Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball after a catch during the third quarter in the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Dec. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Niners star running back Christian McCaffrey joined Peyton and Eli Manning on their eponymous alternate broadcast of “Monday Night Football.” As the Eagles got set on their 20-yard line, McCaffrey essentially called out the play they were about to run against the Seattle Seahawks.
“Jalen Hurts is running a QB draw to the left, the tight end’s gonna pull — tight end’s deep so he’s sifting backside,” the running back announced.
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Just as predicted, Philly ran a draw play. Although Hurts didn’t go to the left, the rest of the callouts — the play itself, the tight end’s pull block and even Hurts sifting — came true, leaving the older Manning brother in awe.
“Ooh, look at that, look at that,” Manning said. “That’s a pretty good prediction.”
McCaffrey wasn’t the only one prepared for the play, as the Seahawks stopped the third-down call for a gain of just 2 yards, well short of the first down marker. Seattle perhaps could have used the running back’s guidance on the following play, as Philly converted the fourth-and-four one play later.
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Since their 42-19 loss to the Niners, the Eagles have extended their losing streak to three and gave up the No. 1 seed in the NFC to the Niners in the process. There have been many questions about what exactly the team needs to address to deal with this rough stretch. Their own quarterback thinks it’s issues with “commitment.” McCaffrey unintentionally offered a more direct answer: Players can sometimes see what’s coming before it happens.