Through the first two games of the season, San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey dominated the team's touches, recording 27 in Week 1, when he rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, and 23 in Week 2, when he gained 116 yards on the ground and another touchdown.
When on the field, McCaffrey was dominant, but he was earning a lion's share of the reps at running back, including a 100% snap share in Week 2 during the 49ers' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
That led to head coach Kyle Shanahan taking some accountability after the Week 2 win, understanding the need to balance the running back rotation to preserve McCaffrey for the full season.
"Yeah, we definitely got to get Elijah in there more and do better with our rotation than we did yesterday," head coach Kyle Shanahan said via a conference call on Monday after Week 2. "That wasn't the plan going in. It just ended up that way, and I got to make sure that doesn't happen."
Shanahan's words came to fruition in Week 3, as the 49ers incorporated Elijah Mitchell early, and the backup finished with 11 carries for 42 yards on the ground, while catching three passes for short gains.
What did Shanahan take away from his backup running back's performance in Week 3?
"Yeah, I thought the week before just never getting [RB] Elijah [Mitchell] in was kind of an anomaly for us. But this I think was a little more what we expect, but each game's going to be different."
Not only did Shanahan praise Mitchell for the way that he played, but also third-string back Jordan Mason, who finished the game for the 49ers, and had three carries for 11 yards.
"But I was happy how yesterday went and I thought both of them played well. I thought JP [RB Jordan Mason] did an awesome job when he came in and finished it there, allowing us to stay on the field."
However, the inclusion of Mitchell and Mason didn't relieve McCaffrey from much of his duties, as the star running back still had 23 touches, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown, while catching five passes for 34 yards.
The rotation between McCaffrey, Mitchell, and the field will be intriguing to monitor as the season goes along, as the 49ers will want to keep their backs healthy for the full season, but Week 3 provided an early glimpse of what to potentially expect going forward.
