Christian McCaffrey had a historic day in his first start as a San Francisco 49er. He became the first player in franchise history to record a passing, receiving, and rushing touchdown in the same game.
Not only was McCaffrey the first 49er to complete the triple crown, but he’s also only the third running back in NFL history to accomplish the feat. LaDainian Tomlinson was the most recent in 2005.
The 49ers expected McCaffrey to transform their offense, but they couldn’t have imagined such a huge impact this quickly.
Evan Giddings and Marc Grandi of the Audacy Original Podcast “The 415ers” talked about McCaffrey’s historic day and where it ranks in 49ers history.
“Since the new millennium, you’re looking at maybe the best regular-season performance by a San Francisco 49er,” Giddings said (7:53 in player above). “Terrell Owens had a three-touchdown game in 2001. I know Jeff Wilson Jr. had a three-touchdown game in 2020 in a blowout win against New England.”
There’s no doubt that those performances were great, but McCaffrey putting up a historic performance in his first start against the reigning Super Bowl champions is on another level.
“He just unlocks a different dimension of this team and almost single-handedly beat the Los Angeles Rams. That's how dominant his performance felt because there was no way, shape, or form that the Rams were going to stop him today,” Giddings continued. “That’s the type of game-breaking ability that Christian McCaffrey brings to an offense, and for him to do it in his first start was miraculous.”
McCaffrey finished the game with 183 total yards: 34 passing, 94 rushing, and 55 receiving. It was an outstanding performance by the running back.
The 49ers have had some terrific players throughout their franchise history. McCaffrey joins that illustrious group and may have topped them all – at least in recent history.
“Going through some of the box scores recently, it turns out not only it being a triple crown having a passing, receiving, and rushing touchdown in the game,” Giddings said. “If you stack it up against all the best 49ers performances throughout the years and since 2000, it might just be number one.”
McCaffrey and the 49ers have a bye next week and return to action in primetime on Sunday Night Football against the Chargers on November 13th.
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