#49ers

#49ers

Each game, you never know what's going to happen, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said Wednesday. Each day is about getting better, having emotional stamina and mental stamina to withstand the year. And that means when you win, you forget about it and move on, and when you lose, you correct the mistakes and move on. It's been a slog for McCaffrey all year other than his 29-carry, 124-yard game against the Falcons.

Then again, there was truly nowhere for the Niners to go but up after the first 29 minutes of the contest. For a few, fleeting moments, the Niners' H-Town showdown with the Texans was a contest. For the rest of the game, it was a lopsided beatdown reminiscent of an early-season college football game between a blue-blood program and a directional school that was bused in for a blowout game and a nice check.

Trent Williams emerged from his rookie NFL season with a tip that altered his career and life. Move to Houston. That 2011 advice came from Adrian Peterson, a big-brother figure and former Oklahoma teammate. Peterson feared Williams could be adversely affected by the NFL's offseason lockout. He saved my career because, I mean, you don't know what you've got to train for, Williams said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with this news organization.

"When Fred got hurt, we just gave each other a look and honestly just spoke just by looking at each other," Bethune said this week.

Most alarming is the 49ers' muted rushing attack despite a healthy Christian McCaffrey. They're the only NFL team without a touchdown run, and McCaffrey's rushing output has declined each Sunday: 69 yards (22 carries) at Seattle, then 55 yards (13 carries) in New Orleans, 52 yards (17 carries) against Atlanta, and 49 yards (17 carries) against Jacksonville. McCaffrey can't break a 20-yard run, or a even 3-yarder inside the 10?

If you want to make a 49ers fan's blood pressure spike like the temperatures in the Bay this week, you don't talk about Brock Purdy's contract, Kyle Shanahans clock-management, or the team's errant trade for Trey Lance. No, you say two simple, powerful, and seemingly maddening words: Offensive line. It's the part of football that is, for most fans, a complete mystery a series of grunts and shoves and bodies piling up.

Many things will define the 49ers' season. Such is the nature of this complex game of football. But perhaps no factor not star players, injuries, or field-goal kicking will be as crucial to determining success or failure as the play of the 49ers' defensive rookies. The Niners drafted six of them this past spring, and three were asked to be starters right out of the gate. And what did we see from the kids on Sunday in Seattle?

SANTA CLARA Nothing like a Week 1 depth chart, even an unofficial one, to set ablaze the 49ers' fans, as happened Tuesday to yield this question-and-answer mailbag: Ji'Ayir starting over Sigle???? (@@49ers_hnic). Brown? Are we serious? He's terrible (@49ersSideline) Unless the 49ers coaches verbally declare a competition over, incumbents and/or veterans usually get the nod in depth charts such as these, which are compiled and distributed by the team's communications staff, hence their unofficial designation.

The 49ers have struggled at Allegiant Stadium since their 2023 Vegas debut, facing a challenging start to their season with significant injuries affecting the roster.

Jeff Wilson Jr. is returning to the 49ers' running back room amid injuries to key players, including starter Christian McCaffrey and backup Isaac Guerendo.

The 49ers are unveiling numerous players, some filling in for starters while others are trying to secure their futures on the team.

In the past, I've always done two days, and I'm always really excited by the end of the first day. I'm always wishing we didn't have to go the second day.