49ers’ Warner was a huge disrupter in win over Saints
Before the fourth offensive snap Sunday in the San Francisco 49ers’ 13-0 win over the Saints, Fox analyst Mark Sanchez said Fred Warner might be the NFL’s best linebacker.
“He’s got everything you want,” Sanchez said. “Can play downhill. Can play tough. Can cover tight ends and running backs. Can run sideline to sideline.”
Moments later, Warner did something Sanchez hadn’t mentioned: He can pop the ball loose from a Pro Bowl running back to set the tone for a shutout win.
There has been plenty of talk about the 49ers’ top-ranked defense, particularly during their ongoing 126-minute, 5-second second-half shutout streak.
Pro Bowl pass rusher Nick Bosa, who ranks second in the
NFL in sacks, has received plenty of credit. Lockdown cornerback Charvarius Ward, their brilliant big-money offseason addition, has earned raves for solidifying the back end.
But Warner, who ranks 25th in the NFL tackles (82) and is ninth at his position in Pro Bowl voting, quietly has been consistently stellar after an uncharacteristically up-and-down 2021 season.
Warner had seven tackles, two pass breakups, one quarterback hit and single-handedly stopped the Saints’ first two possessions in his latest command performance.
Seconds after Sanchez raved about him, Warner punched the ball loose from running back Alvin Kamara and the 49ers recovered the fumble to set up a 38yard drive that resulted in a 24yard field goal.
But how Warner ended the Saints’ next possession was even more impressive. After quarterback Andy Dalton dodged several pass rushers on 3rd-and-11, he escaped to his left and had acres of open field down the sideline.
However, Warner, starting his sprint near the middle of the field, closed quickly and finished a play that showcased his elite skills with all-out effort: He dove fully outstretched and clipped Dalton’s right foot with his right hand, causing the QB to step out of bounds with his left foot 1 yard shy of a first down.
Last year, Warner was open about his subpar performance in the season’s first half and said he was placing too much pressure on himself to live up to his $95 million contract. Now, after missing the Pro Bowl in 2021, Warner is letting it be known to those who haven’t noticed that he’s back in his previous form.
Said Warner, via Twitter, as he lobbied for more support Monday: “They said I’m currently ranked 9th in the pro bowl votes?”
• Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with “knee irritation,” which could be translated to: Something’s not right with his knee.
Fox sideline reporter Laura Okmin reported during the third quarter that McCaffrey went to the locker room shortly before halftime because of an issue with his left knee. As McCaffrey was shown bending his knees on the sideline, Okmin said McCaffrey had been stretching when “doctors and athletic trainers” weren’t “working on” his knee.
McCaffrey had 6 carries for 13 yards and 4 receptions for 17 yards in the first half. He had 5 carries for 19 yards and didn’t have a reception or target in the final two quarters.
McCaffrey’s knee issue was most notable when he ran a short route out of the backfield on 3rdand-9 late in the third quarter. McCaffrey lost his balance shortly after the snap, as if his knee buckled, and ran gingerly down the right sideline before hopping on his left leg at the end of a 6yard catch by wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
• After quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was slow to rise after absorbing several big shots, Shanahan said Monday that his QB takes plenty of illegal hits that aren’t penalized.
“I think a lot get missed on Jimmy,” Shanahan said.
Garoppolo took a helmet to his facemask on each of the 49ers’ first two drives. First, he momentarily remained facedown after defensive tackle David Onyemata tagged him as he delivered a 12yard completion to wideout RayRay McCloud. On the next series, Garoppolo delivered a 9-yard completion to McCaffrey as he was sandwiched by defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Tanoh Kpassagnon, whose hit had Garoppolo opening his mouth wide to stretch out his jaw.
Shanahan was asked if he thought certain QBs drew more flags than others.
“I don’t think so,” Shanahan said. “I think it’s just coincidence, but I’m not sure. Each ref and crew is different, each game’s different, so you try to adjust and feel it out during those games, but I do feel like Jimmy has had a number missed on him.”
Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach was flagged for roughing the passer after hitting Garoppolo in his left knee in the third quarter. Garoppolo yelled in agony as he was hit, subsequently yelled in frustration as Roach jogged off the field and he made it clear he thought it was a dirty hit in his postgame news conference.
My view: Roach’s shot appeared more unfortunate than intentional. He lunged at Garoppolo when he was in mid-throw, trying to disrupt his pass rather than intentionally targeting his knee.
• Bosa’s stat sheet suggested he didn’t make much of an impact before his game-sealing, 4th-and-goal sack of Dalton: Bosa had just two tackles and a QB hit prior to his takedown.
However, Bosa was responsible for three of the Saints’ six penalties and each was significant.
First, Bosa drew a third-down holding call on right tackle Ryan Ramczyk in the second quarter that shoved the Saints out of field-goal range.
Next, Bosa drew a facemask penalty on offensive tackle Trevor Penning late in the second quarter. The infraction nullified a pass-interference penalty of 30plus yards on cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, forced the Saints to punt from their 2-yard line two snaps later and set the stage for the 49ers’ only touchdown drive.
Finally, when New Orleans — trailing 13-0 — was going for it on 4th-and-5 from the 49ers’ 25 late in the third quarter, Ramczyk jumped early with Bosa lined up in front of him. The false start compelled the Saints to attempt a 48-yard field goal, which Wil Lutz hooked left.
• There is compelling evidence that Elijah Mitchell might not be durable. That doesn’t mean the oft-injured running back isn’t dogged.
Mitchell suffered his second sprained MCL of the season when he had his left leg pinned underneath 300-pound Shy Tuttle as he was being twisted the ground at the end of a 4-yard run on the first play of the second half. In other words: ouch.
However, Mitchell remained in the game for three more snaps after suffering an injury that could sideline him for two months.
“He stayed in hoping it wasn’t bad,” Shanahan said. “And once he got a couple more plays in, he realized he had to come off.”
• Sanchez, a highly drafted QB who endured plenty of criticism in his unremarkable career, deserves kudos for his work in the booth.
Sanchez, 36, is loose, conversational, informative and has an old soul when it comes to other sports: He referenced Nolan Ryan, Jason Kidd and Karch Kiraly, among others, during the telecast.
Sanchez is also funny. As cameras captured the carved-from-granite Bosa on the sideline, Sanchez said he resembled an “action figure” whose Thanksgiving dinner probably had consisted of free-range chicken breast, broccoli and a protein shake.
After Sanchez counseled the Saints to run the ball when they had a 1st-and-goal at the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, Dalton rolled right and was immediately pressured by a host of 49ers before he threw the ball away. Sanchez’s mid-play reaction: “Oh, Lord.”