SANTA CLARA — Jordan Mason stepped onto the field at Levi’s Stadium Monday night with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he seemed as unfazed by the onslaught of New York Jets defenders trying to tackle the 49ers running back.
With NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey sidelined with a calf injury, Mason sent a powerful message in front of a national crowd, rushing 28 times for a career-high 147 yards in San Francisco’s dominant 32-19 win over New York.
After Monday’s win, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praised Mason not only for his gaudy box score statistics, but also for his ability to seamlessly step in for a valuable player like McCaffrey and keep San Francisco’s offense running.
“Christian does a good job in the passing game, either dropping back and going to him as your first option or going when you know he’s your last option and there’s a very good chance he’s going to be open,” Purdy said. “But with JP, I thought JP did a good job and was able to hit him on checkdowns on third downs and stuff and he did the same thing that Christian did.”
“Christian is obviously the best running back in the league. I’m not going to take that away from him. But I thought it was good that JP came in and filled in for him and did his job to allow other guys to get open and run the offense.”
Mason not only kept San Francisco going, he was the linchpin of the offense on a night when the 49ers subdued the Jets with a relentless ground attack that totaled 180 yards rushing as a team.
Mason’s debut may have surprised viewers across the country, but the third-year running back’s teammates were not the least bit surprised that he was so impressive.
“It’s not a surprise to me with the way he’s trained in camp and how hard he’s run,” wide receiver Deebo Samuel said after Monday’s win. “He’s going to break tackles. That’s just the standard for our team. He came in here and had a great day.”
The “next man up” mentality is deeply ingrained in what it means to be a part of the 49ers, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings echoed that sentiment in the locker room shortly after Mason’s performance.
“JP gave it his all,” Coach Jennings said, “and it just goes to show how much we expect our next guy to put in the work just as well as the first guy.”
It’s a philosophy that’s easier said than done, especially when the player you’re replacing finished third in NFL MVP voting last season. One advantage that worked in Mason’s favor was that he spent the majority of training camp as San Francisco’s No. 1 back and earned the trust of his veteran teammates with his consistent, day-to-day play.
“I’m not surprised, I’m not surprised,” wide receiver Chris Conley said. “I’ve seen him work the last couple weeks. Once camp started, I don’t remember if I said it to Brock or Deebo, but from the first day he came to practice, he looked different to me.”
“The way he ran the ball was different, the focus was different, the determination was different. I’m happy for him, but I don’t think anybody in this locker room is surprised.”
Left guard Aaron Banks wasn’t surprised, but he predicted Mason’s performance before Monday’s kickoff.
“Personally, I knew if he got the opportunity, he was going to take advantage. I had a hunch he was going to go for 100 or more today,” Banks said. “I think I told Jake (Brendel) ‘Mason is going to go for 100 tonight.’ Maybe 140? I’m excited to see him.”
“He’s strong. He’s powerful, he’s explosive, he’s very downhill and you’ve got to tackle him. You’ve got to really tackle him.”
The Jets defense couldn’t do that on Monday night, paving the way for Mason to become an overnight celebrity with a primetime performance that won’t soon be forgotten.
It’s unclear when McCaffrey will return to his role as the 49ers’ primary back, but Monday’s impressive performance cemented one thing.
Mason shouldn’t be viewed as a reserve, but rather as a complementary player who can dramatically improve San Francisco’s offense as they look to return to the Super Bowl this season.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
