San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey doesn't want to make any grandiose predictions after four regular-season games. Nevertheless, he recognizes the potential of his current team.
The 49ers are a perfect 4-0 and have scored 30 or more points in each game. Their recent 35-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals showcased their dominance, and they aim to extend their winning streak against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
McCaffrey's performance this past weekend was nothing short of spectacular, accumulating 177 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns.
The Carolina Panthers traded McCaffrey to the 49ers last season, adding to the team's already talent-rich roster. San Francisco has not lost a regular-season game with McCaffrey as a starter.
Kyle Shanahan made a quick impression on the veteran running back, who marvels at his head coach's genius.
"Obviously, Kyle's an unbelievable playcaller, and he's been doing this his whole life," McCaffrey said Tuesday morning on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show. "I really feel, in the meetings, that he was born to do this. I learn something new every day."
McCaffrey has established himself to be a versatile weapon for the coach. However, he isn't the only playmaker on offense. The running back is surrounded by a roster full of dynamic talent.
"I think you look at our team and the guys around, and that's another huge reason [for the success]," McCaffrey continued. "Obviously, when you have so many dynamic weapons, you kind of feed off each other. One game, I might have good stats. The next, [WR] Deebo [Samuel] might go off for 150, and [WR] Brandon [Aiyuk] for 150.
"There's really no shortage of guys who can make plays on this team and come out of the game with great games. So it helps when you have a really good roster, and a good team, and a good culture that plays together. And that's a testament to the leadership, the coaching, the ownership, and everything that they've put in to work to get here."
Observing each other's stellar performances on the football field serves as motivation for each player. In Santa Clara, a standard of excellence and physical mentality have been established.
"It's almost like an unspoken competition of who can break more tackles, who can make more plays," McCaffrey shared. "It's such a healthy thing to have. And you watch a guy like Deebo break 10 tackles, or whatever it is, in one play, that makes you want to do the same thing. You naturally want to rise to that kind of level of tenacity. So, yeah, it's a special group to be a part of."
McCaffrey considers himself fortunate to land with a team poised to contend for a Super Bowl. He doesn't like to make comparisons to previous teams, though. Instead, the running back and his teammates are focused on the task at hand. Right now, that is the Cowboys.
McCaffrey added, "I just feel so fortunate to come in when it was already established and be a part of something special. So hopefully, we can keep it up."
You can listen to the entire conversation with McCaffrey below.
