The once-easiest 2025 schedule the San Francisco 49ers had on their docket doesn't quite appear as easy seven weeks into the season, particularly with a surging Atlanta Falcons squad coming to town for a primetime Sunday Night Football showdown at Levi's Stadium.
Atlanta, coming off back-to-back victories over playoff hopefuls like the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills, now put head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad in its crosshairs.
To do so, the Falcons are going to deploy their best weapon, Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson, who'll aim to take full advantage of one of the Niners' biggest weaknesses.
Robinson, the league leader in yards from scrimmage (822) to date, is already averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and his dual-threat capabilities spell a massive problem for San Francisco, too, which has to account for the 2023 first-round draftee's 24 receptions for 338 yards -- on pace to far surpass the previous year's 431 yards through the air.
A player of Robinson's caliber would be difficult for the best of well-stocked defenses, yet the 49ers' own defensive problems and shortages are particularly concerning.
Bijan Robinson is a major problem for Fred Warner-less 49ers defense
The Niners run defense isn't exactly a calling card, as they're in the middle of the proverbial pack her, allowing 4.1 yards per carry on the season so far. Yet the bulk of that figure came with All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner still in the mix.
That changes now with Warner having suffered a gruesome ankle injury during the Week 6 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Warner's departure creates a massive void that can't simply be filled by the proverbial "next man up." Second-year pro Tatum Bethune is slated to get the call, but it's unfair to assume he'll adequately manage the star backer's prowess in pass coverage, meaning Robinson is likely to take full advantage of that matchup.
And it's wholly unreasonable to expect rookie linebacker Nick Martin, who has been inactive up to this point, to step into Warner's shoes and be asked to handle Robinson either.
Robinson is likely going to be asked to run directly at Bethune while trying his best to exploit the inexperienced linebacker in the receiving game, too.
With relatively few schematic options to guard against this, the shorthanded San Francisco defense may not have enough answers for the Falcons' top-tier weapon when both teams square off against each other on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 8:20 p.m.