Fred Warner sends strong message with 49ers missing key playmakers

Linebacker Fred Warner made it clear on Wednesday before practice that the San Francisco 49ers must push forward despite being without wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve last weekend and will miss at least the next three games. Meanwhile, Samuel exited Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a calf strain and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

While these absences don't directly impact Warner on defense, the linebacker acknowledged that losing two of the offense's top playmakers is a significant blow.

"The offense has gotta take care of that," Warner told reporters in the 49ers locker room. "Obviously, those are two big, key playmakers. I think, as a team, we're gonna miss them just because of the electricity and the fire that both of those players bring. But at the end of the day, we gotta go out, we gotta execute, we gotta find a way to win."

Warner and the 49ers know they can't use the absences of Samuel and McCaffrey as an excuse. With Super Bowl aspirations still in play, they know they need to avoid another setback, especially in a crucial divisional matchup against a rival like the Rams.

"It's just about controlling what you can control, being on the details, executing at a high level, and playing with a ton of physicality," Warner added. "You know, playing with your hair on fire. I think we're going to be [fired up] and ready to go."

The 49ers and Rams will kick off at SoFi Stadium on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PT.