Despite being without several of their top weapons throughout the first six weeks of this 2025 season, the San Francisco 49ers have still put forth one of the most potent offensive attacks in the NFL, at least in terms of yardage. While the Niners rank just 24th in scoring at 20.8 points per game, their 373.7 total yards per contest are good for sixth.
The attack, however, has been a bit one-sided.
While San Francisco leads the league in passing yards at 291.5 per game, the running game ranks 30th at only 82.2 yards. And when Christian McCaffrey is healthy, there's really no excuse for that whatsoever.
Now, to be fair, with Brandon Aiyuk still not having taken a single snap this season and George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall (who will be out again on Sunday) all missing time, McCaffrey has been utilized more as a receiver than he has been in the past and has performed well in that aspect, ranking third in the NFL in receptions (46) and eighth in receiving yards (446).
The other side of that argument, however, is that the Niners have tried to establish his presence in the running game, as McCaffrey ranks second in the NFL in rushing attempts with 108, trailing only the Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor (115). But in averaging a career-worst 3.1 yards per carry, CMC ranks just 20th in rushing yards, gaining 336 in six games.
But we're calling for a turnaround this Sunday night, as we see a big game coming for McCaffrey on the ground against the Atlanta Falcons.
Christian McCaffrey is set to face a Falcons defense that struggles to stop the run
McCaffrey certainly doesn't deserve the bulk of the blame for the Niners' rushing woes, as the San Francisco offensive line hasn't done its job. Heading into Week 7, the 49ers' rushing attempts have been stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage at the fourth-highest rate in the league at 21.7 percent.
The team's tight ends and wide receivers haven't done a great job either when McCaffrey or Brian Robinson Jr. attempt to get to the edge. But help is on the way in that regard, as George Kittle, who's arguably the best blocking tight end in football, will be back on the field for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in the first half of San Francisco's Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks. So, that's certainly helpful.
But Kittle's presence alone won't solve everything, as Trent Williams and the rest of the 49ers' front five simply have to be better. And at least for this week, they should be able to impose their will a bit more than they've been able to in recent games against more fierce defensive fronts.
Last week, the 49ers faced a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive unit that ranks as the best defense in run stuff rate at 22.2 percent. This week, however, they'll face a Falcons unit that ranks as the 10th-worst in the league in that department at 15.3 percent.
Let's not get this twisted, as Atlanta's defense has been fantastic from an overall standpoint this season, allowing just 253.4 total yards per game, the fewest in the league. But they're far better against the pass than the run.
While the Falcons have allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL at only 139.4 per game, they've given up 114.0 yards per game on the ground, which puts them in a tie with the New Orleans Saints for 16th. And over their past two games, they've given up an average of 140.5 rushing yards, so the 49ers should be able to take advantage.
McCaffrey has yet to record 100 rushing yards in a game this season, and the 49ers as a whole haven't hit triple digits since that Week 1 win over Seattle. But we're calling for both to happen on Sunday night in prime time.