Steve Young voices concerns about 49ers despite 6-0 start

The San Francisco 49ers seemed to be cruising toward a comfortable win in the first half of Monday night's game against the struggling Washington Commanders. However, the second half told a different story, as the 49ers offense, missing wide receiver Mike Evans, struggled to sustain drives.

Washington fought back, but San Francisco held on for a 23-17 win.

A win is a win, and the 49ers improved to 6-0, remaining unbeaten. Still, their second-half struggles have raised concerns, including for Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

"We get people hurt, we're not full speed, we don't have everyone on the field," Young said on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "We have young players. Who knew [rookie DT] Gracen [Halton] was going to be the MVP for the first six games with strip sacks and fumbles and big plays? There's been some names of guys that are just playing great, but I still worry."

The 49ers hold a commanding lead in the NFC West standings, sitting three games ahead of the 3-3 Seattle Seahawks. However, Young cautioned against becoming complacent as the season progresses.

"I want to stay in a worried tone because I know that the games coming towards the end of the season are going to be the ones that decide it, and I just want us locked in," Young continued. "I don't want us to get like, 'Oh, we got games to give.' I don't want that. If we can go 17-0, that's great. That's what I want to do.

"I don't want to look back. I don't want to take the foot off the pedal. I want to sprint to as many wins as we can, and then be as healthy as we possibly can."

Injuries have taken a toll on the 49ers' roster, particularly at wide receiver and along the defensive front. San Francisco hopes to get several players back as the season progresses, but Young stressed the importance of avoiding further setbacks.

"If everyone can just stay healthy, we're going to be in the mix. It's awesome," Young said.

Young praised the 49ers defense for closing out Monday night's game against Washington but questioned whether the team is performing at a level that will sustain its success throughout the season.

"Are we a top-five defense? Are we a top-five offense?" Young asks. "I think when everybody's healthy, I think yes ... In the second half of the game, I just don't like cruising to a victory. I'm being picky because we're 6-0, but I want to make sure that we lock things down."

Young also reflected on the 2023 49ers, a roster he viewed as the best in football that season, and one that routinely overwhelmed its opponents.

"We were just running people out of the stadium, and that's not what's going to happen this year," Young said. "So, we're going to get in some dogfights, maybe more than we want to. And so, I don't want to get in dogfights while allowing teams that are down and out, ways to live again.

"Of all the games where we want to just put people away in, [those] are the games where we're not in a dogfight. And I think there's dogfights coming, and I want to make sure we're ready for them."

More info on: Mike Evans, Gracen Halton