Jordan James — Week 2: Four Carries, All in the Fourth
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 21
James carried 4 times for 15 yards and one first down, all in the final seven minutes with Mac Jones at quarterback and San Francisco ahead by at least 22. Christian McCaffrey had 10 carries and Kaelon Black 7; it is James's first line in a 2026 box score, in a 35–13 win over the Dolphins.
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35 to six, 49ers, six 56 left in the fourth quarter, first and 10 at the San Francisco 36, Mac Jones in at quarterback. Jordan James went behind the right guard for two, then off left tackle for two more. Those were his first carries of the season. After Miami's late touchdown he got two more: eight up the middle on first and 10 with two 25 left, and three on second and two at the two-minute warning for a first down. Jones knelt twice and the game ended.
The line: four carries, 15 yards, one first down, one of the four successful, −2.1 expected points — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, and a short run while sitting on a lead of three scores or more is worth little by that measure. No targets. His name is on no other play.
The split: Christian McCaffrey 10 designed runs for 23 yards and two touchdowns, Kaelon Black seven for 25, James four for 15, Deebo Samuel one for four. Black's work started in the first quarter, two carries on the opening touchdown drive, and he also carried on James's first series, six yards on third and 16. All 10 of McCaffrey's carries came in the first three quarters.
Back in June the preview called James a watchlist with the situation as the entire case: a fifth-round pick a year ago whose rookie season was lost to a knee injury and a broken finger, now in a camp race with the rookie Black for the job behind McCaffrey — win it and he is a valuable handcuff, lose it and the pick is dead weight. There was no Week 1 episode to update, because he had no line in that box score, on a night Black carried 14 times. Sunday Black had seven carries, some of them while the game was still close, and James had four with the result decided. Two games point the same way on the order behind McCaffrey. They are still only two games. San Francisco is home to the Cardinals on Sunday the 20-seventh.
_Data via nflverse._
When Jordan James's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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