What, exactly, are the 49ers?
They're really, really good - how much more can we expect?
Anyone paying attention to the NFL has to notice that the 49ers are playing tremendous football. They’re on an eight-game winning streak - a streak that includes losing their second starting QB to a season-long injury - and the defense has been absolutely stifling to every team that they’ve faced.
Dan Hanzus of the NFL does a weekly “power ranking” of all 32 NFL teams, and for the first time, the 49ers are #1. Here’s Hanzus’s writeup:
The 49ers are a fully-formed death machine destroying everything in their way. The defense is led by Nick Bosa, who likely clinched NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors with a dominant performance in Saturday's 37-20 win over the Commanders. Bosa finished with two sacks and a forced fumble and now has a career-high 17.5 sacks with two games to play. Brock Purdy, meanwhile, is 3-0 as starter after another productive game that featured two long TD passes to George Kittle. "He's just getting the ball to us," Kittle said. "He's great with the football. He puts it on target. He allows guys to run with it." This is exactly what Kyle Shanahan asks from his QB in this offense.
The 49ers started out 3-4, with idiotic losses to the Bears, the Broncos (a team so bad it just fired it’s first year head coach) and the Falcons. The only loss on their record that felt acceptable - and worrisome - was against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs absolutely wrecked the 49ers and had their way with the team. The defense was non-existent, with Patrick Mahomes passing for 423 yards and 3 TDs, while the 49ers allowed five sacks of Jimmy Garoppolo and just boat raced the team.
If I had to make a list of teams that I would worry about the 49ers facing in the playoffs, it’s a short list. In the NFC, it would be folly to ignore the Eagles, who at 13-2 are likely to have home field advantage. (That said, they just lost a starting offensive tackle and Jalen Hurts is nursing an injury.) The Cowboys have the same 11-4 record and I guess can make a statement in the playoffs but I’d bet on the 49ers against them.
In the AFC, the Chiefs are right there and look at full speed. The Bills and the Bengals are also looking quite strong and have offenses and defenses that seem built for the playoffs.
And guys, that’s it. That’s the list. Sure, the Packers can make the playoffs and the Chargers have a good QB, etc. and the beauty of the playoffs is that any team CAN make a run (see, for instance, the Bengals last season). But in terms of legitimate contenders who - further injuries not withstanding - poise a real threat to the 49ers, it’s a very short list. And that’s a fun place to be.