The New York Giants continue to have their doubters despite improving their record to 6-1.
But rookie pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has a clear message for those who are still not taking the Giants seriously following their 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"F*** 'em, f*** all the people around the league," said Thibodeaux to NJ Advance Media.
"The only people that matter are the people in this room. The only people that are going to dictate what happens on Sunday are the people in this room. Excuse my French.
"I mean, listen, I think the greatest thing we do is we fight for respect in the locker room. When you're on that battlefield, I want you to not respect me."
The Giants came from 17-13 down to see off the Jaguars, who narrowly missed out on claiming a game-winning touchdown as wide receiver Christian Kirk was stopped a yard short of the endzone in the final seconds.
The unconvincing nature of the victory will likely do little to quiet those questioning the Giants' legitimacy. New York have trailed in all seven games this year, with this victory marking their sixth comeback of a remarkable season.
But safety Xavier McKinney echoed the sentiments of team-mate Thibodeaux.
"I really don't even care for that question anymore," McKinney said. "I'm kind of tired of answering it because it's the same thing every week.
"Obviously, we know that. I really don't care. We don't care as a team. The only thing we can do is keep focusing on what we can do and keep getting better."
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense fired on all cylinders against a vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense on Sunday, and Juju Smith-Schuster had an interesting explanation for their success.
Kansas City recovered from an early 10-0 hole to prevail in Week 7, the Chiefs exploding and pulling away in the fourth quarter in a 44-23 triumph.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes shredded the Niners for 423 yards and three touchdowns, bouncing back in emphatic fashion after his interception on the Chiefs' first drive set up San Francisco's opening touchdown.
Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling both went over 100 yards receiving and tight end Travis Kelce had 98, while Mecole Hardman found the endzone three times, twice as a rusher and once as a receiver.
San Francisco entered the game as the NFL's top defense, allowing only 255.8 yards per game, and the Chiefs were coming off a Week 6 game in which they were frustrated and held to 20 points in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
But instead of those point-scoring issues carrying into another tough matchup, the Chiefs found the explosiveness they needed, with Smith-Schuster crediting an online gaming session between Mahomes and his pass-catchers for their devastating display.
"I'm gonna tell you what got us the chemistry when we needed this game," Smith-Schuster told a press conference.
"So, I think it was Friday night. It was me, Pat, Travis and MVS. We were playing Call of Duty together, we were playing Warzone, and we played three games, and we won three games, back-to-back.
"We got off, and we were like, 'damn'. It's really hard to win a game in Warzone.
"You could just... the communication between all of us, and then the chemistry? It was like we were in the game. It kind of just led into this game, and it kind of just showed on the field."
Geno Smith believes he can play even better after leading the Seattle Seahawks to a victory that lifted them to the top of the NFC West.
Unfancied and seen as a rebuilding team after the decision to trade nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the offseason, the Seahawks are now 4-3 after the latest success authored by Smith.
The former first-round pick of the New York Jets is penning a remarkable comeback story having beaten Drew Lock to the starting quarterback job in Seattle.
Smith went 8-8 as a rookie with the Jets in 2013 but saw his career fall apart from there as poor play, a fractious relationship with former coach Rex Ryan and a now infamous locker room fight in 2015 derailed his hopes of being the long-term answer in New York.
He spent seasons with the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before eventually landing in Seattle as Wilson's backup in 2019, playing three games in relief of the injured starter last season.
The Seahawks won only one of those starts, and there was little to suggest he could lead them to playoff contention in 2022. However, they have now won three of their last four games, with Smith leading the NFL with a completion percentage of 73.5.
Sunday saw him complete 20 of his 27 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as the Seahawks saw off the Chargers 37-23.
Asked by Peter King for his Football Morning in America column what surprises him most about his and Seattle's success, Smith replied: "Nothing. Nothing has surprised me. In fact, I know I can play a lot better.
