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The San Francisco 49ers are hitting the throttle as they prepare to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card playoff round. Despite a forced offensive shift to rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback, the 49ers appear poised for a deep tournament run after closing the season on a 10-game winning streak.
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Running back Christian McCaffrey logged limited practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday with a lingering knee injury before returning to full participation on Thursday. Team reports don’t indicate any reason for long-term concern, but his status is one to watch throughout the playoffs.
So, should we expect McCaffrey to have enough gas in the tank to lead the 49ers' ground attack in pursuit of the promised land? Will CMC be able to produce at an elite level in the near term?
What Do We Know About Christian McCaffrey’s Injury?
The 49ers have made a habit of taking a cautious approach to managing McCaffrey’s health throughout the season. Since Week 12, he has only been listed as a full participant for the final session of each week.
His limited practice sessions ahead of the playoffs are perhaps a promising sign of improvement when compared to last week. CMC was a DNP in early sessions heading into Week 18 before participating in full during Friday’s practice.
McCaffrey was also managing a mid-ankle sprain heading into Week 18, which is no longer considered an issue. He tallied 13 total touches last week, which was his lowest opportunity share since he joined the 49ers in Week 7. This could possibly be attributed to the game script rather than injury as the 49ers dominated the Cardinals, 38-13. Regardless of the motive, the removal of the ankle designation from the injury report is an encouraging sign.
Will Christian McCaffrey Play And Receive A Full Workload In The Wild Card Round?
The Seahawks rank 27th in rushing yards allowed to running backs with 114.8 yards per game in the regular season. McCaffrey took advantage of the matchup when they last played in Week 15 on his way to 138 total yards and a touchdown.
Shanahan and crew seem to have perfected the formula for allowing CMC to make an impact without over-working him to a point of diminishing returns. Barring any setbacks, expect the 49ers to deploy McCaffrey as a focal point in the Wild Card round and beyond.
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