HOUSTON – Christian McCaffrey was bottled up, surrounded by the Texans’ relentless defense armed with motivation and the knowledge of just how pivotal the star running back is to the San Francisco 49ers’ offense.
McCaffrey didn’t have much, if any, breathing room to operate during the Texans’ 26-15 win Sunday at NRG Stadium.
The NFL leader in touches entered Sunday on pace for 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards, but he was limited to 25 rushing yards on eight carries, a 3.1 average per run, and three catches for 43 yards on six targets.
Ingrained deep inside the DNA of the San Francisco 49ers’ playbook designed by Kyle Shanahan, there’s a smart axiom Kyle Shanahan never ignores.
“Overall, couldn’t be more proud defensively,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a former 49ers defensive coordinator. “Christian is a great player, phenomenal player. I talked about him all throughout the week and we knew we had to stop him. Run game, passing game, we knew he would be their highest-targeted guy, and we were able to hold him.
“I don’t think he got many yards today. It was a collective effort from everyone, starting with the defensive line really disrupting the run game up front. I think we tackled really well. He had a couple checkdowns there in the two-minute drive, but overall thought we tackled really well versus a really great player.”
McCaffrey had a 27-yard reception, but his impact was largely muted one week after his 201 all-purpose yards in a win over the Atlanta Falcons along with two touchdowns and being named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year didn’t find the end zone Sunday at NRG Stadium.
“The biggest thing on defense was controlling the edge, covering on defense, covering the back end, and allowing the D-line to rush,” Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter said. “And we did that. We take pride in stopping the run first, and then that’s what we did. And then we were able to just rush the pass right after that.”
Get the football in the hands of McCaffrey, by any means necessary.
The game plan of the 49ers, especially with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk out for the season, could be boiled down to this elemental priority. Their strategy is built around getting McCaffrey heavily involved through the running game and through the versatility of his pass-catching skills.
McCaffrey entered Sunday on pace for 2,383 all-purpose yards and leads the NFL in total offensive touches for a 5-2 squad that has overcome multiple injuries, including quarterback Brock Purdy sidelined again. He’s coming off an NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in a win over the Atlanta Falcons with 201 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdown runs.
“He’s a great player, obviously he’s been doing this for a long time,” Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter said. “Everyone knows Christian McCaffrey and what he can do. So, just knowing that we have to hone in on him, know where he’s at at all times.
“The offense, it doesn’t technically it runs through him, but I mean he’s a huge part of it. So just knowing where he’s at and having eyes on him and just swarming playing our game.”
NOTES: Texans wide receiver Braxton Berrios left the game with a chest injury. … Texans defensive end Dylan Horton left the game with a knee injury.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
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