On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers were dealt their first late-game test of the season. After winning their first two matchups by at least 20 points, they bested the Arizona Cardinals 36-30.
Linebacker Fred Warner put an injury-hampered defense on his back, registering a career-high 17 tackles. His performance will surely go down as one of his best, but it may be his postgame comments that have a lingering effect for the rest of the season.
In his presser, Warner was asked about why Sunday's contest was the first close one of the season, and he may have benefitted from thinking for a second before speaking.
"I think it was finally just an NFL game, honestly. You know, I think the last two weeks... That's not true NFL ball when you have the starters sitting out in the fourth quarter," Warner said candidly.
49ers better hope Rams don't misconstrue Fred Warner's comments
When listening to the entire answer, it's clear that Warner intended to focus more on game flow than actual opponents, but, in a world where soundbites are king, his opening one-liner could easily be taken out of context.
At his core, the All-Pro linebacker is a competitor, and he wants to be on the field every single snap. Though he will gladly take a blowout win, he loves a challenge, and the Cardinals presented that in Week 3. That was likely all he was trying to get across to reporters, though it may not have come across exactly how he wanted.
But there is no denying that his answer borders on disrespectful to previous opponents if taken the wrong way. Disregarding the 49ers' first two wins as "not true NFL ball" is a slap in the face to a Rams team that entered the season as overwhelming Super Bowl favorites.
Fred Warner gave Rams potential fuel at the exact wrong time
Not only did Warner accidentally throw shade onto San Francisco's division rivals, but he may have done so at the exact wrong time. The Rams are now 1-2 after a brutal loss to the Denver Broncos in which they beat themselves, and they are arguably nursing more significant injuries than the 49ers. San Francisco might have more bodies on IR, but Los Angeles is without its two best players.
Oftentimes in competition, great teams experience a defining moment at some point in a season. Whether it's embracing an underdog mentality or rallying around a catastrophic injury, football, among other sports, has a tendency to bring the best out of people when the chips are down.
Now, the Rams are now tied for third in the NFC West, and they have to deal with passive-aggressive comments from a division rival. It's the first true adversity they have faced, and it wouldn't take much to motivate a group led by future Hall of Famers Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, and Myles Garrett (who will return from injury in a few weeks) to make a run.
Hopefully, the comments die off without gaining much traction on social media, but if they fall into the wrong hands, they could awaken a sleeping giant and come back to bite the 49ers before the season's end.
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