The San Francisco 49ers leaned on running back Christian McCaffrey in a primetime win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, securing the 20-10 victory in front of their home crowd at Levi’s Stadium.
McCaffrey rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and led the team in receiving with another 72 through the air on seven catches (10.3 yards per catch). His performance not only helped move the 49ers to 5-2 and first place in the NFC West, but also rewrote a small piece of NFL history.
Sunday’s contest marked the seventh game in McCaffrey’s career with at least 100 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards, moving past NFL legends Marshall Faulk and Priest Homes for the most such games in league history.
Through seven games this season, McCaffrey has looked like his old self, rushing for 465 yards and three touchdowns, while leading the 49ers with a whopping 516 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. After Sunday’s game, he ranks 11th in the NFL in rushing yards and sixth in receiving yards, with a league-leading 981 yards from scrimmage; the next closest is Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, with 914 scrimmage yards.
McCaffrey’s latest milestone arrives at a pivotal time for San Francisco, who has been without QB Brock Purdy since Sept. 28 and has already suffered season-ending injuries to star defenders Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.
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Looking ahead, the goal for the 49ers is to sustain momentum over a critical point in the season, with three more divisional matchups still on the slate, including a date with the Los Angeles Rams (5-2) on Nov. 9.
Next up is a Sunday matchup with the New York Giants (2-5) at MetLife Stadium, a team that just nearly upset the Denver Broncos with a last-second, game-winning field goal from Broncos kicker Will Lutz.
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