"In my rookie year playing with the Jets, we went 8-8 and missed the playoffs by one game. The reality is it's hard to win the NFL with a young quarterback. That's just the reality of the NFL.
"So much goes on that you have to know in order to be successful. Quarterbacking is a skill more than just a talent. I'm just happy I've just continued to develop.
"I know I might've struggled out the gate in pro football. That's just the reality of the NFL. Sometimes they give up on you fast.
"The numbers at the beginning of my career are kind of skewed, if you ask me. If you look at Peyton Manning, if you just judge his rookie season, you'd never think Peyton Manning would've become what he became. Steve Young, too. Troy Aikman. The list goes on and on and on.
"[You have] just got to have patience with young quarterbacks. You have got to find the right young quarterbacks with the right mentality who are going to continue to work and have a great attitude about the game and the struggle.
"Over the years, not playing was heartbreaking. I’m so competitive, and I love playing so much that I really wanted to be out there every single game. But what's that cliche? 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'?
"I know I’m better for all those years. Coming into this year, I wasn't sure what would happen [after the trade of Wilson to Denver].
"When [Seahawks coach] Pete Carroll hit me up and was like, 'Hey I'm giving you opportunity to compete for the job,' I mean, that’s all you have to say to me. That was awesome. He's shown faith in me. That's just what I need.
"You ask me: what am I focused on during the week? Playing hard, doing what I'm coached to do. It's that simple. I don't think about failure.
"My thought process is I need to run on the field with my linemen and play just as hard as they're playing and do exactly what I'm coached to do and then let my talent take over after that. It's that simple in my mind.
"Our success so far starts with the trust and belief of our head coach. Not many coaches would start two rookies on the offensive line, a rookie running back, two rookie cornerbacks.
"Not many coaches would be comfortable starting a quarterback who hasn't played in many years. But Pete does it because he knows what he's looking at. He's played young guys before, lots of times. He's taken chances on players, lots of time. He knows how to coach ball. You can see that this year.
"I think we're built to last for this season and many seasons. But ultimately, it comes down to what we do, not what we say. It's about the work we put in. It's about the consistency. And our preparation and consistency and our togetherness. That's all that matters.
"As long as we continue to build together, the sky's the limit. It takes work. It takes hard work. We have got to embrace that part of it."
Aaron Rodgers is "not worried" about the Green Bay Packers' slump after they were consigned to a 23-21 defeat by the Washington Commanders.
The Packers suffered a third consecutive defeat on Sunday and are 3-4 after the loss at FedEx Field.
Quarterback Rodgers was defiant after Green Bay fell short in the capital and believes they can stop the rot when they face the Buffalo Bills next weekend.
Asked if making the playoffs still seemed possible, he replied: "You're god damn right it does.
"I'm not worried about this squad. In fact, this might be the best thing for us. This week, nobody is going to give us a chance, going to Buffalo on Sunday Night Football, with a chance to get exposed. Shoot, this might be the best thing for us."
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is backing his team to arrest their slide.
"I don't think anybody thought we'd be in this spot that we're in right now," said LaFleur. "We're going to find out what we're made of in terms of just how we attack Monday, how we attack Tuesday, Wednesday and every day in practice.
"I do believe that we've got the right kind of guys that will continue to battle."
LaFleur says it is not only down to Rodgers to step up and get Green Bay back on track.
He said: "I think it takes everybody. It takes everybody around him. You've got to have the protection in front of you to be able to hold up.
"You've got to have the guys making plays, too. I feel like we had a ton of drops. We had a lot of penalties that put us back behind the sticks."
Christian McCaffrey was disappointed to suffer defeat on his San Francisco 49ers debut after a "weird week", but wants to focus on what he can control.
McCaffrey only joined the 49ers at the end of last week in a trade from the Carolina Panthers, and was thrown straight into the action against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The Chiefs ran out 44-23 winners at Levi's Stadium, with McCaffrey only involved in 21 snaps, making 38 yards from eight carries.
