The San Francisco 49ers refuse to fold despite losing another star player for the season.
Their 20-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons proves that. A significant reason why the 49ers refuse to fold is thanks to these three 49ers whose stock increased as a result of their performance.
There was a ton of pressure on the shoulders of Tatum Bethune entering this game. He was tasked with the responsibility of filling in for the injured Fred Warner.
The odds were against Bethune shrinking that hole left by Warner. However, in this game, he filled in almost pefectly. Bethune registered 10 tackles and seven run stops.
He played a key role in Bijan Robinson having a limited game. Bethune even did well when he was a designated blitzer. It was amazing to see how well he played.
If this game is an indicator of how he’ll look the rest of the season, then the 49ers will be in excellent hands. Even if it’s just half of that, Bethune has given 49ers fans reasons to be confident.
The preseason hero, Chase Lucas, received his most playing time of the season versus the Falcons. Rookie Upton Stout was inactive with a shoulder injury, allowing Lucas to get on the field.
And boy, did Lucas maximize his opportunities. He didn’t allow a catch on two targets. One of the targets came when he was defending Drake London.
Lucas had solid coverage on London, and was incredibly close to coming up with an interception. Considering he’s barely played since being a preseason hero, Lucas was tremendous in this game.
The 49ers have gotten plenty of players to step up with injuries running rampant. Lucas is a perfect example of that, and he may have earned more playing time with how well he played.
The pass rush came alive for the 49ers against the Falcons, and defensive end Bryce Huff was a significant reason for that. Huff registered a season-high six quarterback pressures (19.4 percent rate) and a strip-sack.
He was a man on a mission in that game. It was by far his best performance of the year. Huff continues to prove why it was a great idea for the 49ers to acquire him.
It’s been a struggle for him to make a consistent impact with Nick Bosa out. But perhaps this is the game that catapults him back into being that dominant figure moving forward.
Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchez_to interact with him on the 49ers.
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