The 49ers keep surviving Sundays, but the injury ledger keeps growing right along with the win total. After their Week 3 victory, San Francisco came out with a pile of fresh questions, even if a few of the scares turned out to be short-lived.
The biggest sigh of relief came with the two starting cornerbacks. Both left the game after suffering concussions at different points, but each one was evaluated and returned. As things stand, neither is expected to go into the concussion protocol this week.
There was less clarity around Evans, who exited with a rib injury. Kyle Shanahan said it might have been an oblique instead, and the severity is still unknown.
The expectation is that Evans will miss some time. With San Francisco sitting at 3-0, the bigger picture matters here: the 49ers want to get to the playoffs with Evans healthy, and that could mean a longer rest than usual.
Williams was carted off after a stinger, but he eventually came back and was on the sideline with his teammates. San Francisco held him out the rest of the way and went with Vederian Lowe instead. The way the night played out, it sounded like Williams probably could have gone back in if the game had demanded it.
Greenlaw’s night had its own strange sequence. He left with a quad injury, returned soon after, then played just one snap before being pulled again.
The 49ers didn’t need him to finish the job, but the decision to bring him back at all stands out. It leaves open two possibilities: either he tested it and found he wasn’t ready, or something got aggravated.
That answer will come later.
Wallow stepped in for Greenlaw, though he also dealt with a stinger and missed some time before finishing the game. If Greenlaw can’t go, Wallow is the likeliest name to slide into the starting role.
The rookie, meanwhile, exited early with cramps and never returned. He has been pushed into a larger role than expected over the first few weeks, so conditioning could become part of the conversation if this lingers.
As for Halton, the early read is that he should not be out long. That matters because the 49ers are already dealing with injuries to Alfred Collins, CJ West, and Alfred Collins, leaving the interior depth thin enough that they can’t afford another loss there. With Halton sidelined, San Francisco turned to Sebastian Valdez, Kevin Givens, and Naquan Jones.
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Deebo Samuel delivered one of the oddest box-score quirks youll ever see in the 49ers win over the Cardinals, turning an 80-yard hook-and-ladder into a touchdown without officially catching a pass. It was the kind of play that reminded everyone how uniquely dangerous San Francisco can be when Samuel is lined up all over the field and the ball starts moving side to side.
Even stranger, the output came with a bit of history attached. Samuel finished with the most receiving yards in an NFL game without a reception, topping a mark that had stood since 1961, and he added two rushing attempts for 14 yards. For a player whose value often comes from his versatility, this was a rare line that fit the eye test, the highlight reel and the record book all at once. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, the win came with the kind of discomfort that can linger beyond the final score. Mike Evans exited with a rib strain, Trent Williams was among the key injuries affecting the passing game, and Dre Greenlaw also left with a quad issue, leaving the 49ers to sort through what Sunday cost them as much as what it gave them. For a team that keeps finding ways to win, the bigger question now is how long it can keep doing it while pieces keep dropping out. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Win Came With A Bigger Concern Fans Could Feel
The 49ers got off to a fast start Sunday with a hook-and-ladder touchdown involving Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans, then kept stacking points even as the game started to turn into something more uneasy. Christian McCaffrey added a touchdown of his own, and the defense mixed in stops while the Cardinals found enough offense to stay around the fight, leaving San Francisco ahead at halftime with the kind of lead that can still feel fragile.
What made the win feel bigger than the scoreboard was the injury picture developing around it. Deommodore Lenoir and Mike Evans were among the players who dealt with issues, and for a team trying to build rhythm while scoring in spurts and trading field goals, the concern was impossible to ignore. The 49ers walked into the locker room with control of the game, but also with the kind of health questions that can linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]