The 26-year-old All-Pro was clearly still getting used to the idea of swapping Carolina for San Francisco, but said after the game he wants to get up to speed quickly.
"This was a weird week for me and for [the team]," he told reporters. "I didn't know what to expect. I know I had a certain list of plays that were up.
"For me, mentally, this was just 'focus on everything I can control and get rolling'. Obviously losing's frustrating, but I'm still getting to know these guys, I gotta do my job, I gotta make a few more plays here and just learn the offense as quick as possible.
"I'm just trying to control what I can control right now and get going."
The Niners are 3-4, having lost their last two games, and tight end George Kittle warned that McCaffrey cannot be expected to "be the saviour".
"He's not going to be the saviour, but he's definitely going to help us out," Kittle said. "I think these next two weeks are going to be huge for Christian to understand our offense and be comfortable out there not to think at all, just go out and run because that's what he's really good at.
"Like I said, penalties, turnovers, giving up big plays on defense, we've got to be better than that. We weren't today. That's how you lose football games."
The New York Jets fear rookie running back Breece Hall could miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a suspected torn ACL on Sunday.
Hall was taken off in the second quarter of the Jets' 16-9 win over the Denver Broncos, and coach Robert Saleh said: "The initial diagnosis is not good," before confirming it was likely to be an ACL injury.
It puts a dampener on an excellent start to the season for the 5-2 Jets and for Hall, who has totalled 681 scrimmage yards and scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in seven games.
That included a 62-yard TD run in the first quarter against Denver, making the 21-year-old the first Jets player since 2009 to have a rushing touchdown in four straight games.
However, just two carries later he was tackled near the sideline and appeared to land awkwardly, before being carted off the field for the remainder of the contest.
"He's a heck of a football player," Saleh said. "When you lose great football players, it's not good."
There were further injury concerns for Saleh as right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker (elbow) and wide receiver Corey Davis (knee) were also unable to finish the game, with quarterback Zach Wilson saying afterwards: "I didn't even know what was going on, but I'm just in the huddle like, 'Where they at?'
"It's tough because all of those guys are great players. They're all balling. But unfortunately, it's part of the NFL, right?"
Tua Tagovailoa returned as the Miami Dolphins snapped their three-game skid with a 16-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday night.
Tagovailoa had not played since suffering a concussion in Week 4, but threw a first-quarter touchdown for Raheem Mostert as the Dolphins raced to a 13-0 lead.
The Steelers rallied with 10 second-quarter points with rookie George Pickers pulling down a spectacular catch from a Kenny Pickett TD pass to make it 16-10 at half-time.
Miami's defense held firm to thwart two fourth-quarter Steelers' drives with interceptions, firstly by Jevon Holland and then Noah Igbinoghene, the latter settling a game where no points were scored in the second half. The win improved Miami's record to 4-3, sitting third in the AFC East, while the Steelers are 2-5 and last in the AFC North.
In the Steelers' last drive, Pickett had connected with tight end Pat Freiermuth and wide receiver Diontae Johnson for major gains in the final minute, before Igbinoghene's pick.
Miami's defense had only one interception all season but notched three in this game alone from Pickett's throwing with the Steelers QB completing 32 of 44 passes for 257 yards.
Tagovailoa made it four wins from four starts, with 21-of-35 passing for 261 yards with no interceptions, running four times for 15 yards.
Jaylen Waddle had four catches for 88 yards including a brilliant flying catch, while Tyreek Hill was a regular target with seven receptions for 72 yards. Touchdown scorer Mostert had four receptions for 30 yards along with 16 carries for 79 yards.
For a second straight week, an unexpected road loss and a struggling offense has Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers searching for answers.
The preseason NFC South favourites dropped to 3-4 following Sunday’s 21-3 defeat to a Carolina Panthers team that was starting a third-string quarterback, while being led by an interim head coach.
