08 August 2023 , 12:23
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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has issued a warning to NFL rivals after admitting that he is relishing the chance to master what head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to do on offense.
McCaffrey, 27, was traded to the 49ers in the middle of last season from the Carolina Panthers. He says OTAs gave him the chance to be a "football nerd" as he steps up his preparation for his first full season in San Francisco. The two-time Pro Bowler says he's able to fully grasp what Shanahan is asking of him instead of trying to learn it on the fly.
"Yeah, it’s much better,” McCaffrey said, according to 49ersWebzone.com. “OTAs were great, just to really understand the concepts and really, not just learn the running back position, but the whole offense, and understand timing with what the quarterback sees and what Kyle sees, and getting timing right with the O-line, and [fullback Kyle Juszczyk], and the tight ends.
"So coming into camp, you’re not playing catch up. So it’s been great to be able to kind of not just learn the offense, but master it.”
McCaffrey's comments will excite San Francisco fans and also frighten opposition defenses. He was one of the main reasons for the 49ers' going on a perfect 10-0 record to finish the regular season.
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The running back also helped elevate the 49ers' offense to the second-highest scoring attack in the entire league, as well as the most efficient passing game in the NFL. "I feel like a football nerd every time I'm in those meetings," McCaffrey added.
The two-time Pro Bowler says he's mastering the 49ers' offense (Getty)"Just really grasping exactly how well he [head coach Kyle Shanahan] understands, not just how to run the play offensively, but defensively, and why setting the edge is so important, why running to the ball is so important. So you start to understand what defenses are being taught and what the play is trying to accomplish, and so every step matters.
"It's not just running the ball and looking with your eyes. There's an aiming point. There's vision that comes with it. There's setting your blocks.
"There's so many different cues that are on each and every run play, and some of them are a little bit different than others. So it's just been great to be able to not just learn, but rep exactly all the different plays that we're trying to get and then having the different pass plays off of it."