George Kittle had every reason to blame the injuries. He chose not to. The San Francisco 49ers tight end said there were “no excuses” after Sunday’s 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the team’s first of the season.
Kittle: ‘There’s No Excuses’
San Francisco played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium without a long list of starters. Asked about the injury situation, Kittle kept it simple and pointed to the league itself.
“There’s no excuses, like, it’s the NFL. Every week it just keeps chugging along, chugging along, it doesn’t care who’s out there, who’s not out there, you’re just expected to go out there and win,” Kittle said, per Kevin Topley of NBC Sports Bay Area.
He also said depth is what separates teams. “It’s the NFL, injuries happen. It’s just how much depth do you have, how many vets do you have that can stay healthy that can like continue to keep the elevation, like the standard of play up, you know, that’s all that really matters.”
49ers Were Missing Key Names
The 49ers were without receivers Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring). Pass rusher Nick Bosa also sat out. He has not played since Week 2 because of a calf injury.
The problems go beyond Sunday. De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson, two of the team’s top four receivers in Week 1, are on injured reserve with ankle injuries. Defensive lineman Alfred Collins is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon.
Injuries were not the only problem. San Francisco committed four turnovers, and Atlanta turned them into 13 points.
Kittle Points to the Ravens
Kittle then pointed to a team that has dealt with the same problem. “Every team is dealing with crazy injuries. I mean, what, the Ravens haven’t had Lamar for weeks and they’re still doing OK, they came into Atlanta and won in overtime,” he said.
Baltimore did exactly that on Oct. 11, beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-23 in overtime with Tyler Huntley starting in place of Lamar Jackson, who sprained his ankle in Week 4.
San Francisco 49ers Head Into Bye Week
At 6-1, the 49ers now have a bye week to heal. Evans and Bosa were held back from the trip to Atlanta to improve their chances of returning in Week 9, when San Francisco hosts the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kittle gave credit to the coaching staff for keeping the 49ers in games despite the losses. “When you have a really good coaching staff like the ones we have that give us an opportunity every single week to go out there and make plays, try to put guys in good positions to succeed, that’s what gives you a chance to win,” he said.
49ers’ George Kittle Sends Blunt Message After Falcons Loss