The San Francisco 49ers continue to prove they are one of the NFL's toughest teams, overcoming a wave of injuries to remain in first place in the NFC West. Despite losing key stars like Brock Purdy, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa, the 49ers improved to 5-2 after a hard-fought 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium.
Purdy (toe) has appeared in just two games this season. Warner (ankle) and Bosa (ACL) have already been ruled out for the year. Still, the 49ers have battled through adversity with grit and determination, winning games that might have slipped away last season.
Trent Williams praises resiliency
Veteran tackle Trent Williams credited the team's resilience after Sunday's win.
"That's one of the big things, is the resiliency of this group," Williams said. "We've taken a lot of gut punches, a lot of blows, that it would have been easy to fold, and I think a lot of people would have understood. You lose not only two of your best players, but two of the best players to ever play the game in Nick and Fred.
"And then, not having Brock, obviously, just getting [TE] George [Kittle] back, and then not having him for five weeks, it's been tough.
"So, super proud of this team because we could have gave up, we could have tucked our tails and just looked forward to next year, but guys keep fighting. There's a lot of resiliency in this group."
The 49ers may get key players back soon. There is optimism that Brock Purdy could return next week against the Houston Texans, while wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) could also rejoin the lineup. The offense has already been shorthanded with Brandon Aiyuk (ACL, MCL) out for the season and Jauan Jennings battling multiple injuries (ankle, shoulder, ribs).
Shanahan praises depth and effort
Head coach Kyle Shanahan applauded the team's ability to push through injuries and maintain a strong start to the season..
"I've been proud of all the guys, just overcoming a lot of stuff," Shanahan said. "On offense, we went through that stretch without Kittle. It's nice to get him back today. Just the wideouts being banged up all year. This is the first week this year that [Jennings] has been able to practice, and I know those guys are all just battling to get out there."
Shanahan also highlighted strong performances from players stepping into bigger roles, including quarterback Mac Jones and linebacker Tatum Bethune.
"We all know all the eyes were on [LB] Tatum [Bethune], and how well he played. And he went out for a series early in the game and was able to come back in and play unbelievable."
The secondary also saw adjustments, as Renardo Green exited with a toe injury, replaced by Darrell Luter Jr., while Chase Lucas stepped up in place of the injured rookie, Upton Stout.
"But just real proud of our whole roster and all the guys that have stepped up throughout this year so far," Shanahan concluded.