The Brady-led offence failed to produce a touchdown one week after not reaching the end zone until late in the fourth quarter of a 20-18 loss to the-then 1-4 Pittsburgh Steelers.
"It’s still there," said Brady of Tampa Bay’s need to self-evaluate. "We talked about execution the other day and it still comes up. I think we all just need to do our job better.
"There’s no easy way about it. They’re trying to keep us from doing our job, we’re trying to do it, and they’re doing a better job than we are. Anytime you score three points, that pretty much sums it up."
Though the Bucs still reside in a first-place tie in what’s been a weak NFC South thus far, they’ve now lost four of their past five games to place Brady in a spot he’s rarely been in during his storied 23-year career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback hasn’t been under .500 seven games into the season since the 2002 New England Patriots started 3-4, and he’s never had a losing record at any time after eight games.
"We’re not playing well," head coach Todd Bowles admitted. "We’re not playing well as individuals, we’re not playing well as a team, we’re not coaching it well. All the way around – we’re not scoring enough on offence and we’re not stopping them enough on defence.
"We have to wear this on our sleeve. They’ve got to be grown men. We’re going to see what we’re made of, (see) how many people can handle adversity, and this is about as dark as it’s going be right now."
While a defence that’s now gone three straight games without forcing a turnover and surrendered 173 rushing yards to the Panthers has played in a role in Tampa Bay’s tough stretch, much of the focus has been centred around the offence’s continued problems to consistently generate points. The Bucs were held under 20 points for the fourth time this season in Sunday’s loss; they scored fewer than 20 only three times while going 13-4 and earning the NFC’s second seed in 2021.
"We’re plenty capable of making plays, we’re just not making them consistently enough to score points," said Brady, who’s averaged a mere 6.0 yards per pass attempt during the current two-game losing streak. "We make a big play, make a bad play, make a big play, make a bad play. In football that’s just not good enough.
"You can’t play like that. You’ve got to string enough good plays together to get the ball into the red area and score points."
With a Thursday night home game against Baltimore next on the schedule, the Buccaneers will have a short time to try to find solutions to their current problems.
"We’re going to see what we have going forward," said Bowles. "See how many crumble in the dark and see how many people step up and start playing better, and start coaching better."
The Kansas City Chiefs are the highest scoring team in the NFL through Week 7 after a convincing 44-23 road win against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
San Francisco were in the headlines this week after pulling the trigger on a big trade for superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, but it was Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes controlling the contest.
Mahomes threw an interception on the Chiefs' first drive, but turned things around quickly and ended up completing 25 of his 34 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns.
He tossed second-half touchdown passes to Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and his first touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman was the beginning of a memorable day for the speedy receiver.
After getting on the end of an eight-yard score from Mahomes in the first quarter, Hardman then took a jet-sweep 25 yards down the sideline in the second quarter for the first rushing touchdown of his career.
Not done yet, Hardman added his second rushing touchdown and third overall score for the game with a three-yard run in the fourth period. He finished with two carries for 28 yards and two rushing TDs, with four catches for 32 yards and a receiving TD.
For the 49ers, Jimmy Garropolo was not to blame for the loss as he finished 25-of-37 for 303 yards, two touchdowns and an interception – with touchdown passes to George Kittle and Ray-Ray McCloud III.
McCaffrey carried the ball eight times for 38 yards, and caught both of his targets for 24 yards through the air.
Seahawks move above .500 with upset in Los Angeles
The Seattle Seahawks rode a spectacular performance from rookie running back Kenneth Walker III to a 37-23 upset win on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Walker rushed 23 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns, capped by a 74-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game to bed.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was solid, completing 20-of-27 passes for 210 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to Marquise Goodwin as he assumed a major role following a knee injury to key wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.
Chargers star Austin Ekeler remains the top running back in fantasy football, rushing for 31 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching all 12 of his targets for 96 yards and a second score.
Dak Prescott made a slow start on his return to the Dallas Cowboys team, but "a win's a win", the quarterback says.
