5 SF 49ers who stepped up most amid injuries

No. 4: SF 49ers Quarterback Nick Mullens

Yes, No. 2 quarterback Nick Mullens was primarily responsible for the SF 49ers’ Week 4 prime-time loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. He turned the ball over three times, and two of those led directly to Eagles points in the 25-20 loss. And Kyle Shanahan eventually pulled Mullens late in the game for his third-tier option, C.J. Beathard.

But Mullens’ ugly Week 4 outing shouldn’t overshadow the effort he put forth in Jimmy Garoppolo’s stead the previous week against the New York Giants.

Mullens was excellent in that particular road game, passing for 343 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over. While the Niners weren’t scoring early, at least Mullens’ drives were elongated and wore down a still-good Giants defense over the first half.

Those efforts were crucial in San Francisco’s second win of the season.

Backup quarterbacks are essentially tasked with helping navigate a team through an elongated injury to its starter, and that’s all that should have been expected from Mullens.

While a 1-1 record isn’t ideal, at least getting that one win in Week 3 ensures Mullens has a spot on this list.