Right off the top, let's make one thing clear: Nobody else in the NFL is Fred Warner, and replacing him was always going to be a tough task taken on by multiple members of the San Francisco 49ers defense.
But second-year pro Tatum Bethune did everything he could to take over the All-Pro's spot all on his own, and in his second career start, Bethune shone in the 49ers' 20-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
The concern coming into Sunday night's game was two-fold. Could the beat-up Niners defense stop Bijan Robinson, a battering ram of a running back who has made life difficult for even the best defenses so far this season? And if they focused on him, was the combination of wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts good enough to take advantage of that?
The answer to both of those questions was basically "yes," and Bethune was a vital part of both, particularly the job done on Robinson, who managed just 40 yards rushing on 14 carries, although he did catch six passes for 52 yards. But the Niners didn't let Robinson beat them, often because Bethune was constantly putting himself in the right position to make tackles.
The linebacker led the 49ers with 10 total tackles, include one for loss, and was generally flying around and making plays. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh had Bethune blitzing to help create pressure as well, and the former seventh-round pick used his speed to his advantage in those situations.
The major loss with Warner missing in the middle of the field, however, was in pass coverage. NBC's Cris Collinsworth mentioned this a few times on the broadcast, but there was a Warner-sized hole in that section of the field, and Falcons quarterback Michael Penix often looked to a target who might otherwise have been smothered by Warner in Pitts.
Pitts caught seven passes for 62 yards, and generally used his large frame to create space between him and the 49ers defensive backs who were tasked with covering him.
But Penix and the Falcons offense were never truly able to get settled in because of the job that Bethune was doing to set the tone in the run game. The lack of offensive rhythm clearly set Atlanta back, and Penix proved he wasn't up to the task when called upon.
Warner is a massive missing element in the San Francisco defense, and nobody is going to replace him in that linebacker group.
But Bethune showed the unit, and by extension, the rest of the defense might be more than capable of holding its own throughout the rest of the season in Warner's absence.