The San Francisco 49ers will be playing for a spot in Super Bowl LVII this Sunday when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
There was a bit of concern about the status of running back Christian McCaffrey, but he says he will definitely play in the contest.
Christian McCaffrey is 100% certain that he will play in the NFC Championship Game
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 26, 2023
McCaffrey has dealt with knee and ankle issues over the last several weeks, but he has played in every game this season, including San Francisco’s two playoff games so far.
The team traded for him in October, and he has helped transform it into the juggernaut it has looked like ever since.
At the time, the 49ers were 3-3, and their offense was struggling, particularly their running game.
With Elijah Mitchell, their other main threat in the backfield, out with a sprained MCL, they had virtually no running game, which was likely stimying their passing attack as well.
But McCaffrey has greatly lifted the ceiling on San Francisco’s offensive ability.
In his 13 games with the team (including the playoffs), it has topped the 30-point mark eight times, and McCaffrey put up 746 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 464 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 11 regular season contests with the 49ers.
The Eagles’ One Weakness?
Philly has looked nearly unbeatable in its own right on both sides of the football, but its run defense has been iffy, as it ranked 16th in rushing yards allowed and 17th in rushing touchdowns allowed.
In that regard, McCaffrey could turn out to be a huge key in the 49ers’ chances of winning.
Mitchell is also back and healthy, so running the ball early and often and challenging the Eagles’ front seven could be the thing that gets the Niners to the Super Bowl and possibly even earns them their sixth world championship.
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