The 49ers have matched their entire win total of last season. They are in the thick of the race entering the second half of the season.<\/p>\n
With a 6-3 record, the 49ers still can make a run at the NFC West title despite season-ending injuries to defensive standouts Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n Are the 49ers a good player or two away from making a run to the Super Bowl? Or will they be scrapping\u00a0just to play .500 ball the rest of the way?<\/p>\n There is a lot to consider as the team faces a crucial Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Levi\u2019s Stadium. Here is this week\u2019s edition of 49ers Overreactions:<\/p>\n B-Rob needs more carries. If you can\u2019t and don\u2019t want to take CMC out of the game line him up at slot receiver. Gives the defense eye candy and they\u2019ll focus on CMC. (@Kanakaflip<\/a>)<\/p>\n Overreaction? No.<\/p>\n The 49ers acquired Brian Robinson Jr. from Washington just prior to the start of the season for a sixth-round draft pick. He is signed only through this season.<\/p>\n Robinson carried the ball 570 times in his three seasons with the Commanders. In nine games with the 49ers, he has been on the field for just 95 snaps. He has 191 yards rushing and one touchdown on 41 carries.<\/p>\n Yes, we fully realize Christian McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the game and the 49ers are a better team when he is on the field. But San Francisco should begin to have scheduled breaks for him during the second half of the season.<\/p>\n Robinson has done all the work behind the scenes and he knows the offense well enough to step in and give the 49ers a different look.<\/p>\n Robinson is a hard-charging, no-nonsense runner who should be a good complement to McCaffrey\u2019s style.<\/p>\n The 49ers have a luxury in having a starting-caliber runner as a backup. They should use him more in order to take measures to keep McCaffrey as fresh as possible for the stretch drive.<\/p>\n The 49ers are a borderline .500 team.\u00a0\u00a0Making the playoffs shouldn’t be the priority. Getting healthy and setup for next year is what they should focus on. (@niner4k<\/a>)<\/p>\n Overreaction? No and yes.<\/p>\n After their 3-0 start to the season, the 49ers have been exactly that: A .500 team.<\/p>\n But that should be good enough the rest of the way to make the playoffs. And if the 49ers split their final eight games of the season, that will give them 10 victories. That should be good enough to make the playoffs as a wild-card team.<\/p>\n Once the playoffs open, anything can happen. After all, the Washington Commanders made it to the NFC Championship Game last season, placing them just one victory from the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n The focus for the 49ers for the rest of this season should be on\u00a0this season. They need to go all out to win games, but they should not do it at the expense of sacrificing anything for the future, either.<\/p>\n They could continue to develop the young players on defense, for sure. Some of that will be by necessity, as injuries have cut dramatically into the team’s depth. The 49ers also should get rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins more involved in the offense to better set him up for next season.<\/p>\n There is little doubt that if everybody comes back healthy next season, the 49ers will be better-situated to contend for a title a year from now.<\/p>\n Tatum Bethune is going to be one of the best LBs in the league 3-4 years from now. (@DonAtkinsonNFL<\/a>)<\/p>\n Overreaction? No.<\/p>\n It might be a little premature, but Tatum Bethune has been impressive in his first three starts since replacing Warner at middle linebacker.<\/p>\n Bethune, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, racked up 16 tackles and broke up a pass in the 49ers\u2019 34-24 victory<\/a> over the New York Giants on Sunday.<\/p>\n Bethune has a chance to develop into a fantastic all-around player. The only question is whether he still will be with the 49ers in three years. He opened the season as a backup behind Warner. And Warner is signed through 2029.<\/p>\n If Bethune keeps this up, his next contract could price him out of the 49ers\u2019 organization in the spring of 2028.<\/p>\n