INGLEWOOD -- Christian McCaffrey showed he can do it all in the 49ers' 31-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, but interestingly, it didn’t all go exactly as planned.
Early in the second quarter, Jimmy Garoppolo threw a backwards pass to McCaffrey, who then threw a 34-yard bomb to Brandon Aiyuk, who was crossing to the right side of the end zone.
After the game, Aiyuk said that the play wasn't meant to be called that far from the end zone, but he was ready when coach Kyle Shanahan called the play.
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“We actually just put it in Friday,” Aiyuk said. “It was actually a red zone play, I’m not really sure how far it was. I think it was more like 30. It was more of a tighter red zone play, but we worked it for a day.
“In the meeting Kyle said, ‘Christian, can you throw?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ And then he showed it out there today. It was a great ball.”
Aiyuk had a standout game, catching all six of his targets for 81 yards and the touchdown from McCaffrey. The wideout was impressed by his teammate’s passing ability.
“It was perfect ball,” Aiyuk said. “The look that we had was a little different, but he put enough air on it for me to be able to turn around, and still find it.”
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Aiyuk has liked what he has seen from his new teammate, who completed his 10th day with the 49ers by achieving the triple crown of football -- receiving, passing and rushing touchdowns all in one game. McCaffrey’s presence on the field has given the offense a jolt that Aiyuk believes they needed.
Now the 49ers can go into their bye week with growing confidence before beginning the second half of the season.
“It’s huge,” Aiyuk said. ‘We talked all week how big it was coming down here getting even, getting a break, giving guys a chance to get healthy and hit the next half.”
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McCaffrey dominating all over the field was a key component of the 49ers' offense, but Aiyuk also shared that another big reason for the team’s success at SoFi Stadium was playing a cleaner game than they did in their Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
All facets of the game coming together will lead to success for the 49ers. As far as what McCaffrey is like off the field, Aiyuk said that the running back isn’t as serious as he is in the public eye.
“We are starting to get to know him a little bit,” Aiyuk said. “I had the chance to eat dinner with him and get to know him a little better. Cool guy, humble guy, funny guy. He works hard, runs hard, plays hard, so he fits in just fine in this locker room.”