What We Learned About the 49ers in their Loss to the Atlanta Falcons

This was educational.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We learned more about the 49ers from one loss this season than from all six wins combined.

In the wins, we learned that the 49ers can beat any team in the NFL, even the defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks in Seattle, if Mike Evans is healthy. He's the biggest difference between the 2026 and the 2025 49ers. When he's on the field, Brock Purdy plays like Joe Montana, and Kyle Shanahan coaches like Bill Walsh.

But we also learned that Evans won't be healthy all season. He broke ribs in Week 3 and came down with Achilles tendinitis in Week 6, which cost him the last game and a half. He probably will have to play through this tendinitis the rest of the year. Plus, he just turned 33, and he missed nine games last year. So, the 49ers have to prepare themselves for life without him.

As currently constructed, they're bad without Evans. They could lose to any team in the league, even the Falcons, if Evans doesn't play, as we just learned. In the past six quarters that he has missed, the 49ers have scored just 23 points, even though they still have Shanahan, Purdy, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. That's pathetic.

And that's because Evans is their best player. And they know it. When he's on the field, Purdy can't help but throw him the ball because good things happen when he does. And Shanahan can't call enough plays for Evans because no one can cover him.

Evans is so good, they overused him early in the season. Went to him repeatedly just to beat the Seahawks in October, and that decision led to Achilles tendinitis, which might not go away completely.

As a result, Shanahan had to find someone else to feature against the Falcons. Of course, he chose Christian McCaffrey, who's too old to carry the offense at this point in his career.

Out of sheer necessity and desperation, Shanahan called six plays for McCaffrey on the opening drive alone, and he quickly injured his quad. Now, he's another injured veteran player the 49ers have to manage. Evans' Achilles tendinitis is having a domino effect on the roster.

That's the not-so-good news.

Here's the good news: The 49ers have a bye week, and Evans is coming back soon. So are Deebo Samuel and Demarcus Robinson. De'Zhaun Stribling might come back as well. Which means the 49ers probably won't ever play another game with Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, Brandon Cooks and Christian Kirk as their only active wide receivers.

But they probably will play more games without Evans and/or McCaffrey. And let's face it, George Kittle and Trent Williams most likely will miss a few games, too, considering neither ever has played all 17 games in a season.

As long as they have Evans, they'll be dangerous. Any time he's out, they'll be vulnerable. If he misses one playoff game, they'll probably lose it.

So unless the 49ers trade for another Hall of Fame wide receiver before the deadline, their season depends on Evans.