Prescott had been out of action since fracturing his thumb in the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Cowboys had improved to 4-2 in his absence, led by Cooper Rush, and their fifth win followed in a 24-6 defeat of the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Prescott was back in the team, although he was far from the star of the show.
The Dallas defense produced five sacks and two interceptions, while Ezekiel Elliott ran in for two touchdowns.
Prescott did not throw a TD pass until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, finishing with 207 yards on 19-of-25 passing.
The QB was never concerned about his own performance, though, suggesting he might have enjoyed overseeing a comfortable victory without contributing with a TD of his own.
"A win's a win," Prescott said. "I really don't care how it gets done; a win's a win.
"I thought it was going to be pretty cool to leave this game without a touchdown, honestly. That's kind of where my head is right now.
"I know how talented this team is. I know what we can be. It's not about me. It's about all of us, and I'm just trying to make sure I play my part and make sure I put this team in the right situation each and every play."
Crucially, he added: "The thumb feels pretty good."
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of his QB's display: "I thought Dak performed better as the game went on. It's his first time he's been out there in quite some time.
"Start with the command of the huddle, the whole operation, I thought he was really on point there. He handled the adjustments that were going during the course of the game.
"Those are the big things that don't show up in the stat column."
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' dismal season plumbed new depths as they remarkably lost 21-3 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Tom Brady's Bucs had slipped to 3-3 with last week's unexpected defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the team now have a losing record for the first time since the legendary quarterback lost his 2020 debut. Only in 2002, when he missed the playoffs, had Brady previously had a losing record at the end of Week 7.
This reverse was perhaps even more surprising than the Steelers upset, as P.J. Walker, Carolina's third-choice QB, led a Panthers team who had traded away star running back Christian McCaffrey this week.
Following that trade with the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Wilks, the interim head coach since Matt Rhule's October 10 firing, insisted: "There's no such thing as tanking when it comes to myself and the guys in that locker room."
The Panthers backed up that statement by dominating Brady and the Bucs, who were held to three points or fewer for the third time in their three seasons together. A Brady offense had three points or fewer only twice in his entire New England Patriots career.
The Bucs were scoreless through three quarters, in which time Carolina scored two touchdowns – Walker with a 20-yard completion to DJ Moore, before Chuba Hubbard, with just six carries through six weeks alongside McCaffrey, ran in from 17 yards.
Ryan Succop's field goal at the start of the fourth quarter was not to set the stage for a dramatic turnaround, as Walker's 29-yard pass to Tommy Tremble completed the job.
Rodgers also loses once more
Brady's fellow veteran Aaron Rodgers also dropped to 3-4 as the Green Bay Packers lost for the third week running, beaten 23-21 by the Washington Commanders.
The Packers have suffered three straight defeats for the first time since 2018, with Rodgers unable to rally late on after a first half in which he had only 47 passing yards – his second-lowest career mark after 15 or more attempts before halftime.
Dak back but defense dominates
Dak Prescott returned from injury as the Dallas Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions 24-6, although the victory owed more to running back Ezekiel Elliott and the team's defense than their QB. Prescott threw for 207 yards and a TD, as Elliott ran in for a pair of scores while Jared Goff was sacked five times and picked off twice.
Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals' QB, was far more influential as he threw for 481 yards and three TDs in a 35-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. That yardage ranks third in a regular season Bengals game all-time, although the 525-yard record already belongs to Burrow (v Ravens, 2021).
The Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry enjoyed a record-setting performance in victory over AFC South rivals the Indianapolis Colts, rushing for 128 yards. He has 1287 career rushing yards versus the Colts, the most of any Titan against any one team.
Christian McCaffrey is expected to make his debut for the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Former All-Pro running back McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday for second, third and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024.
The tight turnaround initially made it look unlikely McCaffrey would be overly involved in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV from the 2019 season.
However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, McCaffrey will play and the 49ers will have a package of plays ready for him.
