49ers

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey shouldered 31 total touches for 142 total yards and a touchdown to lead the team to a Week 12 win over the Panthers. San Francisco QB Brock Purdy credited McCaffrey’s regimented workout routine as why he’s able to be their workhorse in both parts of the offense every week. 

“Just the way he trains and his preparation and understanding what he’s about to go through every single game, like that dude is on a routine and on a schedule better than anybody that I know,” Purdy said, via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon. “So, he’s able to carry that kind of workload and make the plays out of the backfield as a receiver and then run the ball hard and fight and scratch and claw for every yard. We have nothing but the utmost respect for that guy and what he does for our team and does it over and over again. Obviously, the numbers are great, but more than anything he’s a great example for all of us in the locker room.”

• According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the people he’s talked to believe the 49ers voided WR Brandon Aiyuk‘s guarantees because he did not show up for rehab appointments during the offseason. 
• Fowler adds Aiyuk is technically more tradable now that his $24.9 million option isn’t guaranteed, but the money is still on the books. The cleaner path, and what Aiyuk might be angling for, is to be released and be free to sign wherever he wants. 

Cardinals

Cardinals WR Michael Wilson has been rolling for Arizona, recording 25 receptions over the last two weeks. When asked if Wilson will continue getting a lot of looks when WR Marvin Harrison Jr. returns, HC Jonathan Gannon responded that Wilson deserves to keep getting chances. 

“Yeah. Throw it to the guys who are making plays for you. Absolutely. … with Marv being out, he has kind of taken over that role of the (No. 1) receiver, and he’s gotten open, and he’s caught it,” Gannon said, via CardsWire. 

As for their 27-24 overtime loss to the Jaguars in Week 12, Gannon feels the statistics show they should’ve won, but they failed to capitalize on several moments. 

“It’s tough because I feel like we played really hard as a team and when you win the turnover battle four to nothing like statistically you should win the football game. And so I feel like that was one of those one-off games where we just didn’t capitalize on some of those turnovers and we weren’t good in converting on certain field goals and not allowing our kicker to even attempt field goals. But yeah, it was a tough game. Just kind of one of those where you kind of look back and it was like, “Damn, I don’t know how we lost that.” But I feel like we’ve had a few of those this year.”

Regarding Jacoby Brissett stepping into the starting role, Gannon has been impressed by the quarterback’s communication with him. 

“He’s just a phenomenal person, phenomenal player. Really easy to play with. Just his communication; like he just sends me so many clips. I kid you not. The game last week against the Niners, the catch that put me over 100 yards when I caught the corner over Deommodore (Lenoir), he sent me that clip because a team had run that route or had run a far cross. So they’re running across the field and Deommodore had tried to slice it and he’s like, “Hey I see if we call this play, I see them trying to slice it, so just trust that you’re going to beat him over the top.” And he sent me that with the voiceover. Like I could show you the text right now. And it played out exactly like that. And he does that continuously throughout the week.”

• Cardinals DT Walter Nolen will be out this week due to a knee injury. (Urban)

Seahawks

Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald has complimented the way running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet have performed. Walker has recently been seeing an uptick in carries, but Macdonald says Charbonnet is still a big part of the offense.

“He was decisive running the football on his tracks and making fast decisions, which is great,” Macdonald said of Walker, via Michael Shawn-Dugar of The Athletic. “Got us out of a couple of tough situations. Then I felt him in the pass game. When Sam (Darnold) got later on in his progressions, finding Ken late in the down created a couple explosives for us — and Zach, for that matter. We’ve got to keep doing that, finding (Walker) in the pass game and keep the running game going. But I’ll tell you what, when Zach was in there, he made some big-time runs for us.”

• Macdonald also had high praise for the defense: “I think our pressure execution right now is probably the best it’s been in the last two years. And there’s some really great stuff going on communication-wise, and making sure everybody’s on the same page.” (Crabtree)
• Per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, there’s optimism Seahawks S Ty Okada avoided an injured reserve stint for his oblique injury suffered in Week 12, but he may miss some time.