Christian McCaffrey has set such a high bar for his on-field performance that 49ers fans expect a lot from him, even in his first game following a lengthy bilateral Achilles tendinitis recovery.
Before McCaffrey's 2024 NFL season debut on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NBC Sports Bay Area asked 49ers fans to predict the star running back's rushing output in the Week 10 game.
While the highest percentage of fans (37.6 percent) accurately predicted McCaffrey's number of carries in the 49ers' 23-20 win over the Buccaneers (13 rushing attempts), he fell short in the yardage category, as he only accumulated 39 yards on the ground.
Expectations for CMC in his 2024 season debut?
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 10, 2024
But the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year made up for his lackluster ground game by catching six passes from quarterback Brock Purdy for 68 yards, including a huge 30-yard reception midway through the fourth quarter.
It's CMC. That's the tweet.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 10, 2024
📺 #SFvsTB on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/8rFg7KSLcO
McCaffrey sustained the Achilles injuries during training camp and missed the first eight games of the season while rehabbing. As he alluded to after the game, he's still working himself into game shape.
San Francisco 49ers
“That’s the third time I’ve had pads on in eight weeks, so [I'm] just getting back into a groove,” McCaffrey told reporters.
Now that McCaffrey has a game under his belt, his rushing total should increase moving forward.
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