Huff had played a crucial role in the 49er defense shutting down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, and the injuries to Okuayinonu and Elliott exacerbated the problem for San Francisco that was a constant on defense throughout — a failure to make the Houston offense pay on third down.

The long string of injuries that have haunted the San Francisco 49ers all season finally became too much to overcome for at least one week. The defense miss

The performance against the Houston Texans highlighted several areas that need improvement. The 49ers are learning to cope without their two main defensive stars, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, for the remainder of the season. Losing both so early could suggest the team may explore a trade before the deadline to help support the rookies.

The 49ers still aren’t sure if Brock Purdy will play against Giants, but surface at MetLife Stadium will not be a factor.

There were a couple of good things, plenty of bad, and enough ugly from the 49ers in Week 8 against the Texans.

The Houston Texans jumped on the San Francisco 49ers early in an impressive bounce-back performance Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Texans’ 26-15 win was their first over San Francisco since 2009.

The San Francisco 49ers endured a three-hour root canal Sunday that served as a reminder that things can get really ugly when potential first-ballot Hall of Famers are replaced by second-stringers.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz collects quarterback C.J. Stroud's outlet pass for a 17-yard catch-and-run gain against the San Francisco 49ers. Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson races down the sideline following a dime over the middle from quarterback C.J. Stroud against the San Francisco 49ers.