The 49ers will be severely undermanned at wide receiver against the Arizona Cardinals, with Jauan Jennings ruled out because of ankle and shoulder injuries.
Jennings’ absence and that of rookie Jordan Watkins, who is yet to play since the preseason opener and will be out several more weeks with a calf issue, leaves the 49ers with Ricky Pearsall, Kendrick Bourne, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Malik Turner as their wideouts against Arizona. Turner was elevated from the practice squad for
the game.
The injuries at receiver are exacerbated by George Kittle’s continued absence with a hamstring injury that led him to be placed on injured reserve.
But the worsening situation at a position where the 49ers remain without Brandon Aiyuk also places greater emphasis on the pass-catching skills of Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey has been crucial to the 49ers’ 2-0 start. While he has yet to capture his explosive best as a runner, the influence of McCaffrey’s receiving threat cannot be denied.
With 125 receiving yards and a touchdown on 15 catches, McCaffrey has a receiving success rate of 64.7%. The league average heading into Week 3 was 50.5%.
But the impact of those receptions for McCaffrey is two-fold. McCaffrey is an outstanding outlet for quarterbacks, representing a highly effective easy button who can turn check downs into big plays and beat linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties alike as a receiver in the formation. His threat in that regard doesn’t just help the quarterback in creating easy receptions, it also aids the signal-caller and the other weapons around in attracting the attention of opposing defenders.
McCaffrey’s gravitational pull was on display throughout the 49ers’ win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, with throwing windows for Mac Jones maximized as the attention of second-level defenders was regularly drawn towards the running back.
And McCaffrey is such a talented receiver that he can have the same influence when working downfield, his gravity most evident versus the Saints on the most critical offensive play of the game for the 49ers, a 42-yard catch and run from Jauan Jennings that put San Francisco up 12 points.
Jones hit Jennings perfectly in stride, executing superbly despite the Saints’ best efforts to confuse him with a disguised Cover 2 look. Yet McCaffrey was also critical to the play, with his deep route forcing the field-side safety to widen slightly, maximizing both the throwing window and the amount of open field for Jennings, who was consequently able to stride into the endzone untouched.
With Jennings out of the picture for a week and the 49ers set to start Jones for a second successive game, McCaffrey’s skills as a receiver and his ability to create space for other weapons will be even more important to San Francisco’s hopes of success in Week 3. If the 49ers win their home opener, McCaffrey’s gravity will likely have played a significant role.
