San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL. He led the league in rushing yards in 2023 and played a key role in the Niners’ run to Super Bowl LVIII.

McCaffrey’s and the 49ers’ opening drive in this past February’s Super Bowl looked promising — until the star running back committed a costly turnover a few yards shy of the red zone.

The Kansas City Chiefs went on to defeat the 49ers in overtime, earning the right to the franchise’s second consecutive Vince Lombardi Trophy. While more than three months have passed since the Super Bowl was played, the fumble appears to still weigh “heavy” on McCaffrey.

49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner seems to understand McCaffery’s apparent push to play as close to perfect whenever he is on the football field. But the veteran coach also knows the mistake has the potential to have long-term impacts on the ball carrier if it lingers on his mind.

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“I talked to him at the same time it happened when he came off the football field because you have to,” Turner said, per NBC Sports. “You have to be able to let it go, but it’s one of those things you take personally because it’s very important to him. The ball is everything. He is carrying this whole organization — his family, my family. He is carrying that football. It’s heavy.”

Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Turner added that ball security is routinely a topic of conversation for the 49ers.

“I always talk about how much it weighs, how long it is, the nickname on it, ‘The Duke,’ ” Turner said. “You’re carrying ‘The Duke’ around. [McCaffrey] takes a lot of pride in that. Every time he touches the ball, he is trying to protect it, and unfortunately, that happened.”

Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

While McCaffrey has yet to participate in the Niners voluntary offseason program, Turner is confident the three-time All-Pro will be ready when he does arrive at the team’s facilities.

Turner said McCaffrey’s commitment to the game was on full display in 2023, his first full season with the 49ers.

“He was here every day last year from Day 1 and he was constantly in my office, or we were texting or talking to each other,” Turner said.

The 49ers open the 2024 regular season on Sept. 9 when Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets travel to Santa Clara.

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They had the bases loaded with no outs in the second inning. A leadoff double in the fourth. A one-out triple in the sixth.

All night Saturday, the Dodgers threatened to break the game open at Great American Ball Park. All night, they had chances to bury the Cincinnati Reds with their star-studded offense.

But at each crucial point, the team’s offense failed to deliver, continuing its recent trend of poor situational hitting to drop a fourth-straight game 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 41,880.

So far this season, one stat has defined the Dodgers’ success — or failures — more than anything else.

During their 12-11 start to the season, they batted just .244 with runners in scoring position, the 19th-best mark in the majors during that span.

During a 14-2 tear from April 21 to May 9, they batted an MLB-best .328 with runners in scoring position, seemingly addressing their situational hitting woes by cutting down on strikeouts and coming through in opportune moments.

In the two weeks since, however, the team’s batting average with runners in scoring position has cratered again. Since May 10, they are batting just .194 in such spots, better than two teams (the Angels and Texas Rangers) during that span.

Unsurprisingly, the team’s record has tapered off, with the Dodgers now 7-8 in their last 15 games — a stretch that has seen their high-powered lineup manage just 3.7 runs per game.

Situational hitting wasn’t the issue for the Dodgers (33-21) on Saturday.

Starting pitcher Walker Buehler couldn’t replicate the dominance he flashed in six scoreless innings against the Reds (22-30) in Los Angeles last week, instead getting tagged for three runs in 5 ⅔ innings in a rematch series the Reds have clinched and can sweep Sunday.

The lineup also remained far from top gear.

Shohei Ohtani had the triple in the sixth, but struck out three times, leaving his batting over the last nine games at .206.

Will Smith hit a leadoff single in the second (and scored the inning’s lone run on a Jason Heyward double-play ball) and Freddie Freeman doubled in the fourth, but they managed nothing else, continuing slow May performances for each (they are both batting below .250 this month).

Even Mookie Betts couldn’t provide a spark, getting picked off at first base in the first inning after his only hit of the night.

A Shohei Ohtani fan holds up a sign during Saturday’s game between the Dodgers and Reds at Great American Ballpark.

(Jeff Dean / Associated Press)

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani picks up his helmet during an at-bat in the first inning against the Reds on Saturday.

(Jeff Dean / Associated Press)

Despite that, the Dodgers still had chances. Turning them into runs, however, proved yet again to be an unsolvable challenge.

Situational hitting can be a fickle stat in baseball. And Octobers aside, it has typically been a strength for the Dodgers. They have ranked top 10 in the category each of the past five seasons. They entered Saturday in the top half of the majors at 14th, too, with a .258 mark that was actually better than their .255 average overall.

Still, the issue has plagued them in the past couple of postseasons — and makes any skid like their current one that much more frustrating, looming as a potential playoff weakness for a team navigating championship-or-bust expectations.

The good news for the Dodgers: They still have a sizable lead in the National League West, up 5 ½ games on the San Francisco Giants. They’ll eventually get injured third baseman Max Muncy back, though his return (once hoped to come as soon as this week) has been delayed by continued discomfort in his strained oblique. Most of all, their recent malaise feels like a temporary blip, more of a frustrating speed bump in their season than some larger cause for alarm.

However, that doesn’t lessen the frustration of Saturday’s loss — the latest in what has become another mediocre stretch for a team capable of much more.

PGA golfer Grayson Murray died on Saturday at the age of 30, shortly after withdrawing in the middle of this weekend’s tournament.

Murray played 16 holes in the second round Charles Schwab Challenge before withdrawing due to an “illness,” according to the Tour — he shot a two-under 68 on Thursday.

“We were devastated to learn — and are heartbroken to share — that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a statement.

“The PGA TOUR is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”

Monahan added that he reached out to Murray’s parents to offer condolences, and the tour has provided grievance counselors.

“They asked that we continue with tournament play,” Monahan said of Murray’s parents. “They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes.”

Grayson Murray competes during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, May 16, in Louisville, Ky.  (David Cannon/Getty Images)

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Murray bogeyed his final three holes before withdrawing — he was the 58th-ranked player in the world.

He had two wins in his career on tour, including this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii in a playoff against Keegan Bradley and An Byeong-hun. His first came at the 2017 Barbasol Championship.

Murray had battled depression and anxiety earlier in his life, and also sought treatment for alcohol abuse — in January, he said he had been sober for several months, according to NBC Sports. 

No cause of death has been released.

Grayson Murray reads the second green during the final round of Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club, May 12, in Charlotte, N.C.  (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

He made the cut in both major championships this year, finishing last week’s PGA Championship T43. 

He also finished T10 at the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month.

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