Inman: Time for 49ers to prove their ‘next man up’ can win — after losing three straight

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Brock Purdy took one last question at and looked as glum as expected after the 49ers’ third straight loss in a runaway season.

How odd does it feel to be missing Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, and now again?

“Obviously those are some guys that have a lot of credibility with their careers in what they’ve done and they’re the best of the best,” Purdy answered. “So when you don’t have those guys around and their presence, you can feel it’s not there. Yeah, it stinks.”

The 49ers (5-7) are not credible contenders anymore. They have lost three in a row, the last two on the road in and Sunday night’s .

“We definitely know we have some people out and stuff,” coach Kyle Shanahan said, “but we can play a lot better than that.”

Prove it.

Purdy, Shanahan and other 49ers insisted they have enough players to rebound from this. Five games are left. Which players remain for it?

McCaffrey, barring a miraculous playoff push, will be shut down with the posterior cruciate knee ligament injury that spurred his second-quarter exit Sunday night.