The San Francisco 49ers put themselves in an early hole against the Houston Texans and were never able to dig out of it.

Houston defeated the 49ers 26-15 in a game that wasn’t really as close as the final score. The 49ers got it within a score briefly, but quickly gave up another score that ultimately put the game out of reach.

It was largely ugly for 60 minutes at NRG Stadium. Here are the takeaways:

Christian McCaffrey can’t save 49ers

McCaffrey only had two official touches in the first half thanks to a couple of penalties that negated plays to the 49ers star running back. He finished the game with 11 touches for 67 yards. The good news is a light workload is helpful for the 29-year-old running back’s longevity this season. The bad news is the 49ers couldn’t lean on their star to generate offense the way they have all season and it showed.

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Houston’s first four drives ended in scores with three field goals and a touchdown. San Francisco did get an interception to end the first half, but it didn’t lead to any changes in the second half. Over the final 30 minutes Houston punted only once and it came after another touchdown and a field goal. The 49ers have a ton of work to do schematically to make up for their rash of injuries.

49ers injuries continue to mount

Speaking of injuries, things didn’t get better for San Francisco during Sunday’s game. Linebacker Dee Winters left the game and didn’t return. Defensive linemen Jordan Elliott and Sam Okuayinonu also exited without returning. Rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins briefly left as well, but he was able to come back in the game. Cornerback Upton Stout also left the game after appearing to tweak his ankle. The 49ers don’t have the depth to withstand many more injuries and at some point there’s no amount of scheme that’s going to make up for a lack of top-end talent. That showed Sunday.

49ers may need new starting nickel CB

One change the 49ers may want to make is the insertion of Chase Lucas into the starting lineup as the nickel cornerback. He’s been behind Stout all season, but he’s stepped up with some big plays when called upon. Stout struggled before leaving Sunday’s game. There aren’t a lot of buttons for the 49ers to press on the defensive side. Putting Lucas in the starting lineup is one of them.

TE George Kittle shines on National Tight Ends Day

It was clear the 49ers were trying to manufacture some touches for Kittle. He didn’t have a catch in Week 7 when he returned from a hamstring injury he suffered in the season opener. Sunday the club designed some throws for him and quarterback Mac Jones fired a strike to Kittle for a touchdown late in the first half to get the 49ers on the board. It was a tremendous contested catch by the superstar TE to celebrate the day dedicated to his position. He finished with four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown on five targets.

49ers offense mostly abysmal

While San Francisco’s defense had a tough day, their offense was arguably worse to start the game. The 49ers’ first three possessions lasted 10 plays and earned them only 30 yards. They eventually punched in a touchdown on a 35-yard drive. They followed that up with a three-and-out to start the third quarter. Then they scored another TD before closing the game with a punt on a negative-one yard drive, then an interception and a turnover on downs. It was not a good day for a group that may be getting Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall back for Week 9.

49ers rookie WR Jordan Watkins debuts

Shoutout to Watkins who played his first regular season snaps. He was targeted twice and caught one ball for seven yards. He may be a bigger factor down the stretch for the 49ers.

Who do the 49ers play next week?

San Francisco will hit the road again in Week 9 to visit the New York Giants for another 10:00am Pacific Time kick. New York was blown out 38-20 by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8 and they lost star rookie running back Cam Skattebo to a gruesome ankle injury. They’ll need to be much better on both sides of the ball if they’re going to get back in the win column on the road.

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