Why didn’t Christian McCaffrey practice during the 49ers’ bye week? Will he return against the Packers?

San Francisco 49ers secured top seed in NFC, giving them a bye week ahead of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

That week off could prove hugely significant for Kyle Shanahan’s team, who are expected to welcome back Christian McCaffrey for the visit of the Green Bay Packers.

The 27-year-old running back was absent from team practice last week as he recovered from a calf injury picked up in their final regular season outing against the Los Angeles Rams. Last week Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey would miss practice but was expected to be back in time for the Packers clash.

The 49ers head coach also confirmed that Ambry Thomas, Arik Armstead, Ji’Ayir Brown and Jauan Jennings should all be back in contention for next Saturday’s game.

49ers favorites against surprise Packers

The story of the Wild Card round was a sensational victory for the Green Bay Packers over the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys had topped NFC East and ended the regular season with a 12-5 record but they were undone by a stunning first-half surge from the Packers.

The Packers had a modest 10-8 record in the regular season but ran up a 27-point first half lead against the No. 2 seed. Their final tally of 48 points was the most that the Cowboys have ever conceded in a post-season fixture.

After the game Packers quarter-back Jordan Love revealed that they had hoped to take the Cowboys by surprise with a front-foot performance at AT&T Stadium.

“We came in here with a mindset of we’re going to dominate,” Love told reporters after the game. “A lot of people were counting us out and we didn’t care about that.”

The 49ers will be heavy favorites at Levi’s Stadium but there is a new-found belief in this Green Bay team. The Packers’ win made them the first No. 7 seed in NFL history to win a playoff game. They now take on the No. 1 NFC seed on Saturday evening brimming with confidence after a statement victory.