When Christian McCaffrey was healthy the past two seasons, he was the 49ers’ offensive identity.
Virtually every game plan revolved around handing him the ball and/or throwing him the ball as much as he could physically handle. And the result was a Super Bowl appearance, an Offensive Player of the Year Award and bilateral Achilles tendonitis.
Now McCaffrey is out for at least a few more weeks as he tries to rehabilitate both of his Achilles tendons. Which means the 49ers need to reinvent themselves and find a new offensive identity, at least until McCaffrey returns. If he returns.
When McCaffrey was healthy, the 49ers passing game relied on play-action and yards after the catch. This season, the 49ers rank near the bottom of the league in those statistics. Instead, they drop back and throw downfield farther than just about any other team.
They’re still a run-first offense and they still use the zone-blocking scheme. Those are the basic principles of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. But when they pass, they can’t use the threat of McCaffrey to help get other players open. That’s why Purdy has thrown so many contested passes this season.
And that’s why Jauan Jennings has emerged as the 49ers’ no. 1 wide receiver. Now that McCaffrey isn’t around to help Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk get open, they need Jennings to make contested catches which he does better than just about anyone in the NFL.
And so despite the loss of McCaffrey, the 49ers still have the second-ranked offense in the NFL through the first quarter of the season.
Impressive.
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