49ers fast start becomes a necessity as absurd storyline wreaks havoc

The victories the 49ers stacked up over the first six weeks of the season always figured to come in handy.

They just hoped they wouldn’t have to start leaning on them quite so soon.

But with their injury list growing and their unbeaten start ending Sunday with a 29-20 loss to the Falcons, the cushion they created is beginning to look less like a luxury and more like a necessity.

At 6-1, the 49ers have earned some breathing room.

The question is how much they will need before their roster gets healthier. And how long they can keep asking the players still standing to compensate for those who aren’t.

“It’s the NFL. Injuries happen,” tight end George Kittle said. “It’s just how much depth you have, how many vets do you have that can stay healthy, that can continue to keep the elevation, the standard of play up. That’s all that really matters.”

That standard is getting harder to maintain.

Defensive end Nick Bosa is dealing with knee and calf issues. Wide receiver Mike Evans has Achilles and rib injuries. Deebo Samuel is sidelined by a hamstring injury.

All three missed Sunday’s game, leaving the 49ers without their most dangerous pass rusher and two critical offensive weapons.

And those absences only tell part of the story.

Demarcus Robinson remains on injured reserve with the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season. Rookie De’Zhaun Stribling also is on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

The 49ers aren’t simply replacing starters. They are replacing the players who were supposed to help replace them.

For Brock Purdy, that means developing chemistry while trying to win games.

“It’s our first game all together as a unit with the receivers that we had,” Purdy said. “We’ve just got to keep working and stuff. But I thought it was a positive performance on their end. We’ve just got to keep chipping away.”

Purdy saw encouraging work from Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, while continuing to explore what Brandin Cooks and Christian Kirk can provide.

But there is a difference between identifying possibilities and having the established connections that allow an offense to operate at its best.

Every missing receiver increases the importance of Christian McCaffrey.

Which made the sight of McCaffrey receiving treatment Sunday particularly unsettling.

He handled four carries and caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown on San Francisco’s first two possessions. A thigh injury then interrupted his afternoon, sending him to the medical tent and eventually the locker room.

McCaffrey returned in the second half. But the scare underscored how much the 49ers need a player whose versatility helps compensate for everything else they are missing.

“Obviously, what Christian can do out of the backfield as a receiver – receiving, running back – like that’s the component, too, that obviously we want out there,” Purdy said. “I’m not saying those other guys can’t; it’s just Christian’s a Hall of Famer with that.”

His absence changes more than the name getting the touches.

“So yeah, it obviously changes up our game plan,” Purdy said. “But we also have to be able to adapt and use our other guys in ways that they’re able to go and make plays.”

That obligation remains regardless of the injury report. So does protecting the football, something San Francisco failed to do while losing Sunday’s turnover battle 4-0.

A depleted roster leaves less room for self-inflicted damage.

Fortunately, six victories already banked mean one loss does not have to become a crisis. The upcoming bye provides an opportunity to heal before the 49ers resume testing the limits of their depth.

But their cushion cannot absorb blows indefinitely.

“It’s the NFL. Every week, it just keeps chugging along, chugging along,” Kittle said. “It doesn’t care who’s out there, who’s not out there. You’re just expected to go out there and win.”

The 49ers bought themselves time with their great start.

Now they need that time to bring some players back.