Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers’ loss besides missing-man formation on Warner play

TAMPA Fla Something was amiss and alarming from the start of Fred Warner s final play this ers season No one lined up at right defensive end Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs with no one to block unimpededly charged ahead yards into Warner who tried shedding the All-Pro and spun toward ballcarrier Rachaad White Warner s right ankle got trapped under safety Ji Ayir Brown as the latter tackled White for a -yard gain Warner s foot emerged at a nauseating -degree angle Wirfs this instant signaled to the ers sideline for clinical attention Mykel Williams' third-down sack forced Bucs' punt on series they lost Fred Warner ankle On that Warner play Rachaad White had a -yard run when tackled by Ji'Ayir Brown who rolled up into Warner Niners had only defenders on field Williams was missing at RDE Cam Inman CamInman October On that ers sideline were defensive ends Mykel Williams and Sam Okuayinonu who ve rotated in opposite Bryce Huff in the wake of Nick Bosa s season-ending knee injury in Week Sometimes I m not up and particular drives I am Williams stated It was just a substitution error Before the snap defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was watching intensely on the sideline hands on his knees Huff was at left defensive end while Kalia Davis and C J West each with a cast on a hand lined up as the defensive tackles This wasn t just a defining moment of the ers - loss to the NFC-leading Buccaneers It could be the season s literal urgent point Seeing him go down a guy that doesn t go down it s draining Brown stated It kind of drained the stadium bro Everybody felt that This ers season it seems inevitable that a star will go down weekly Warner might be the the majority irreplaceable when combining his vocal leadership and superstar talent He played through a broken bone in that same ankle for the final games last season He is four tackles shy of passing Patrick Willis for the greater part in ers history They ll miss Warner And they sure missed a defensive end on that fateful play It s almost as baffling as Skyy Moore fielding punts at the - and -yard lines On to other things that caught my eye WARNER S POSTGAME SPEECH Warner understandably did not speak to reporters He did address his teammates in the locker room for a minute Their testimonials recreated the scene That broke my heart bro It was sad cornerback Chase Lucas stated No tears from Warner He s a gangster But I can tell you this there were tears in the crowd Tatum Bethune Warner s replacement Fred is the heart of this squad We kind of expected he was going to say something to cheer us up a bit Safety Malik Mustafa It was definitely something we needed To lose a leader like that you could see the vitality just kind of wither Him being in good spirits it s promising It helps us keep a level head Punter Thomas Morstead That s what leaders do NEXT MAN UP AGAIN Right after expressing condolences for Warner coach Kyle Shanahan explained I have a lot of faith in Tatum He s the next man up and has to do it throughout the year Bethune a seventh-round pick last year as the No st pick takes over as the play-relaying middle linebacker a role he impressed in through training camp He finished with a team-high tackles Sunday I prepare like I m a starter just for reasons like this Fred getting hurt Bethune announced It s unfortunate but it s why you prepare Who will replace Warner as the pregame hype man in organization huddles Allegedly the starting quarterback whether that s Brock Purdy if he s back or Mac Jones Trent Williams Christian McCaffrey and Deommodore Lenoir are the only healthy captains George Kittle certainly can rally the troops and he could be back next Sunday night against Atlanta MANNINGCAST CURSED When Warner appeared on Monday Night Football s Manningcast with Peyton and Eli Manning last week certain ers fans cringed fearing a revival of the so-called Manningcast Curse Never mind that Warner shared authentic insight as the Jacksonville Jaguars rallied to win When the Manningcast debuted in as a neat alternative to the mainstream broadcast several high-profile guests lost their next championship Tom Brady Travis Kelce Russell Wilson Rob Gronkowski and Matthew Stafford Fred Warner on ManningCast tonightHe s in All Pro form again but could garner DPOY at this rate of ers wins They re - NFC-best - in conference https t co Anhjh qh Cam Inman CamInman October This season the ers have lost far too a multitude of high-profile players to injury Of class last season the ers lost Christian McCaffrey inciting talk of a Madden video-game cover curse In McCaffrey went on the Manningcast and then ran for yards and a touchdown in a Christmas night loss to Baltimore The ers George Kittle was a Manningcast guest and he followed with a two-touchdown -yard outing in a win over Washington This season the Philadelphia Eagles Saquon Barkley and the Indianapolis Colts Daniel Jones were Manningcast guests and have stayed healthy Curses don t exist but if they do these ers are cursed JENNINGS VS SHANAHAN Once Demarcus Robinson dropped a pass at midfield in front of Shanahan the coach tore down the sideline to chew out Jauan Jennings As the ers two-minute drill continued so did Shanahan s terseness with Jennings who at one point talked back to his coach and was restrained by Mike Anderson Shanahan s prevention detail What gives Oh man you have to ask him Jennings revealed Intense competitive conversations Shanahan revealed But we re good Demarcus Robinson drops a pass neasr midfield in front of Kyle Shanahan and as next play ensues -yard Robinson catch Shanahan storms down the sideline to shout at