CMC sits somberly at the locker after crushing Week 12 loss to the 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – There’s plenty to criticize about the 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but Christian McCaffrey seemed to have it tougher than most.
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year was one of the first 49ers players to speak to the media after the game, but when he was done, instead of gathering his things and joining his teammates on the bus for their flight home, McCaffrey sat at his locker, silent.
McCaffrey didn’t speak to teammates or notice the hustle and bustle of a locker room after the game. The 28-year-old running back occasionally looked at his phone during the nearly 15 minutes he sat at his locker, but he seemed more preoccupied with his own thoughts than what was on the screen.
McCaffrey was held to just 31 yards on 11 carries, for an average of 2.8 yards. The All-Pro was involved in the passing game with three catches on four targets for 37 yards, but was also responsible for a fumble with just over 10 minutes remaining.
“I think it starts with each individual,” McCaffrey said when asked about the offense’s dismal performance. “I just have to get better.”
McCaffrey didn’t place any blame on backup quarterback Brandon Allen, who filled in for Brock Purdy as the starter struggled through a shoulder injury. Allen completed 17 of his 29 attempts for 199 yards and one touchdown with one interception.
“I thought he did a great job,” McCaffrey said of Allen. “We have to be better for him. I have to be better for him no matter who your quarterback is.
Despite his downbeat attitude after the game, McCaffrey believes there is still fight for the 49ers, who now have a 5-6 record, with their playoff hopes dwindling.
“There’s always an argument,” McCaffrey said. “It’s one game at a time. Every day you have to wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and get better, whether you win or lose. Speaking for me personally, that’s what I’m going to do.”
McCaffrey and the offense have just a week to figure out how to match up against a very successful Buffalo Bills team in Week 13, and getting the run game going is a great place to start.
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