I am not going to make a prediction, but I will tell you a story

Chapter 5: The Legend of Mac Jones--the 2021 pick that should have been, but wasn't. But who cares? Because he is here now!

Going into this game, I thought for sure the Niners were going to lose. That said, I still picked them to win in the Pick 'em! But I was sure, friends, damn sure, they would drop this one in San Francisco-South Field....until they didn't.

Holy balls what a game!?! I said this during the game day thread: The Legend of Mac Jones is growing. I am pretty sure he is part Jason Voorhees, part Freddy Krueger, and part Michael Myers. This dude keeps getting absolutely demolished and keeps coming. Leg f**ked up. Keeps coming. Forearm f**ked. Keeps coming. Looks like he is dry heaving from the sheer pain he is going through. KEEPS COMING.

And somehow, he has resurrected not only his own career, but that of the Bourne Identity. That alone is the stuff of legends.

Look, I have been around long enough to remember Joe vs Steve. And no, I don't think we are there...yet. But Mac this year is undefeated as a starter and that s**t will start to loom large for certain subsections of the faithful.

But tonight, I don't care. The guy who dresses like a cast member from Saved By the Bell played like a 90's style 49er quarterback. Tough, gritty, and unyielding.

Reminds me of the Cleveland Browns of 1980 who were called " The Cardiac Kids". All those close games.
Are we on the verge of doing the same? And with a Back-up QB yet.
I'd hate to lose him in 2026, but if he keeps going this way ... It's very possible.
And I've always like "Bourne" and couldn't understand why he was let go.

Chapter 6: You have to have a difference maker at QB when you are a mash unit everywhere else. Today, we did not have that.

My continued loathing of Baker Mayfield (though, I respect how he has turned around his career) continues. In a game that gave us surprise number #2 of the season: All-world linebacker, Fred Warner, left the game with a lower leg injury--Dianna Russini says it is a dislocated ankle. At this point, I am not going to speculate about a man who played a season essentially hobbled last year, but this injury, sadly, could be a different matter.

That said, two turnovers by Mac Jones along with the loss of Warner were too much for the Niners today.

Update #1: Fred is done for the year. This is a crushing loss, one that I am unsure the Niners completely get over. It says something when the opposing team's Quarterback opens his presser with thoughts for his opponent. Just a classy move by Baker, which makes my loathing of him cool...a little. Still, I think in time Fred's loss forces us to continue what we began this year, which is a youth movement in the Bay. And sadly, but not entirely unexpectedly given the offseason loss of Greenlaw, we most once again begin the process of rebuilding our elite linebacker core.

Pretty much everyone as soon as we saw Fred's injury:

Chapter 7: CMC and the Niner Defense are alive and for tonight well! They just handled a very good Atlanta Falcons team.

CMC has faced a lot of criticism for underperforming, when honestly the problem really has been no George Kittle and poor line play largely contributing to the Niners inability to run the ball. Well...not tonight! Kittle is back...and CMC had 24 carries, 129yds on the ground, and 2 TDS. And for good measure, 7 receptions for 72 yards receiving. As for the defense, BUGATTI BRYCE IS A MONSTER! A HOME WRECKING MONSTER!! THE THINGS HE DID (why am I typing in caps?) TO PENIX AND THE FALCONS IS ILLEGAL IN MOST OF THE UNITED STATES. Meanwhile, Tatum Bethune (10 tackles, 4 solo) is showing the potential to join a long list of Niner linebacker legends.

The Niners are now 5-2 in one of the damnedest seasons I have seen in many years. GO NINERS!

Chapter 8: What hell was that?
Inexperience, inconsistency, injuries, lack of pass rush, offense line looking terrible, and more. A bad loss that in a normal season without so many injuries, I think we look back as a growing moment. But now, with the NFC so tight, and the injuries mounting, as well with the pressure rising, these losses look different. They simply look bad.

Chapter 9: The Evil Within

The greed for all the credits is what stopping us from winning the Super Bowl.. the HC wants it all, and will rather continue to NOT win the big one as long as the players he's got are the players he chose. It's all about " I GOT THIS, HE AIN'T NEEDED HERE " attitude.