Jauan Jennings Good times here in Tampa Cam Inman CamInman October Shanahan again yelling at Jennings who is standing behind him Jennings says something back Kyle shoots look at him staff intervenesKyle trying to call plays in frantic two-minute drill ers have ball at TB with seconds left in half Cam Inman CamInman October Kyle and Jennings still going at it Kyle covers his mouth with playcard while Shanahan's guard detail Mike Anderson keeps Jennings away Meanwhile Eddy Pineiro makes his third field goal but appears to get hurt on hitBucs - Cam Inman CamInman October If the ers weren t so thin at receiver Jennings would and still could be a commerce candidate The incentive-laden contract he held out for in training camp is set to expire after this season He had no targets in the first half and finished with a -yard grab amid three targets the final of which was intercepted with five-plus minutes left After playing of snaps he revealed he s not only dealing with ankle and shoulder injuries but five broken ribs and an angry boss JONES TO BOURNE Mac Jones lost for the first time in four starts as Brock Purdy toe did not suit up or excursion This was Jones second straight start and for the second straight championship his former Patriots teammate Kendrick Bourne totaled receiving yards However miscommunication led to a first-series interception with Bourne cutting inside on third down and Jones pass sailing the other way into the hands of Kindle Vildor The Bucs converted that turnover into a touchdown run and the first points scored all season against the ers in a first quarter We have a great connection We just weren t on the same page on that one so it s on me Jones reported Shanahan however noted he wouldn t pin that interception on Jones because it was a busted journey against a blitz When the Bucs intercepted Jones again with remaining Shanahan called it a tough one McCAFFREY MILESTONE It s odd to celebrate McCaffrey s all-around greatness when the ers for the first time in their history failed to rush for at least yards in a fifth straight games a stat unearthed by The Associated Press Josh Dubow But McCaffrey for a sixth straight tournament produced over yards from scrimmage rushing receiving No running back in NFL history had previously breached yards receiving in each of his band s first six games McCaffrey hasn t eclipsed rushing yards in a event since but he did tally the ers first rushing touchdown this season Sunday That -yard go-ahead scoring plunge came as he followed key blocks and he feared he may have speared teammate Jake Tonges in the ribs along the way Sometimes when you re able to play it s a blessing It really is and I don t take it for granted disclosed McCaffrey who earlier lamented Warner s heartbreaking injury adding the linebacker is one of the best players and leaders he s had as a teammate SAFETY SWAP Don t blame Brown for Warner s injury Brown did his job making a tackle and he did so as a starting safety for the first time this season Jason Pinnock got benched Rookie safety Marques Sigle rotated with Mustapha who played of the defense snaps in his season debut Sigle got beat for a -yard touchdown on a post for the Bucs final touchdown and has struggled in coverage all rookie season Who starts next Sunday Maybe Mustapha I was excited to get back out there I definitely got eased into it Mustapha mentioned Long journey and I m favored to be back on the field WILLIAMS FIRST SACK Three plays after Warner s injury Williams produced his first career sack by fighting past guard Ben Bredeson and dropping Baker Mayfield on third down Williams celebrated with a sack dance he s calling The Rodeo It was great to get it out of the way I at last got one Williams revealed It was extreme effort that is what it boiled down to That is all the ers got from their anemic pass defense in dire times without Nick Bosa They had no other hits on Mayfield recorded no interceptions for a th straight tournament and totaled just two pass breakups MAYFIELD FOR MVP The home crowd serenaded Mayfield with MVP chants late in the fourth quarter and after the Bucs officially improved to - Related Articles ers statement card Pass-game miscues add to the misery after Warner injury Is Shanahan sideline spat the beginning of the end for Jennings and the ers Kurtenbach Fred Warner s season-ending injury is a developing point for the ers season What the ers are saying after losing to the Buccaneers Studs and Duds ers had too a multitude of duds to overcome Fred Warner s injury Baker Mayfield Mayfield committed no turnovers threw for two touchdowns passed for yards without his three best receivers and had a -yard scramble on third-and- prior to his final scoring strike He s a fighter That long third-down he got that just shows Baker s tournament Mustapha declared He s a great pocket passer and can make all the throws but he s a competitor You saw it on full display in current times Mayfield declared of the MVP chants It s awesome to have the assistance don t get me wrong but we re just getting started STILL IN THE HUNT The ers are in a three-way tie atop the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams All are - but the ers hold a tiebreaker with a - division record The Arizona Cardinals are last at - We have a lot of season left We re - And we have a good football organization linebacker Luke Gifford commented It s obviously tough losing Warner and he s our brother and it sucks but we have a lot of football left Added Bethune We re a - unit now and we just have to do better The ers will next appear in prime time on Sunday when they host the Atlanta Falcons who take a - record into tonight s home challenge against the Buffalo Bills - There is no ManningCast for that championship