GREEN BAY – San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey missed a large portion of the season, but he's still the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
On Sunday, it was expected the 49ers would depend on him to help backup QB Brandon Allen, who was filling in for the injured Brock Purdy. But the Packers held him to just 31 yards on 11 carries, with six of his rushes going for two yards or less.
How were they able to clamp down on him so well? Having multiple players win at the point of attack, and stopping McCaffrey set up the one of the defense's biggest plays of the game.
Here's the rundown.
Play No. 1: Second-and-6 from the San Francisco 36, first quarter, 6;35 left
Result: 1-yard run by McCaffrey
Second snap of the game for the 49ers, first McCaffrey carry, and the Packers are all over him. The defenders to watch are LB Quay Walker (7), who beats the block of C Jake Brendel (64) at the second level, and DL Kingsley Enagbare (55), who fights through the initial block of LT Jaylon Moore (76) to scrape down the line of scrimmage. S Xavier McKinney (29) comes up unblocked from the back end, and McCaffrey has nowhere to go. On the next play, DL Rashan Gary gets the third-down sack for a three-and-out.
Play No. 2: First-and-10 from the Green Bay 18, first quarter, 3:34 left
Result: 2-yard run by McCaffrey
Big props to LB Isaiah McDuffie (58) here. Though it doesn't look pretty and he gets bowled over, the way he anchors his base against the block of LG Aaron Banks (65) keeps this run in check. Also, DL Kenny Clark (97) doesn't let Brendel lock him up, which allows him to pursue to the hole.
Play No. 3: First-and-goal from the Green Bay 4, first quarter, 1:55 left
Result: 1-yard run by McCaffrey
The number of defenders who "win" at the point of attack on this goal-to-go play is impressive. Gary makes Banks miss on the pull/kick-out attempt. McDuffie beats TE George Kittle (85) to the hole. Walker makes RT Colton McKivitz (68) miss. And for good measure, S Evan Williams (33) joins the fray unblocked, so McCaffrey doesn't even sniff the goal line.
Play No. 4: First-and-10 from the Green Bay 47, third quarter, 7:22 left
Result: 2-yard run by McCaffrey
These next two plays are when the ability to stop McCaffrey truly changed the game. The 49ers have a first down in Green Bay territory, trailing just 17-7, when DL T.J. Slaton (93) shoves and turns Brendel to get his arms on McCaffrey before he's got any head of steam. Credit here also goes to Enagbare, who's processing a late signal from Walker at the snap but still manages to drive McKivitz down the line and toward the hole to help clog it up.
Play No. 5: Second-and-8 from the Green Bay 45, third quarter, 6:44 left
Result: No gain by McCaffrey
Very next snap, the 49ers try McCaffrey again, but DL Karl Brooks just blasts Banks into the backfield, rendering Brendel's attempted double-team block useless and redirecting McCaffrey's path. From there, Slaton sheds the block of RG Dominick Puni (77) as McCaffrey tries to cut back, and the unblocked Walker cleans up. These last two run stops put the 49ers in third-and-long, and what happens next? McKinney gets his interception that alters the course of the game.
Play No. 6: Second-and-10 from the Green Bay 21, third quarter, :36 left
Result: 1-yard loss by McCaffrey
One more stop on McCaffrey, and the lion's share of the credit for this one goes to Walker. He sees exactly where this play is going and is pointing that direction before the snap. Sure enough, FB Kyle Juszczyk (44) goes in motion that way, Walker anticipates and beats the block attempt by Puni, and he finishes the TFL. After an incomplete pass on third-and-long, it's a three-and-out for the defense.
Bonus play 1: First-and-5 from the San Francisco 15, fourth quarter, 12:37 left
Result: Strip-sack by DL Lukas Van Ness
McCaffrey didn't have the greatest day in pass protection here, as he tries to help on the rushing Van Ness but gets tossed onto his backside. Van Ness gets the hit on Allen and the ball is out.
Bonus play 2: First-and-10 from the San Francisco 30, fourth quarter, 10:59 left
Result: 23-yard reception, and fumble, by McCaffrey
Last but not least is McCaffrey's biggest play of the day getting ruined by CB Keisean Nixon (25), who shows tremendous hustle and speed. Watch how far Nixon runs here, from outside the numbers on one side of the field, all the way across to outside the numbers on the other side to punch the ball out as S Javon Bullard (20) is making the tackle on McCaffrey. Talk about hot pursuit.
