San Francisco’s 16-game regular season win streak was snapped Sunday when Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field as time expired and the Cleveland Browns beat the 49ers 19-17 on Sunday.
The loss isn’t too concerning for the 5-1 49ers, but losing key players to injuries is of the utmost concern ahead of their upcoming game Monday night in Minneapolis against the Minnesota Vikings.
Deebo Samuel, the jack of all trades receiver, and Christian McCaffrey, who scored a touchdown for a 15th consecutive game, both left the game with injuries and did not return. The 49ers ruled Samuel out with a shoulder injury and McCaffrey sustained an oblique injury.
“It’s more about just getting all the guys ready for it,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said when asked how difficult it was to play without Samuel and McCaffrey. “When you got a game plan that’s got enough stuff in it, just moving some positions around. We just made too many mistakes.”
Shanahan did not have an update on his star weapons after the game.
#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan did not yet have an update on the severity of injuries to RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Deebo Samuel.
Shanahan did say McCaffrey is dealing with an oblique AND rib injury.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) October 15, 2023
NFL insider Jordan Schultz is reporting that X-rays on Samuel’s shoulder were negative and it is not considered a serious injury, though MRI results are pending.
Source: #49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s shoulder X-ray came back negative.
The next step is an MRI, but I’m told the team believes he “will be fine” after getting injured today vs the #Browns. It’s not considered to be serious.
MRI will tell the full story. pic.twitter.com/LLrVsxrQ2s
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 15, 2023
Samuel left the game in the first half and McCaffrey left the game for good late in the third quarter. Without his two best offensive weapons for the full game, Brock Purdy completed just 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Another injury to monitor is the right ankle of left tackle Trent Williams, who returned to the game after briefly exiting after he right leg got rolled up on. He injured his ankle last season and missed three games.
#TrentWilliams injured
Previous right high ankle history 2022https://t.co/vQyq4nkw62 pic.twitter.com/mJeJDBBe5g— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 15, 2023
San Francisco’s defense kept them in the game but did allow 160 rushing yards without star linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who missed the entire game with a hamstring injury that first appeared on the injury report on Thursday, which also casts doubt for his availability against the Vikings.
With Greenlaw, the 49ers have been stout against the run, allowing fewer than 90 rushing yards in four of the first five games of the season: Cowboys (57 yards), Cardinals (105), Giants (29), Rams (89) and Steelers (41).
“You always miss your real good players. Dre is one of the better players in this league,” Shanahan said.
