SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- With just under seven minutes left in a Week 11 victory against the Arizona Cardinals , San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey sprinted wide left and 2 yards off the line of scrimmage before the snap.

The motion left McCaffrey isolated against Cardinals cornerback Max Melton , a running back versus cornerback matchup that under normal circumstances, would mean the ball was headed elsewhere. That's especially true on third-and-15 with the Niners leading by 19.

At the snap, McCaffrey quickly ate up the 9-yard cushion Melton provided. By the time McCaffrey stopped abruptly at the 23, he had discardedMelton with a little bit of contact and worked back to the 24 as quarterback Brock Purdy had already let it fly. McCaffrey stopped, gathered and

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