The San Francisco 49ers defeated the visiting Denver Broncos 24-14 in a game between two playoff contenders that included a wild 55-yard George Kittle touchdown. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk suffered a scary injury while fellow veteran Mike Evans gutted out a solid performance with a painful rib injury.
Evans caught five balls for 76 yards on the day and was instrumental in the win, causing star running back Christian McCaffrey to go to bat for him afterward.
“That's how you lead by example,” McCaffrey said according to 49ers Web Zone.
Article Continues BelowEvans was brought in this offseason with a reputation as one of the NFL's toughest and most dependable players (despite a long list of career injury problems) and has lived up to it. He was listed on the 49ers' injury report as “questionable” and managed to overcome “stabbing” pain to help lead his team to a big win.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan set a record that came with an ironic family twist during the game, passing legendary former boss Bill Walsh with his 167th appearance in his current 49ers post. It was his 95th win at the helm of the 49ers' ship, a tenure that has included two Super Bowl appearances as head coach, although he has yet to win the big game.
The 49ers look like one of the NFL's best teams and they're winning behind a cast of familiar faces and newcomers including Evans, who has a Super Bowl title under his belt as a member of Tom Brady's 2021 Buccaneers. Evans' injury looks like one that could linger, but it would be foolish to count him out. The 49ers are a team in pursuit of greatness, and Evans is the exact kind of guy to produce at a high level while showing his teammates how it's done.