The Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Fransisco 49ers in a 2020 Super Bowl rematch. But the 49ers may have a new running back in the backfield. Will Christian McCaffrey play Sunday?
49ers New Addition
The 49ers made a large splash trade during the Thursday Night Football game last night, by adding running back Christian McCaffrey to the team. Will Christian McCaffrey play Sunday? Well it is currently unknown if the star running back will play a significant role on Sunday.
Kyle Shanahan’s offense has gained its reputation of not needing a star running back to run the ball. Well, that does not matter much now as McCaffrey is arguably the best back in the league while healthy.
With this trade, it is obvious that the 49ers are going all in this season as the NFC has few top teams. San Fransisco is now looking to make a statement versus Kansas City.
How does this affect the Chiefs?
Although we might not see much of McCaffrey this Sunday, he may be used as a distraction in some packages. Shanahan is one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, he will find a way to use him even if he doesn’t know the playbook yet.
We have seen in the past with trades like this that when the players haven’t learned the playbook, coaches will throw them out there to just put something else in the defense’s mind. If we see McCaffrey used like this on Sunday, the Chiefs will have no choice but to say attention to him.
But most likely, the former Panther will see some spot plays, especially in the run game or maybe even some screens. It shouldn’t be too difficult to adjust to the new run game, but it might take some time to see his impact through the air.
Certainly, the Chiefs’ defense will be on the lookout for McCaffrey. This move can end up hurting the Chiefs as they did not prepare for the shifty running back this week, and he is now the top playmaker on San Fran’s offense.
On the other side of the football, the 49ers’ defense is still banged up. A total of six defensive starters are currently listed as questionable. That is not a good thing when matching up against the Chiefs’ offense.
Patrick Mahomes and company are looking to rebound after a hard emotional loss against Buffalo. Look for this offense to light up the score board against this depleted defense. With the 49ers new addition, the Chiefs may want to put this game away early.
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