Mike Martz -- the man who once coached Marshall Faulk -- tells TMZ Sports Christian McCaffrey looks EXACTLY like the Rams Hall of Famer ... saying the new 49ers star is so good, he now expects SF to win the NFC West.
The former head coach of Faulk's St. Louis Rams broke it all down for us just a day after McCaffrey had a historic game against L.A. ... and it's safe to say he was blown away by what he saw.
Martz told us he couldn't help but see shades of Faulk when he watched the 26-year-old carve up the Rams for three TDs -- one rushing, one passing and one receiving -- and says he thinks the Niners are going to be the team to beat in their division going forward because of the tailback.