4 wild Christian McCaffrey stats heading into Week 4
The Christian McCaffrey addition made too much sense for the 49ers. While some argued that the team’s success with late-round and undrafted RBs was evidence that they overpaid for a player at that position when they traded for McCaffrey – the most expensive RB in the NFL. Returns through an entire season’s worth of games have justified the investment though.
McCaffrey in 17 games (including the postseason) has rushed for 1,337 yards and 13 touchdowns on 259 carries. He’s also hauled in 75 receptions for 595 yards and three touchdowns. McCaffrey has also scored at least one touchdown in 12 consecutive games including the postseason.
His performance with the 49ers has him on the precipice of some pretty incredible statistical accomplishments that few in the NFL have reached, and he’ll get there with a big game Sunday vs. the Cardinals.
The 49ers communications team laid out some of those stats:
Watch out, Jerry!
Stat: “Including the postseason, McCaffrey has scored one-or-more touchdowns in 12-consecutive games, which is the longest active streak of any NFL player and is tied for the second-longest streak by a member of the 49ers (WR Jerry Rice, 1982 – 12-consecutive games with one-or-more TDs).”
Breakdown: Rice scored a TD in every game he played in 1987, but didn’t punch one in during a first-round playoff loss to the Vikings. McCaffrey has been such a reliable weapon for the 49ers in the red zone as both a runner and receiver that it’s not a huge surprise that he’s racking up the TDs. Tack on his big-play ability and this streak has the potential to roll for awhile.
Zoomed out TD streak
Stat: “With one-or-more TDs this week vs. Arizona, McCaffrey would tie Hall-of-Fame RB Emmitt Smith and former Houston Texans RB Arian Foster for the second-most consecutive games with one-or-more TDs in the NFL since 1990.”
Breakdown: There have been so many good offensive players since 1990. That McCaffrey’s streak is this rare underscores just how impressive he’s been and how well he fits in San Francisco.
Chasing Jerry again
Stat: “In Weeks 1-3, McCaffrey has registered at least 100 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown in each game, becoming one of two 49ers to accomplish the feat (Rice in 1989).”
Breakdown: It doesn’t even feel like the 49ers’ offense is really rolling yet. Perhaps once it starts firing on all cylinders we see McCaffrey’s production dip a little bit, but early in the year his productivity is a huge reason San Francisco has posted 30 points in each game.
A 49ers first
Stat: “With 100-or-more yards from scrimmage and one TD this week vs. Arizona, McCaffrey would become the first 49ers player to tally 100-or-more yards from scrimmage and one TD in Weeks 1-4, and would be the first player in the NFL to do so since former Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray in 2014.”
Breakdown: We’re reaching NFL history territory. Not even Rice did the at least 100 scrimmage yards and at least one TD thing four times in a row to start a year. It’s easy to connect McCaffrey’s hot start to the 49ers’ hot start, especially considering how slow they came out of the gates in 2021 and 2022.
More on the above...
Stat: “McCaffrey would also become the eighth NFL RB to accomplish the feat since 1970.”
Breakdown: See above. The other RBs to do this were Murray, Jamaal Charles for the Chiefs in 2013, Ricky Williams for the Dolphins in 2002, Emmitt Smith for the Cowboys in 1995, Billy Sims for the Lions in 1981, OJ Simpson for the Bills in 1975, and Ron Johnson for the Giants in 1970.
