The San Francisco 49ers recently sat and prepared for their playoff opener hoping it would be a springboard to their sixth Super Bowl title.
They’ve been stuck with five titles for nearly 30 years, but now they have the best roster they’ve had since the magical 1994 season that brought them 5th in the World Series.
A big reason for their recent success was star running back Christian McCaffrey, who they traded midway through last season.
Chris Foerster, San Francisco’s running game coordinator, had high praise for McCaffrey, calling him a “generational” player for his preparation, according to NBC Sports.
Foerster said McCaffrey’s preparation rivals that of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning and offensive lineman Jonathan Ogden, both Hall of Famers he previously coached.
The Niners quarterback led the NFL with 1,459 passing yards and had 14 receptions and seven touchdowns before the team’s regular season finale.
Named to both the Pro Bowl and All-Pro first teams, he is a strong favorite to take home the Offensive Player of the Year award.
McCaffrey is not only a power runner, but also a true two-way threat who can not only catch screen passes, but also line up with wide receivers and run true routes.
The 49ers face the upstart Green Bay Packers in the divisional round on Saturday, and McCaffrey will look to exploit a Packers defense that ranked just 28th in yards allowed during the regular season..
