Asked about the prospect of playing alongside Deebo Samuel after becoming the newest member of the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey said “we’ll do some exciting things.”
McCaffrey clearly isn’t one for hyperbole, but the 49er running back may be guilty of underplaying the potential impact of a partnership with Samuel, which is arguably the most exciting aspect of the blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers that sent the former All-Pro running back to San Francisco.
The acquisition of McCaffrey is one that will unquestionably boost the 49ers’ threat on the ground, but it is the flexibility his upside as a pass-catcher offers an already ultra-diverse offense that makes him such an intriguing addition to this attack.
Indeed, no running back in the NFL can claim to have been as efficient catching the football as McCaffrey since he entered the league in 2017.
McCaffrey, per nflindex.com, ranks 22nd in Expected Points Added per play among all pass-catchers with at least 500 receiving plays in that time. No other running back features in the top 25, with Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints his closest challenger in 26th.
He has produced that efficiency in part through what he can do after the catch, which has already been a prominent feature of his play in the 2022 season. Per Pro Football Focus (h/t Matt Barrows of The Athletic), McCaffrey has racked up 299 yards after the catch so far this year, more than any other pass-catcher on the 49ers’ roster, including Samuel.
That ability with the ball in his hands makes him a seamless fit for a 49er team whose reliance on receivers who can rack up yardage after the catch is well-documented and a pairing with Samuel is one that promises to confound defenses because of the multiplicity they both present.
McCaffrey and Samuel can both operate in the backfield, in the slot and split out wide. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will undoubtedly use that to his advantage to manipulate defensive coverage and change the number count by frequently sending McCaffrey or Samuel in motion and interchanging the duo between different positions in the offensive formation.
Defenses will constantly have to respect both the run and the pass regardless of where McCaffrey and Samuel are aligned while on the field together, but the possibility of them lining up either side of the quarterback in a split back formation is one that should be particularly frightening to defenses.
The menu for the 49ers from such formations is extremely expansive. Play-fakes and run-pass options figure to be more effective with both in the backfield, where the presence of both McCaffrey and Samuel can also have the benefit of getting them matched up with linebackers and safeties in the passing game or pulling cornerbacks into the box, giving Brandon Aiyuk and Co. more favorable matchups on the outside.
McCaffrey’s skill set is one that gives the NFL’s pre-eminent offensive play-caller yet more options, and the former Stanford star knows the odds are Shanahan will quickly succeed in making best use of his now expanded arsenal.
“I don’t think there’s anybody better at putting guys in position to have success and tailoring to what they’re good at,” McCaffrey said.
McCaffrey is good at a lot, with his arrival growing the ranks of 49er offensive weapons who can do almost anything from anywhere on the field. Now with the NFL’s best running receiver and the best receiving running back working in tandem, the challenge of slowing down either aspect of San Francisco attack is about to get a whole lot tougher.
