Ugly 49ers First Half Sets Up Disturbingly Human Christian McCaffrey Outing

What They're Saying

HC Kyle Shanahan: "They kicked our ass. And we've got to take it like men and come back, hopefully a little pissed off, and play better next week than we did this week. ... There's not much to sugarcoat. I was real disappointed in how we looked for all four quarters."

FB Kyle Juszyzck: "Not a lot of opportunities. And when we did have opportunities, we didn't take advantage of them."

RT Colton McKivitz: "We ended up being on the sideline for two-thirds of the game. It's frustrating when it's three-and-out after three-and-out, you don't get any rhythm."

QB Mac Jones: "I thought they were the best defense in the NFL. They've played together for a long time. They've got two great defensive ends and really good inside guys, too."

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

OK, that's probably enough voices to get the point across.

San Francisco spent just 44 plays on offense, compared with 75 for the Texans. (The NFL average this season stands at 61.1 plays per game.)

The first half proved even worse, with San Francisco managing just 14 plays to Houston's 45. McCaffrey managed just two total touches before halftime (both carries). With that context, it's almost miraculous he wound up getting to 11 touches for the game.

The positives?

1. McCaffrey tied TE George Kittle for the team lead in pass routes.
2. Houston's not in his division. So the Niners don't have to play the Texans again.

McCaffrey holders, let's dust ourselves off and get back to appreciating how much he has done for our teams every other week.

And feel free to start dreaming about that Week 9 date with the Giants.