Recap: Christian McCaffrey dazzles for 49ers in 31-14 win over Rams

A little over a week ago, the San Francisco 49ers went the extra mile to acquire Christian McCaffrey, putting together a package of draft picks that caused the Carolina Panthers to send the star running back to the Bay Area instead of trading him to the Los Angeles Rams. On Sunday, McCaffrey put together a performance that made the Rams regret they weren’t able to strike a deal.

McCaffrey did it all for the 49ers on Sunday in a 31-14 win over the Rams, becoming the first NFL player since LaDanian Tomlinson in 2005 to run for a touchdown, catch a touchdown and throw for a touchdown in the same game. McCaffrey finished with 94 yards rushing on 18 carries and eight catches for 55 yards.

49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo chipped in with a standout performance, finishing with 235 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-25 passing. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford finished with 187 yards on 22-of-33 passing with one touchdown, while the 49ers defense stood strong in the second half after giving up 14 first half points.

First Half

The teams exchanged punts to start the game, as the Rams opened with a three-and-out before the 49ers moved their opening drive into Rams’ territory before punting to the Rams’ 12-yard line. The Rams then got on the board first, moving 88 yards on plays on their second possession to take a 7-0 lead on 17-play drive that culminated with a third-down touchdown run by Stafford with nine seconds left in the first quarter. It was a drive to forget for the 49ers’ defense, which gave up a first down on a 3rd-and-9 earlier in the drive before committing two costly defensive penalties inside the 10-yard line.