Technically, the 49ers won another game, with their 37-15 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers. But they can’t stop taking L’s in the injury department.
In a continuing theme for the season so far for the Niners, they suffered a rash of key injuries on Sunday. The 22-point victory was dampened by the news that cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is feared to have torn his ACL, safety Jimmie Ward broke his hand, defensive end Nick Bosa is dealing with a tight groin and kicker Robbie Gould has a knee contusion.
While the offense has taken the brunt of the big injuries so far this season – quarterback Trey Lance, running back Elijah Mitchell and tackle Trent Wililams come to mind – the defense got dinged up this time. Coach Kyle Shanahan admitted the luster of the win was lost a bit with all the injuries.
"It was tough there at the end," Shanahan said. "It was a weird feeling watching E-Man. Lots of guys got hurt in the game but it didn’t look good. That definitely took away from a little bit of the excitement at the end. We know the deal. It’s part of this league. Everybody goes through it. That was a tough one to do."
Moseley's injury occurred in the fourth quarter Sunday, but he at least he rattled off a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown shortly before halftime.
Moseley’s injury seems like it stings the most, given that his season has probably been cut short after just five weeks. The veteran had shined as CB2 alongside Charvarius Ward this season while helping San Francisco emerge as arguably the top defense in the league this year. Moseley, 26, was in the midst of his final season of his current contract, so we'll have to see how this affects his free agency next year.
Moseley was injured when he planted wrong after he jumped up to contest a ball downfield.
After the game, 49ers tight end George Kittle said the NFL should look into regulating the playing surfaces for turf fields around the league.
“The thing that confuses me, is if you’re gonna go from grass and you’re not gonna mandate grass, then why aren’t all turf fields the exact same turf so guys get used to playing on the exact same turf everywhere?” Kittle said. “Every field has a different turf, so it’s like you’re playing on a different surface. NBA guys don’t play on different wood. What are we doing? Hockey guys don’t play on different ices all the time. I wish we played on a similar surface every single week in, week out, so your body wouldn’t be dealing with crappy turf.”
Despite having an outdoor stadium, the Panthers have elected to go with artificial turf, making the switch earlier this year. This isn’t the first time the 49ers have taken issue with an opposing team’s playing surface, as they were vocal about the condition of the "sticky" turf at MetLife Field in 2020 after Bosa and Solomon Thomas suffered season-ending ACL injuries. Jimmy Garoppolo (high ankle sprain) and Raheem Mostert (MCL sprain) were also injured that game.
Moseley’s injury was the most severe Sunday, but hardly the only one.
After missing the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, Ward only played one snap Sunday before breaking his hand. The team will have to monitor Bosa, who entered Week 5 as the NFL’s sack leader with six.
The 49ers put up their most points since dropping 41 on the Detroit Lions in the 2021 season opener. Still, the focus going forward will be how the defense can weather its latest round of injuries.
