Christian McCaffrey's TD streak ends, but so does 49ers' skid - ESPN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Based on how 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey stepped to the podium after Sunday's resounding win over the Jaguars, it would have been difficult to tell that he had just narrowly missed a chance to own the NFL record for consecutive games with a touchdown all to himself.

Instead, McCaffrey actually had some material ready for the inevitable questions that followed his 17-game touchdown streak ending on the same day as his team's three-game losing streak with a 34-3 victory against the Jaguars.

«I suck,» McCaffrey said, a smile creeping across his face. «Everyone else on the team scored. Except me.»

McCaffrey, of course, was joking, but the Niners didn't treat his touchdown streak as a laughing matter. Even with a big second-half lead, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan remained resolute in his efforts to get McCaffrey into the end zone for an 18th consecutive game so he could surpass Lenny Moore and own the record alone.

With a 31-point lead in the fourth quarter, Shanahan began removing some of his starters, including left tackle Trent Williams, who has been nursing a right ankle injury. He also took McCaffrey out for eight consecutive plays, seven of which were runs by backup Elijah Mitchell.

Once the Niners got to Jacksonville's 29, however, McCaffrey went back in. He ripped off a 19-yard run in which he almost shook loose for a touchdown, then got two more carries and two more passes thrown to him.

Alas, the final attempt from Jacksonville's 5 — a throw in the right flat from backup quarterback Sam Darnold on fourth-and-goal — fell incomplete and was short of the goal line anyway. The Niners got the ball back later, but didn't want to risk injury to McCaffrey any further.

«Eighteen games in a row is