SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan insinuated he needed Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons to be a giant evening for operating again Christian McCaffrey.

On Saturday, Shanahan challenged his workforce to get 40 carries in opposition to the Falcons, a quantity that might signify the Niners managed the road of scrimmage and handed the ball to McCaffrey early and sometimes.

Tight finish George Kittle, making his return from a proper hamstring damage that induced him to overlook 5 video games, was much less refined.

“Each Saturday evening, our tight finish coach [Brian] Fleury desires all of the tight ends to stand up in entrance of the room and set a purpose,” Kittle stated. “Wherever from dominate the perimeters, tight finish landing, no matter objectives. And my purpose this week was CMC [to be] NFC Participant of the Week. And if I truly known as that, that may be the perfect guess of all time.”

After the 49ers had put the ending touches on a 20-10 win to enhance to 5-2, Kittle’s purpose regarded exceedingly practical. McCaffrey, who has remained the focus of the Niners’ offense regardless of the unit’s damage woes, had his best efficiency in a season stuffed with them.

By the point McCaffrey was by, he had posted a season-high 129 dashing yards on 24 carries with 2 dashing touchdowns. He additionally led the Niners in receiving with seven catches for 72 yards, together with a 17-yard seize on third-and-13 earlier than his game-sealing 4-yard landing run.

His 201 scrimmage yards had been essentially the most by McCaffrey as a Niner and accounted for 62% of the workforce’s yards from scrimmage, the best proportion for any participant in a sport this season. And although the 49ers completed one shy of Shanahan’s purpose of 40 carries, they gathered a season-high 174 dashing yards on 39 makes an attempt, a median of 4.5 yards per carry, additionally a season excessive.

McCaffrey continued to etch his identify within the franchise and league file books for all-purpose manufacturing.

By means of Sunday evening’s video games, McCaffrey leads the NFL in scrimmage yards (981), and his six complete touchdowns is tied for fourth most. Regardless of the run sport struggling mightily by the primary six video games, McCaffrey is on tempo to have over 1,000 yards every dashing and receiving, and, at his present charge, he would surpass the NFL file of 1,097 receiving yards by a operating again in a season with room to spare.

“He’s big,” Shanahan stated. “He’s essentially the most constant participant I’ve been round. He simply permits you to keep on observe. He will get each yard within the run sport and extra and what he does within the go sport … it’s uncommon that you simply’re going to throw a ball to him and never get a completion.”

After one other do-it-all efficiency, McCaffrey shortly credited his teammates. It was no coincidence that the 49ers’ run sport took off upon Kittle’s return. McCaffrey had 20 rushes for 126 yards and a couple of touchdowns when Kittle was on the sector, in contrast with 4 rushes for 3 yards when he was not.

Though Kittle’s streak of 114 video games with a reception ended, his presence was felt not solely as a blocker within the run sport however within the consideration he drew from defenders. On the third-and-13 completion to assist seal the win, 49ers quarterback Mac Jones stated he noticed a number of Falcons cowl Kittle, leaving McCaffrey one-on-one for the straightforward first down.

“It’s a distinct ballgame when he’s in there,” McCaffrey stated. “Even when he doesn’t have a giant statistical sport, the eye that he attracts opens a lot up … If you’ve received guys like that on the sector, simply their presence alone strikes plenty of concern in coordinators and so you must preserve eyes on them.”

Kittle’s return wasn’t the one emotional pick-me-up for the 49ers. After shedding star linebacker Fred Warner (proper ankle surgical procedure) for the season, the Niners spent the week answering questions on how the protection would fare with out Warner (and star defensive finish Nick Bosa, who suffered a torn proper ACL in Week 3).

Niners linebacker Dee Winters arrived on the sport carrying Warner’s No. 54 jersey, a number of gamers warmed up carrying a shirt with Warner’s face on it, and Warner acquired a loud ovation pregame when he made his means onto the sector with the assistance of a scooter. Through the sport, Warner was proven holding his younger son in a set and it drew cheers so loud that Kittle joked the Niners’ offense virtually needed to go to a silent depend on that play.

Maybe no person was extra impressed by Warner’s absence than his alternative, second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune. Bethune stated he cried earlier than the sport, not simply because Warner was out, however for the possibility to show to doubters that the 49ers’ protection can nonetheless decelerate opponents.

For the second week in a row, Bethune completed with 10 tackles, main a Niners protection that held Atlanta to 292 yards on 4.9 yards per play, together with a season-low 62 dashing yards.

“I noticed all of it and as a protection we didn’t speak about it, however I felt a sure means about it,” Bethune stated. “I used to be emotional earlier than the sport. … It’s unlucky that Fred received damage, however it’s additionally a chance for me to have the ability to develop and get higher whereas I can earlier than he will get again.”