San Francisco 49ers: The good, bad, and ugly in week one loss to the Vikings

8 of 10

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 09: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings fumbles the ball in the second quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Good: Fred Warner

Given injuries, and the two-game suspension of middle linebacker Reuben Foster, rookie third-round pick Fred Warner, out of BYU, found himself thrust into a starting role in the middle of San Francisco’s offense.

No pressure, right?

Warner, the six-foot-three, 236 pounds, seventieth overall pick in the Draft, played like somebody much older, much savvier, and much bigger than his 21-year old rookie self. He put up a stat line a lot of guys can only dream about.

On the day, Warner finished with 12 tackles (11 solo), a quarterback hit, a tackle for a loss, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble.

Okay, so maybe it was as stunning of a debut as Khalil Mack‘s was with the bears, but as far as games go, Warner had himself one. A very good one.

Also Read. Josh Garnett Has The Most To Prove. light

After the game, Warner talked about the team needing to get off to a faster start, and making plays when they count.

"“The biggest thing we’ve just got to work on is our effort and tackling. I feel like that was the biggest thing we needed to take away from this game.”"

After a performance like that, nobody doubts Warner’s effort. But, the point is taken. There were plenty of missed tackles against Minnesota, and that’s something the team is definitely going to need to clean up before they play the Lions next week.

Warner made it seem like the game is not too big for him, and it will be interesting to see how the team handles him once Foster is back from suspension. He’s certainly earned a spot on the field.