Coming off a grind-it-out 20-9 win over the Panthers, Christian McCaffrey sounded less interested in box-score glory and more in the people around him. After piling up 24 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown plus seven catches for 53 yards, the San Francisco 49ers star called this “one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been a part of,” praising the character that has held the team together through injuries and uneven quarterback play.

The numbers from Monday night underline just how central he is to that identity. According to Next Gen Stats, McCaffrey forced 11 missed tackles against Carolina, tied for the fifth-most by any player in a game this season.

He now leads the league with 83 missed tackles forced on the year, only 10 shy of the personal career high of 93 he set in 2023,

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