Fred Warner refuses to blame 49ers kicker for first loss of the season

The 49ers' 19-17 loss to the Browns came as a nasty surprise to the previously undefeated NFC juggernauts. The worst part of the game may have been the fact that San Francisco could have won it. On the final drive of the game, the 49ers set up kicker Jake Moody for a 41-yard field goal to clinch the game.

Moody's kick swerved right, and the Browns celebrated like they had won the AFC North.

After the game, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner cautioned others not to put the blame on Moody for losing the game.

Warned said the Browns "earned" the win, and the 49ers didn't.

49ers' Fred Warner shields Jake Moody from blame after Week 6 loss to Browns

Moody, a third-round pick in April, came out of Michigan and had a 100 percent track record going into Week 6. That's impressive considering how many offensive touchdowns the 49ers have scored so far this season and how many extra points Moody in turn converted.

Sunday's 41-yarder didn't feel like too daunting a task for Moody, who broke a CFP record for the longest-made field goal (59 yards) in December of 2022.

Moody's missed kick in Week 6 naturally brought down team morale, yet Warner, the team's respected and humble leader, made good points. The 49ers had several opportunities to take the lead earlier in the game and struggled to build momentum prior to their late fourth-quarter push.

Injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel crippled Kyle Shanahan's offense, which recorded just over 200 scrimmage yards. The league finally saw Brock Purdy for who he was without his shiny weapons: just a regular quarterback.

Neither McCaffrey nor Samuel appeared to sustain serious injuries, boding well for the 49ers' rest of the season. And to heed Warner's words: Don't put this loss on Moody. There will be plenty of chances for the rookie kicker to make it up.