The San Francisco 49ers didn’t miss a beat in their season debut despite Christian McCaffrey being a late scratch. After the superstar running back was ruled out due to a calf strain that has lingered throughout the preseason, the Niners handily defeated the New York Jets 32-19. Backup running back Jordan Mason played a huge role in the victory.

Mason filled in admirably for CMC, totaling 147 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 28 carries. San Fran moved the ball and kept New York's defense on its heels through Mason. But after the game, he disclosed something that may get him and/or his team in some hot water.

When asked right after the game by ESPN's Lisa Salters when he was told he would start, Mason said Friday. The response raised some eyebrows since McCaffrey wasn’t ruled out until moments before the game. When asked again in a postgame press conference, Mason sidestepped the question, which he said made him mad.

Kyle Shanahan denied that he informed Mason that he would start. The 49ers head coach insisted that Mason was instead told that he would have to play a lot given McCaffrey's uncertain status. CMC was listed as questionable on the injury report, so his absence wasn’t too much of a shocker.

49ers dismantle Jets without Christian McCaffrey

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Whether the Niners specifically told Jordan Mason he would start days before the game or not, the team should feel great about how the offense looked without its top player.

The 49ers left plenty of scoring opportunities on the board throughout the game to the Jets but still managed to move the ball with ease. The defense stifled Aaron Rodgers and company, holding them to three-and-outs or turnovers on five of their first six drives (which doesn’t include the end of the first half, when the Jets had almost no time left). New York managed a touchdown drive in garbage time with the backups in.

The 49ers will surely hope that McCaffrey can bounce back next week when they face the Minnesota Vikings. But if he has to remain sidelined, they also surely feel good about how Mason can do with a big workload.