The San Francisco 49ers were completely outmatched by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. It was the 49ers' first game with Christian McCaffrey on the field following the blockbuster trade earlier in the week.
Many expected a big offense performance from the 49ers on Sunday. However, the team looked much the same as they did in a few of their upset losses earlier in the season. The 49ers just had a new, big-name player on the field for this one.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan understood the expectations but reminded everyone that one player won't change everything. “Bringing Christian here is definitely not the only thing we’re missing,” Shanahan said after the game.
“We have good players, I believe,” Shanahan continued. “And I believe we added another one. But we have to play better to take advantage of that.”
Article Continues BelowMcCaffrey played in a limited capacity against the Chiefs. The 49ers star had eight carries for 38 yards and added two catches for 24 yards on just 48 hours' notice.
Tight end George Kittle also threw water on the huge expectations surrounding McCaffrey's arrival in the Bay Area. Simply put, while he is a dynamic player, he is not the solution to all the 49ers' problems.
“He's not going to be the savior, but he's definitely going to help us out,” the 49ers tight end said. “I think these next two weeks are going to be huge for Christian to understand our offense and be comfortable out there not to think at all, just go out and run because that's what he's really good at.”
The 49ers will look to unleash McCaffrey over these next few weeks. They will start next week when they travel to Los Angeles for a huge divisional matchup against the Rams.