The 49ers are surprisingly one sport again of the Seattle Seahawks as they take the bye in Week 9, however they’re very well-placed to make a run at regaining the NFC West title they final gained in 2019.
San Francisco’s 31-14 blowout win over the Rams in Week 8 noticed the 49ers sweep Los Angeles for the fourth successive season to enhance to 4-4 and, crucially, 3-0 within the division having simply seen off the Seahawks 27-7 in Week 2.
In line with Tankathon, the 49ers have the eighth-easiest remaining schedule within the NFL, seemingly setting them as much as flip an uneven begin right into a season during which they win the division, earn the fitting to host a house playoff sport and contend to go deep into the NFC playoffs.
But with the Seahawks having the sixth-easiest remaining schedule, attaining that first purpose will not be prone to be a straightforward feat. The important thing to doing so, although, surrounds them sustaining the offensive requirements they set whereas sweeping the Rams and realizing the potential of the assault following the blockbuster acquisition of star working again Christian McCaffrey.
Changing into solely the fourth participant for the reason that 1970 NFL-AFL merger to throw for a landing, rush for a landing and catch a receiving landing in the identical sport, McCaffrey was sensational in his first important taking part in time for the Niners towards the Rams having performed a cameo function on quick discover towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs following his commerce from the Carolina Panthers.
His efficiency was not solely an exhibition of arguably probably the most well-rounded ability set of any working again within the league, but in addition a mouthwatering and spectacular taster of what this offense may develop into through the stretch run.
There was not a side of the offense McCaffrey didn’t affect towards the Rams. He persistently produced explosive performs within the run sport and used his imaginative and prescient and elusiveness to show runs that regarded set to be shut down within the backfield due to missed blocks into constructive performs. Nevertheless, he was simply as impactful within the passing sport.
Certainly, McCaffrey was an impressive outlet for Jimmy Garoppolo, his capability to show checkdown throws into first downs by making defenders miss giving Garoppolo the arrogance to work by way of his progressions and hit the straightforward beneath throw to the working again relatively than forcing riskier balls additional downfield.
With religion in McCaffrey the receiver shortly established, Garoppolo will doubtless rely closely on his new teammate on fast throws to negate the affect of strain appears from defenses. In essence, by way of his receiving expertise, McCaffrey turns into an additional layer of move safety.
His gravity was additionally obvious within the passing sport, with the eye the Rams’ protection paid him serving to create important move performs for George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, most tellingly on the double move to the latter on which the 49ers scored their first landing.
Kyle Shanahan was fast to make the most of the additional alternative for deception McCaffrey presents the 49ers head coach and in addition ceaselessly deployed his new working again and now former working again Jeff Wilson Jr. within the backfield at identical time.
But, given Deebo Samuel missed the win over the Rams with a hamstring damage, the fact is Shanahan has not come near scratching the floor of what he can do with this versatile group of skill-position gamers.
McCaffrey and ‘huge again’ Samuel are sure to line up within the backfield collectively, each exit into formation as receivers, interchange between these two positions and continuously go in movement. In different phrases, Shanahan will use the vary of numerous ability units at his disposal to place defenses in ceaseless brain-breaking battle.
McCaffrey’s sizzling begin to life as a 49er introduced their well-documented second-half point-scoring troubles to an finish in emphatic style, and the return of Samuel — in addition to one other working again, Elijah Mitchell — to the combo shall be anticipated to make sure that worries about inconsistency on offense shortly develop into a factor of the previous.
Trey Lance was alleged to be the pressure multiplier for the 49ers in 2022. As a substitute, McCaffrey has taken on that function, with the extent of weaponry San Francisco’s offense now boasts elevating the ceiling of an offense that appeared to have peaked with Jimmy Garoppolo underneath heart.
In fact, the substantial upside of the assault can solely be harnessed if it stays wholesome. San Francisco followers want no reminder of Garoppolo’s damage historical past, McCaffrey has endured sturdiness woes over his profession, and there are comparable points round Samuel and Kittle. On prime of that, the offensive line has solely simply returned to full energy following accidents at deal with.
However leaning on Garoppolo, a run sport that was not anyplace near firing on all cylinders and a protection battling accidents by no means regarded prone to be a recipe for rivalry for San Francisco.
The infusion of McCaffrey into the assault and the elevated means by which Shanahan can manipulate defenses and engineer explosive performs on the bottom and thru the air means the 49ers now have such a method. If they’ll keep wholesome and use it to ship the offensive success this group is greater than able to delivering, an NFC West crown will come San Francisco’s means.