Fred Warner needed a half to prove he was the best

SANTA CLARA – The Niners needed a game like this.

After two straight losses – a dud and a stranglehold – San Francisco was playing against a completely inferior team in the New England Patriots.

The Niners have managed to dial back a little (just a little) of the hype they've squandered over the last two weeks.

The lack of talent allowed the 49ers to play around (quite a bit) but still win comfortably. They are now 2-2 this season, which seems justified.

Here are the key stats from Sunday's sloppy, clunky and altogether forgettable 30-13 win:

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Fred Warner • LB

» Is anyone currently playing as well as Fred Warner at any position?

Not to my eye.

The Niners linebacker is the best run stopper in the game. He is also the best coverage linebacker in the sport, which he put into practice with his 45-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half.

Warner only needed the first half to prove he was the best defensive player in the game. His ankle injury forced him to sit out the second half, although it took several 49ers personnel to keep him off the field.

If his injury keeps him sidelined for more than a half, the Niners are in big, big trouble.

George Kittle • TE

» capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive to cap the second quarter. More importantly, he scored on a drive that saw the Niners take two more touchdowns off the board via penalty (one of them by Kittle – it was a bad call).

Kittle's powerful catch over three Patriots defenders in the back left corner of the end zone was the deciding factor. He remains a player the 49ers simply can't live without, as evidenced by the fact that the Niners used him in the second half even though he had a rib injury.

Kevin Givens • DT

» Had 2.5 sacks in the first half after having a career-high 5.5 sacks entering the game. It helps to go up against one of the worst offensive lines in recent NFL history, but it was an extremely encouraging performance with starting defensive tackle Javon Hargrave going on injured reserve. Givens gets the right of first refusal on Hargrave's appearance, alongside Maliek Collins (who was also huge with 1.5 sacks on Sunday).

Jordan Mason • RB

» It took a while to get going, but once the train rolled over the tracks there was no stopping it. Mason finished the game with 24 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown. His second-half chunk runs (25 and 24 yards) put an end to any outlandish idea of a Patriots comeback.

Nick Bosa • DE

» I don't care what the statistics sheet said afterwards. He is unreal. Everything the Niners did with the pass rush directly resulted in him winning rep after rep.

Sam Okuayinonu • DE

» The guy they signed down the road is much, much better than the defense they paid $20 million for last offseason (Floyd). It's strange how often this happens with the Niners.

📉 DUDS

Isaac Guerendo • RB, KR

» Not only does he look so much slower than his overall test scores (and practice game) would suggest, but he also fumbled the first kickoff of the second half, setting up the Patriots' first (and only) touchdown of the game.

He's a newbie, you want to give him some grace, but I doubt we'll be seeing him for a while.

De'Vondre Campbell • LB

» Even the Patriots could attack and exploit him. Without Warner's otherworldly acting, this would be much more obvious to casual viewers. But those fixated on the Niners are fixated on No. 59 because it just keeps getting worse. But you can bet that opposing offensive coordinators know exactly where they're attacking week in and week out. Other teams will be able to do even better.

Leonard Floyd • DE

» Another game, another no-show. Floyd already looks like a bust for the 49ers, but they have so many injuries on the defensive line that they have to play him.

Floyd was credited with three quarterback hits and one forced fumble in that game. The official scorer must have observed something else. While Floyd was a little more involved in the second half, he didn't play a role in the contest.

Mitch Wishnowsky • P

» He doesn't look right. Most of his punts on Sunday had no lift or distance – they are certainly returnable. Amidst all of the Niners' terrible special teams play, this is a ticking time bomb.

Kyle Shanahan in the red zone

» The Niners scored field goals of 22 and 26 yards on Sunday.

That's embarrassing.

It's also a disgrace to Kyle Shanahan's play near the end zone.

The 49ers did score a touchdown deep in Patriots territory in the first half, but it came on a jump ball from Brock Purdy to Kittle.

The game was over before halftime, so it doesn't really matter what happened in the second half. (As proven by Warner not playing.)

This is where Christian McCaffrey's absence is greatest. Teams love playing man-to-man near the end zone – there's less ground to cover and it allows them to blitz more. McCaffrey, a mismatch for whatever position he was assigned, neutralized so much of it.

Without him – and without Deebo Samuel in the backfield – the Niners' style of play is boring and anything but concise.

Just like before McCaffrey.

Originally published: September 29, 2024 at 4:31 p.m

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