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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey had gone three and a half months without a fumble. Unfortunately for him, that stream came to an end at the worst possible time.
McCaffrey made an uncharacteristic mistake on the 49ers’ first drive in Super Bowl 58, losing a fumble just five plays into the game. Before the play, the 49ers had snagged all the momentum out of the gate, gaining 46 yards on four plays.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s kickoff went into the end zone, meaning 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and the offense were set up to go to work at their own 25-yard-line.
McCaffrey opened things up with a 6-yard gain, followed by an 18-yard pass from Purdy to fullback Kyle Juszczyk with his first pass of the game for an 18-yard first down.
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Purdy, who has been perfect to this point through the air, found McCaffrey again for an 11-yarder to advance to the Chiefs’ 30-yard-line.
That’s when it got ugly.
Patrick Star on the Christian McCaffrey fumble:
“You have to firmly grasp it.”@Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/kGpUwTV8xX
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 11, 2024
Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal forced McCaffrey to fumble, and George Karlaftis recovered to put Patrick Mahomes and company at their own 27-yard-line at the 12:15 mark of the first quarter.
Fortunately for the 49ers, McCaffrey’s fumble proved no harm, no foul as the Chiefs also did not score on their first offensive possession of the game.
That marked the end of a streak for the Chiefs, who had preciously scored of the opening drive of their past eight consecutive postseason games.
For McCaffrey, the fumble marked only the third time this season he put the ball on the ground. It was McCaffrey’s first fumble since Week 7, when he lost a fumble against the Vikings. He’s been solid with ball security for the better part of his career, fumbling 12 times in six NFL seasons.
He’ll look to continue redeeming himself in a game that’s been scoreless through the first quarter. McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing this season, totaling 1,459 yards on the ground.