Niner Noise
FanSided

Studs, duds from 49ers divisional NFL playoff win vs. Cowboys

By James LeBreton

Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Christian McCaffrey, Leighton Vander Esch, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs past Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

49ers Dud No. 1: Running back Christian McCaffrey

This stings and I know I’ll probably get hate for this, but despite the only 49ers’ touchdown on the day, Christian McCaffrey was a complete non-factor.

To put it politely, CMC wasn’t his usual self.

Throughout the first half of play, the Dallas defense kept him completely at bay. Over the course of 60 minutes, McCaffrey had 35 total yards that were highlighted by a 2-yard touchdown run:

While it’s true that his only touchdown of the night gave the 49ers a lead they would never relinquish, his burst of speed and ability to find the holes beyond the line of scrimmage just wasn’t there.

It was your classic case of, “you can’t be a superstar every day.” The problem is that he usually is superhuman throughout every contest, and football fans are spoiled by his game-breaking ability.

McCaffrey is a huge part of this offense, and in large part, the reason why the Niners are in the playoffs.

Don’t look for this to be a trend. In fact, I’d look for him to have a huge game against the Eagles next week during the NFC Championship game.