SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey’s streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown prompted him to learn more about the man with whom he shares the record.
Lenny Moore broke into the NFL with the Baltimore Colts in 1956. He was ahead of his time. He was a unique talent for his ability to run the ball out of the backfield and line up at flanker, too.
Moore set the NFL record with 17 consecutive games (including postseason) with at least one touchdown.
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He remained alone atop the list for nearly 60 years until McCaffrey came along and tied the mark in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While the 49ers’ 34-3 victory on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars was a good day for the offense, McCaffrey’s streak came to an end and he now shares the record with Moore.
With his name forever linked with Moore, McCaffrey said he was able to do some research into the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“That was a huge honor for me because I had gone back and looked at — not only his statistics but the film,” McCaffrey said Wednesday. “He is a special player, a special back, somebody who did a lot off the field as well.
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“Just to have my name mentioned with his name means a lot to me because he’s a legend and, obviously, wears a gold jacket. Yeah, that’s an honor.”
Moore, who turns 90 on Nov. 25, was a seven-time Pro Bowl player and five-time All-Pro selection in his 12 NFL seasons — all with the Colts. He gained 5,174 yards and 63 touchdowns on the ground while catching 363 passes for 6,039 yards and 48 touchdowns.
With Sunday’s game firmly in hand, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan provided McCaffrey with an opportunity to keep his streak going.
The fact McCaffrey had three consecutive touches inside the 10-yard line in the closing four minutes — while a debatable decision — was something McCaffrey felt reflects well on his head coach.
“That’s pretty cool of your coach to do that,” McCaffrey said. “So I know I was very appreciative. He didn’t have to do that. A lot of people would probably tell him not to, but the fact that he did means a whole lot to me. I appreciate him a lot for that.”