Editor’s note: This article originally appeared as an item in Albert Breer’s Week 4 takeawayspublished on Oct. 5.
The 49ers keep winning, and winning in different ways
Their first two games were blowouts, one fueled by the run game (Rams), the next by a near-perfect effort from Brock Purdy (Dolphins). The third game (Cardinals) became a shootout, and Sunday’s 24–14 win over a really good Broncos team was a rock fight.
The players know what you’ve been thinking. The core is old. They’re already banged up.
But they’re also 4–0. And not surprised in the least that they’re back in this position again.
“I think that people didn’t—I don’t know—I guess they didn’t really take us very seriously before the season started because we did have a lot of guys who were quote-unquote older, and guys who were coming off of injuries,” All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner told me after the win. “So I think the thing that separated us all along was, yeah, we have a lot of talent, but we have guys that regardless of whatever we’ve achieved in this league, we’re all hungry to continue to get better. And continue to prove it every single week.”
Indeed. The greybeards keep rolling: Christian McCaffrey had 18 touches for 70 yards and a score, George Kittle four catches for 70 yards and a game-clinching 56-yard touchdowns, Mike Evans five catches for 76 yards, and Kyle Juszsczyk two catches for 28 yards. Trent Williams anchored the line at left tackle. Warner and Dre Greenlaw led the team in tackles. Greenlaw’s the youngest of that bunch, at 29.
That age also equals experience, institutional knowledge and, generally speaking, guys who can play to the moment. That happened again Sunday, with Kittle’s long catch and a defensive stand thwarting Denver’s final comeback bid.
Here’s the other thing: It adds up to urgency for a group of guys that have spent a lot of time together and are driven to get that elusive trophy to be remembered by.
“You definitely are aware of that, and I’ve been super grateful and blessed to be a part of this organization and have opportunities to win the whole thing,” Warner said. “Obviously, we dealt with some heavy losses, being in [the Super Bowl] twice and not being able to hoist that trophy. So you do realize that you don’t have forever with the same group of guys, and you want to make the most of the opportunity.”
So far, this year, it’s fair to say the Niners have.
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ALBERT BREER
Albert Breer is a senior writer covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated, delivering the biggest stories and breaking news from across the league. He has been on the NFL beat since 2005 and joined SI in 2016. Breer began his career covering the New England Patriots for the MetroWest Daily News and the Boston Herald from 2005 to ’07, then covered the Dallas Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News from 2007 to ’08. He worked for The Sporting News from 2008 to ’09 before returning to Massachusetts as The Boston Globe’s national NFL writer in 2009. From 2010 to 2016, Breer served as a national reporter for NFL Network. In addition to his work at Sports Illustrated, Breer regularly appears on NBC Sports Boston, 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, FS1 with Colin Cowherd, The Rich Eisen Show and The Dan Patrick Show. A 2002 graduate of Ohio State, Breer lives near Boston with his wife, a cardiac ICU nurse at Boston Children’s Hospital, and their three children.
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