Jordan Mason's 147-yard night powers Christian McCaffrey-less 49ers to Monday night win

90 minutes or so before Monday's night's game there was a bit of a surprise in the Bay Area Christian mcaffrey the reigning apfl offensive player of the year was out and the unheralded Jordan Mason would get the start at running back for the San Francisco 49ers against the New York Jets Mason delivered again and again on Monday night battering the Bal Hood Jets defense to lead the 49ers to a dominant 32 to19 Victory in their season opener so obviously 49ers quarterback Brock pie said Christian is the best in the league at running back and what he does I'm not taking anything away from that but I think JP did a good job of coming in and filling his void and doing his job to allow other guys to get open and allow us to run our offense Mason carried the ball in eye popping 28 times for 147 yards and a 5yd touchdown in the third quarter that pushed San Francisco's lead to 23 to7 his 28 carries were the most for any back in Kyle Shanahan's time as 49ers head coach per NFL research when you get him the ball he breaks tackles usually gets more than we block for Shanahan said of Mason when he had the good Lanes he always hit them and got a bunch but JP was awesome today boasting power and shiftiness Mason was the Catalyst for a ners offensive attack that came back from a 7 to three first quarter deficit with 23 straight points on five consecutive drives to put the game Out Of Reach the only thing that tripped up Mason seemed to a postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters asked by Salters when he found out when he was starting Mason said Friday when did I find out maybe Friday Friday night something like that Mason said I was always prepared I mean we went through training camp I was rb1 in training camp so it's been preparing from there Friday was a day before mcaffrey was listed as questionable Shanahan subsequently told the media he never mentioned to Mason he was starting but underscored that he would be used in a much larger capacity than he had been before I never told Jordan he was going to start Shanahan said told him he had to be ready a bunch but it might have been running backs coach Bobby Turner or somebody trying to pump him up but I knew he was going to have to play a lot I told him that he was going to have to it wasn't going to be like usual it was going to be a number two back that was splitting a lot of the time but no he didn't know he was doing that for sure until today when it was Mason's turn at the podium some of the luster had clearly worn off his big game that question right there is why I'm mad that's why I don't really like really talking to Media because you say one thing wrong and then you know Mason said when asked to clarify again when he found out when he was starting I don't know just skip that question regardless of when he was told Mason kick started the 49ers on their first TD drive he carried the ball four straight times for gains of five six nine and 18 yards before the ladder was pushed back by a holding call two plays later Mason ran around the right end for a 17 yd score that was also nullified by a holding call nonetheless he had set a punishing tone that the Jets couldn't stand up to Shanahan said mcaffrey who was held out of each preseason game and training camp practices before returning last week didn't have a setback with his calf Achilles injury but that his calf was bothering him too much on Monday to play the issue comes and goes Shanahan added if cmc's ailment continues to be a problem the 49ers know they have an answer in Mason an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech Mason made his first career start on Monday night prior to the game the 25-year-old had career highs of 11 carries as a rookie in 2022 and 69 rushing yards last year in a laugher against the Dallas Cowboys he more than doubled each of those heading into Monday night Mason was the rb1 but heading into this season he was truthfully the rb3 behind mcaffrey and Elijah Mitchell Mitchell is out for the season just how much more of Mason is seen this season is likely dependent on cmc's health but Mason's confident he can take the physical toll of a starter's reps and carries it's all right Mason said of how he was feeling physically it's just the beginning shanahans found another back able to power his offense and then some even if it was for just one game Mason had quite a marvelous Monday to K KCK off the 49ers season