Jordan Mason is doing a good job stepping into Christian McCaffrey’s shoes. The rusher has been with the team since 2022 but is only now getting to show off his talents as McCaffrey recovers from Achilles tendonitis.
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Mason carried the ball 105 times in five matches this season, amassing 536 yards and 3 TDs, with a healthy average of 5.1 yards per carry. Currently, he is averaging 107 yards per game while also adding 66 receiving yards to his total.
CMC was placed on injured reserve due to a calf strain and Achilles issues. While the calf injury was initially mild, his Achilles concern soon developed into tendonitis. Initially, the problem affected only one leg, but after Week 4, reports revealed that McCaffrey was dealing with Achilles tendonitis in both legs.
Although he has returned to practice for light rehab workouts, he isn’t expected to make a full return until November.
However, Mason has made sure that the former Panther’s absence didn’t hamper the Niners ground game. They still rank 7th in rushing, averaging a healthy 144 yards per game.
However, McCaffrey’s absence has significantly impacted their red zone offense. Their conversion rate went down from 68% last season to 41% this season, placing them at the bottom of the pile.
Against the Seahawks, Mason is proving that he can take his game to the next level. He displayed his durability and toughness by breaking 17 tackles in a single play, an NFL record. Speaking of Seattle, they have a major task on their hands stopping him if they want to win this ball game.
While their defense will be busy dealing with Jordan, their offense needs to find a way to jump-start their own run game, which has been up to par so far.
The Seahawks RBs failed to show up last week
Seattle has heavily relied on their passing game, led by resurgent Geno Smith. He has been firing all cylinders, which has made their run game suffer. Against the Giants, they had 102 yards on the ground, 72 of those yards belonged to Smith. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet carried the ball combined seven times for merely 30 yards.
As per Fox Sports, their ground game is averaging just 105 yards per match. However, they do have 8 TDs on the ground, something that the Niners haven’t been able to accomplish.
Walker has only 187 yards this season to go with his 4 TDs, while Charbonnet has 163 along with three TDs. Meanwhile, Smith has carried the ball 20 times for 146 yards, carrying their ground game too.
The Seahawks are finally in luck as the 49ers are giving up not only 110 yards on the ground but also missed 43 tackles this season. On the other hand, Jordan Mason will also relish the opportunity to run against Seattle’s defense, which is currently 20th in stopping the run, giving up 128 yards on the ground.
Since both teams have kept a great passing game, it will be the run game that decides who comes out as winners. The Niners are currently leading the home team in the 2nd quarter by 13-0.