The Chiefs will have a new lead runner in their backfield, with rookie Isaiah Pacheco set to get the bulk of the carries over 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Kansas City's closest rivals in the AFC West, the 4-2 Los Angeles Chargers, face NFC West opponents themselves in the form of the Seattle Seahawks.
They had hoped to have wide receiver Keenan Allen back from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Week 1, but his status was still up in the air heading into Sunday.
Star Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett is set to play having been listed as questionable with a hamstring injury of his own.
The Baltimore Ravens, another prospective AFC contender, have been boosted with tight end Mark Andrews (ankle) and Rashod Bateman (knee) both active for their meeting with the Cleveland Browns.
The Dallas Cowboys will not have to defend D'Andre Swift in Dak Prescott's return to action. Detroit Lions running back Swift is once again inactive because of ankle and shoulder injuries.
Detroit's division rivals the Green Bay Packers are looking to end a two-game losing run and get their offense back on track against the Washington Commanders.
Yet they will be without oft-injured left tackle David Bakhtiari because of a flare-up in his knee. The Packers have remodelled a struggling offensive line, shifting Elgton Jenkins from right tackle to left guard. Yosh Nijman takes over at right tackle, with rookie Zac Tom filling in for Bakhtiari.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins will return from a knee injury as Aaron Rodgers desperately searches for targets he can trust.
Russell Wilson has been ruled out of the Denver Broncos' plans for Sunday's Week 7 clash with the New York Jets.
The quarterback suffered a hamstring injury in the 19-16 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.
He played through the pain barrier in the late stages of that game but will not be risked this weekend, the Broncos confirmed.
It means Brett Rypien will play against the 4-2 Jets, making just his second start in the NFL. Coincidentally, his first also came against the Jets, with Rypien throwing two touchdown passes for the Broncos in a 37-28 win in October 2020.
On Friday, the Broncos listed Wilson as questionable for the clash with the Jets, while head coach Nathaniel Hackett said the team would make a "game-time decision" on his involvement.
That situation has now progressed, with Wilson unavailable as the Broncos look to improve on their 2-4 start to the season.
Nine-time Pro Bowl QB Wilson has completed just 58.6 per cent of his passes since arriving in a March trade with the Seattle Seahawks, landing a five-year, $245million contract.
Against the Chargers, Wilson finished the first quarter with a perfect 10 completions, including a touchdown, but he completed just five of his subsequent 18 passes.
The Washington Commanders placed starting quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve Saturday, ensuring he will miss at least four games as he recovers from a broken finger on his throwing hand.
Wentz suffered the injury during Washington's 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears on October 13 and underwent surgery to repair the broken finger earlier this week.
The 29-year-old will be eligible to return from IR on November 20, but his prognosis after surgery indicated he could miss up to six weeks.
The Commanders (2-4) will start Taylor Heinicke under center on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, with rookie fifth-round draft pick Sam Howell serving as his back-up.
In his first year with Washington, Wentz opened the season by throwing seven touchdowns in the first two games but has followed with three touchdowns and three interceptions over his past four games.
Heinicke started 15 games for Washington last season, throwing for 3,419 yards and 20 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.
With the Commanders sitting in last place of a competitive NFC East, some fans are already clamouring to see Howell as the starter.
The San Francisco 49ers' running game hasn't quite performed at the standard they would have hoped so far in 2022, but they made a blockbuster move to address that on Thursday by trading for two-time All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey
San Francisco traded a second, third and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft as well as a fifth-rounder in 2024 to prise McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.
At his best, McCaffrey can be one of the most devastating playmakers in the NFL. Back in 2019, he became only the third player after former 49ers great Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk to rack up 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.
In the two subsequent seasons, however, McCaffrey played only 10 games because of injury and will carry a cap hit of at least $12million in each of the next three seasons.
While he has played every game so far in 2022, giving up that level of draft capital and committing to pay that contract -- though it could be restructured in the offseason -- for a player with McCaffrey's durability problems represents a significant risk.
