Christian McCaffrey — Week 2: Two Touchdowns From the One
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 21
McCaffrey scored twice on 1-yard runs and caught all 4 of his targets for 43 yards and four first downs, including 16 yards on third and 5 to the Miami 1 to set up the first score. His 10 carries gained 23 yards with a long of 5; Kaelon Black carried 7 times, in a 35–13 win over the Dolphins.
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Nothing to nothing, five 33 left in the first quarter, third and five at the Miami 17. Brock Purdy threw short middle to Christian McCaffrey, who took it 16 yards to the one. +2.4 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and 4.8 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. He was stopped for no gain on first and goal and went behind the right guard for the touchdown on second, four 20 left. Earlier on the same drive his 11-yard catch on second and 10 was worth 6.2 points of win probability, the largest gain on any 49ers pass or run of the day. The second touchdown was one yard up the middle with three 13 left in the third quarter, one snap after Mike Evans was pushed out at the one, for 35 to six.
The line: 10 carries, 23 yards, two touchdowns, two first downs — the two scores — four of the 10 successful, −0.6 expected points on the carries; four targets, four catches, 43 yards, four first downs, +5.5 on the targets. The carries went four, one, nothing, one, five, two, five, three, one, one. Six before halftime for 13, four after for 10. Four of the 10 came inside the Miami five: nothing, the touchdown, two, the touchdown. The catches were 11, 16, eight and eight; two came on third down and both converted, the second on third and four early in the fourth quarter, his last touch. 11 air yards, 32 after the catch.
The split: McCaffrey 10 designed runs, Kaelon Black seven, Jordan James four — all four in the fourth quarter with Mac Jones at quarterback — and Deebo Samuel one. Four targets tied him with George Kittle and Samuel for the team lead on 22 Purdy throws.
Back in June the preview's case was one line: the aging fade is real, his rushing efficiency a year ago was poor, he clears both, and the catches are the bet. Week 1 ran the other way — 10 carries for 68, eight targets for 20 yards at −4.9 expected points, and 14 carries for Black — and the episode asked whether 14-10 was a plan or a Thursday. Sunday it was 10 seven the other direction, the carries went nowhere outside the goal line, and the catches were the best part of his day. That is the preview's shape, one week after its opposite. Two games, 20 carries for 91 yards, 12 targets for 63, and the same 10 carries both times. San Francisco is home to the Cardinals on Sunday the 20-seventh.
_Data via nflverse._
When Christian McCaffrey's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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