San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, left, passes for a touchdown on a trick play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull/APChristian McCaffrey’s first touchdown in a San Francisco 49ers uniform came through the air, but not in the way you would have expected. On a 2nd-and-8 from the 34 yard line, Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball laterally to McCaffrey in the flat, setting up a beautiful double pass. McCaffrey then tossed it to a streaking Brandon Aiyuk who was open downfield for the touchdown. This was the second throw, and touchdown throw, in McCaffrey’s career, with the last one coming in 2018 with the Panthers.
A week after getting soft-launched in the Niners’ offense, it’s clear that the playbook is all the way open for Kyle Shanahan’s shiny new toy. Last week, the former Carolina back had just a couple days to learn plays which resulted in 38 rushing yards in eight carries, and 24 receiving yards with two catches. In the first quarter alone, he easily surpassed that production with a single throw.
When the Niners first traded for the running back, analysts asked questions of whether the need to get the ball into McCaffrey’s hands would take away touches from other key offensive players in San Francisco. Now, the question must surely evolve to whether McCaffrey’s presence will affect how many snaps Garoppolo will take as quarterback.
