantasy draft held in 2024, Christian McCaffrey.
San Francisco 49ers Rushing Attack Did Not Skip A Beat With Jordan Mason
Irregardless, the Niners run game seemed to very much stay on track, with highly regarded backup and 3rd year back, Jordan Mason, picking up the slack to the tune of 147 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging an impressive 5.3 yards/play.
Whether this is a shine on Mason or a reinforcement of the long-held belief that virtually any back (and perhaps some members of the public) can be successful running behind All-Pro tackle, Trent Williams, in head coach, Kyle Shanahan’s ultra-creative offense scheme, is debatable, but praise is evidently due nonetheless.
Nevertheless, the Niners are still certainly not the same offense sans McCaffrey, both in the running and passing game, with the 3 x First Team All Pro’s unique skillset being perhaps the most versatile and impressive of any offensive weapon in the league.
Thus, the 49ers were understandably disappointed when news broke that the Stanford alum may be out for longer than initially expected. Yet, it seems that the situation may in fact be less dire than initially thought, per Underdog NFL.
Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) seen participating in practice again Thursday.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) September 12, 2024
Christian McCaffrey Practicing On Thursday, Opening Door To Potentially Return In Week 2?
It is important that we establish our basis here: practice means exactly that – practice.
Yet, crucially, Kyle Shanahan did admit that McCaffrey would likely have suited up and played had it been a playoff game, implying that the injury was certainly manageable. And with something as potentially severe and long-lasting as an Achilles injury – any notion of movement or play-ability is a good one for Niners fans.
Moreover, it seems that beyond his continued practice, the man himself had some uplifting words to say about his current physical state, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.
“My mentality is I’m playing this week. That’s where I’m at. That’s how I am every week. I’m not lying. I think as soon as a player says, maybe I’ll play, maybe I won’t. That’s not a good mentality to go into a week with when you’re kind of on the fence. So for me, I’m ready to go.”
Realistically, even if McCaffrey is 80-85% fit, it seems unlikely that San Francisco would risk re-aggravating the injury in their Week 2 matchup at Minnesota, where they are 5 point favorites. Especially considering Mason’s impressive Monday night performance as the team’s replacement bell-cow.
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