The 49ers' average of 4.43 yards per carry is 14th in the NFL, though they rank ninth in Efficiency versus Expected -- which compares the projected yards to the actual yards gained or prevented in specific situations -- on run plays.
San Francisco's run game has not produced at an elite level so far in 2022, but it is among the most efficient in the NFL.
The level of compensation paid to land McCaffrey suggests the 49ers believe he can lift their rushing attack to the very top of the league, but can he do enough to justify the outlay spent on him?
Still a potent running threat
Despite playing behind an offensive line in Carolina that ranks 30th in run block win rate, McCaffrey has, through the first six weeks, produced a compelling argument that he is one of the most dangerous running backs in the NFL.
While his 393 rushing yards are only good enough for 14th in the NFL, his advanced numbers illustrate his value running the ball.
His yards before contact average of 2.29 yards is below the league average of 2.5, with that figure a reflection of the disappointing blocking of the offensive line in Carolina.
However, McCaffrey did an impressive job of overcoming the Panthers' futility in the trenches, putting up 2.44 yards after contact per attempt, above the average of 2.05.
Additionally, he is also averaging 3.36 yards per carry on runs where there is a disruption by a defender, again above the league-wide mark of 3.05 and just below that of Saquon Barkley (3.37), who is second in the NFL in rushing yards with 616.
Though the Niners, who possess a young interior offensive line, are just 16th in run block win rate, that still represents a marked improvement on Carolina's performance in that area, indicating McCaffrey will benefit from blocking that will enable him to rack up more yardage in the backfield, rather than having to limit the negative impact of defenders taking advantage of blown blocks to break into the backfield.
Yet his rushing production is just part of the appeal with McCaffrey, with the potential added dimension offered by his significant receiving upside surely a huge factor in the 49ers' decision to part with such a substantial package of draft picks.
The receiving gold standard
Despite battling injuries for each of the past two seasons, McCaffrey still has an extremely strong claim for being considered the premier receiving running back in the NFL.
Since 2017, when he was drafted eighth overall by the Panthers, only the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara (3,454) has racked up more receiving yards among running backs than McCaffrey (3,292).
However, Kamara has played 78 games to McCaffrey's 64 in that time and the per game numbers skew heavily in the latter's favour. McCaffrey has averaged 51.4 receiving yards per game across his career, the most among running backs since 2017, compared to 44.3 for Kamara in second. No running back has more receptions for first downs than McCaffrey (174) in that span while only Austin Ekeler (26) and Kamara (20) have more receptions for touchdowns than his 18.
This season, though the Panthers targeted him 43 times in the passing game -- only Ekeler (48) has more among backs -- McCaffrey's production through the air has not been efficient.
He has produced a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 17 of his 43 targets. His burn rate of 39.6 per cent is below the league average at his position of 47.6, and he has delivered a big play on 11 per cent of targets (the average this season for backs is 12.7).
Yet his final weeks in Carolina were ones with a team clearly ill-equipped to maximise his talents.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan should have no such problems, with McCaffrey likely to benefit from his new play-caller's ingenuity and from playing alongside another of the league's most versatile offensive weapons.
Doubling up on wide backs
McCaffrey may be the NFL's best pass-catching running back, and he is joining the league's top ball-carrying wide receiver, Deebo Samuel, on the San Francisco offense.
Last season, Samuel set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season, eight of his 14 touchdowns coming on the ground.
When lined up as a running back for a downhill carry in 2021, Samuel averaged 6.58 yards per rush. He recorded 4.11 yards before contact per attempt, 2.67 yards after contact and averaged 4.77 yards per attempt on carries where there was a run disruption by a defender, his remarkable proficiency in the self-termed 'wide back' role fuelling San Francisco's surge to the NFC Championship Game.
This season, Samuel has 19 carries from the running back spot and is averaging 6.53 yards per rush and 4.61 yards after contact per attempt.
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