Photo: David Gonzales
About that 49ers opening night whipping of Aaron Rodgers and the Jets:
Felt great, baby.
Now, in the never-ending river of stress and angst that is pursuing a Super Bowl, we approach the next hurdle:
How long can the 49ers keep this dream alive in a world without Christian McCaffrey?
We should all take this McCaffrey injury news seriously, and as a result, take the blow to the 49ers’ dreams seriously, as well. While my medical degree from an off-shore med school is still processing, my gut instinct degree from covering the NFL for three decades is top of the class, and this McCaffrey news hits the wrong way.
Sure, there is a scenario where a few more weeks of rest heals up the calf and Achilles. In this scenario, by midseason a rested and healthy McCaffrey has overcome the strain and is revving like the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year he is.
That’s what you would call your ‘puppy dogs and rainbows’ scenario. Who’s against puppy dogs and rainbows? Throw in some ice cream in that scenario to make it even better.
Then there’s the other scenario. The one from the mean streets of the real world.
We should all brace ourselves for the possibility that Christian McCaffrey, the Steph Curry of the NFL, will be an on-again, off-again presence on the injury list this season. There’s another possibility that I don’t even want to put in the universe, but we all must be big boys and big girls and ponder the idea that McCaffrey could be out for a while.
No puppy dogs, ice cream or rainbows there.
Being adults, we must prepare for the worst. Yes, kids, being an adult sucks sometimes.
So we must ask the question: Can the 49ers still win the Super Bowl with a diminished McCaffrey? Or even without McCaffrey?
Gulp.
That does not feel great, baby.
And yet, the short answer is: Yes, they can.
I know, crazy, right?
I mean, I’m not fired up about it. And given my druthers, I’d prefer a healthy McCaffrey in uniform to maximize their chances.
But, yes, they can.
We refer you to the 2019 season in which Christian McCaffrey put up a monster 1,000-yards rushing/1,000-yards receiving as a first team All-Pro . . . for the 5-11 Carolina Panthers. So no CMC in the Bay.
Kyle Shanahan’s offensive wizardry still reigned in 2019, with the then-beloved, now-embattled Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback; with the undrafted brigade of Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert at running back (Jeff Wilson and Tevin Coleman were factors, as well); and with a wide receiving corps headlined by rookie Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne — later fortified by Emmanuel Sanders. George Kittle had a monster year, too.
(Fun side note: three future NFL head coaches — Robert Saleh, Mike McDaniel and DeMeco Ryans — were on that staff.)
We won’t compare the defense, because the focus here is on McCaffrey’s absence and its effect on the offense.
Did the 2019 team win the Super Bowl? I think you can all Google that if you forgot. Point is, they were in the Bowl, and leading by 10 in the fourth quarter. The rest was in the hands of the football gods, who are apparently still wreaking universal balance for the orgasmic joy of the 1981-1994 five-time championship run.
So it’s doable.
The current receiving corps of Samuel, contract king Brandon Aiyuk, even Jauan Jennings and of course Kittle is vastly superior. The quarterback is objectively superior as well. No shade, Jimmy G. It’s just that the guy Tim Ryan calls the “A-I Throw-Bot” seems to make crisper decisions and passes.
Which leaves us with the running back.
Jordan Mason, or JP Mason, or the Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech made about as large a statement as he could make, as I was just saying to my good pal Carlos Hyde. (Warning shot: Hyde ran for 168 in his first career start as a Niner, back in the Tomsula days of 2015. Also on Monday Night Football, don’t ya know.)
Mason is not the receiver McCaffrey is, obviously. And the idea of him toting it 28 times in one game does not seem a sustainable plan, when the depth chart is thin at that position.
But . . . but! He looked gosh darn effective as heck, and has pretty much every time he has touched the ball in his NFL career, which started as an undrafted free agent.
The defense is off to a good start. Purdy will minimize mistakes and maybe even put up big numbers. Shanahan is Shanahan. Dudes will be open.
So, can the understudy do enough to keep the dream alive until the lead actor returns?
I think so, based on past results. Sure will be fun to watch.