Week 10 was a hard-earned win for the San Francisco 49ers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a game that was more difficult than it needed to be. The bright side is that Christian McCaffrey made his debut and looked like his normal elite self. McCaffrey totaled 107 yards on 19 touches, recording 68 of his yards through the air, including 35 yards after the catch. He had a pretty strong game, to say the least. However, as strong of a performance as it was, it was just as concerning of one. That is because McCaffrey needs to be managed better by the 49ers.
Christian McCaffrey Needs to be Managed Better
Yes, McCaffrey looked sweet against the Buccaneers. He should only improve the more he gets his legs under him. But did the 49ers forget why he missed the first eight games of the season? McCaffrey was dealing with Achilles tenditis in not one but both of his Achilles. His workload in his debut was alarming. McCaffrey played on 88.5 percent of the 49ers offensive snaps (54 of 61) against the Buccaneers. That is the highest single-game playtime percentage by a 49ers running back this season. McCaffrey also set season-highs for 49ers running backs in routes (26), receptions (6), receiving yards (68), and yards after the catch (35). He was playing a lot and doing so much for the offense. It doesn’t need to be that way.
The risk for Christian McCaffrey
It is understandable why it is so hard to leave McCaffrey on the sideline. His impact was as clear as day against the Buccaneers. As a team, the 49ers gained a season-high 182 yards after the catch in McCaffrey’s season debut (353 actual receiving yards). Before that, the 49ers were one of the worst offenses in the NFL at generating yards after the catch. So, McCaffrey improves that with the ball in his hands and without it. He clears out the middle of the field well since so many defenders follow him. But the 49ers can’t run him into the ground so fast this early. They run the risk of him aggravating his Achilles tendinitis. It is what they did when they kept trying to have him practice in preparation for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. He may have emerged from Week 10 unscathed, but every week carries that cloud of concern.
Utilize a committee
The reason it is ridiculous to overwork McCaffrey this early is that it’s unnecessary. The 49ers have capable running backs behind McCaffrey who can share the workload. It’s like the 49ers forgot that Jordan Mason was playing incredibly well. He was leading the league in rushing yards before he got hurt in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks. Before Week 10, Mason generated 195 rushing yards over expected, gained more yards than expected on 49.6 percent of his carries, and forced a missed tackle on 38.1 percent of his carries this season. Each of them ranked top three among 47 running backs with at least 50 carries this season, per Next Gen Stats. Rookie Isaac Guerendo was also starting to hit his stride before the Bye week.
The 49ers have options to reduce the workload for McCaffrey. The only time he shouldn’t come off the field is when it is third down or in the red zone. Otherwise, he can share the carries. It has to start in Week 11 against Seattle. The 49ers were a great offense in 2019 when they utilized a committee at running back. It should be brought back for at least the next few games to keep McCaffrey fresh and healthy. Or, they can keep his workload insane and be negligent of his Achilles.
Main Image: Kim Klement Neitzel – USA Today Sports
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