The 49ers are 2-0 for the first time since 2012, when they rode their defense, running game and quarterback play all the way to an NFC championship. Although it would be premature to consider them them in Super Bowl contention this early in 2019, they look like they at least will finally live up to their status as sleeper playoff contenders.
San Francisco has put it all together under Kyle Shanahan after going 10-22 in the coach's first two seasons, when the team was let down by either its defense or its QB play. Don't be fooled by the fact that the 49ers have opened by beating the Buccaneers and Bengals, teams that finished a combined 11-21 last season. Look instead at how the Niners are winning.
WATCH: Garoppolo's best throws against Bengals
Jimmy Garoppolo, healthy and fully versed in the offense, had his best game as an NFL starter Sunday. After getting away with a shaky first game post-ACL injury in Tampa Bay, Garoppolo reached near-peak efficiency (17-of-25, 297 yards, 3 TDs, INT, 147.8 passer rating) in Cincinnati.
But the true steady force out of the gate for San Francisco has been its defense.
The 49ers last season finished tied for 21st in sacks (37) and a ridiculous, league-low 2 interceptions. Through two games this year, the 49ers already have 7 sacks and have doubled that interception total with 4, including a pair of pick-sixes of Jameis Winston. Andy Dalton didn't fare much better, as his 311 yards were mostly ineffective, inflated by garbage time.
WATCH: Full 49ers vs. Bengals game highlights
So far, the three big acquisitions for the edge of the 49ers' front seven — Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander — have paid off big-time. Bosa and Ford, an elite combination of ends, each recorded a sack in Week 1. Their top four teammates on the line — DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, Arik Armstead and Ronald Blair — also are on the board with pressure in coordinator Robert Saleh's 4-3 "wide nine" scheme. Alexander has been excellent in coverage, too, with an interception of Dalton to show for it.
With that help up front, top cornerback Richard Sherman remains the carryover shutdown stud, and No. 2 Ahkello Witherspoon has rediscovered his ball-hawking promise. Suddenly a defense that was lacking in impact playmakers has them everywhere, with each level complementing the next one.
The 49ers are playing just as well on the offensive front. Garoppolo has been sacked only once in two games, and they rushed for 259 yards against the Bengals without Tevin Coleman. Although the loss of left tackle Joe Staley to a broken leg stings for the line, they are good at the other positions, led by second-year right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
They can survive with good cohesion in their zone-blocking scheme, and overall, they can continue to achieve their goal of producing ideal complementary football to boost both Garoppolo and the defense.
San Francisco has plenty to clean up, led by penalties and special teams play. The degree of difficulty also will be raised quickly, starting with the desperate Steelers coming to town for the 49ers' home opener in Week 3. Garoppolo has to prove he can be consistently proficient, and the defense must remain relentless.
But the odds of the 49ers making the playoffs, at least as a wild-card team out of the tough NFC West, have shot up after their two successful road trips to start the season. From 2010-18, 37 of the 68 NFL teams (54 percent) that started 2-0 qualified for the postseason.
Speaking of the division, the Rams and Seahawks are the only 2018 playoff teams the 49ers will face in their first 10 games. That's the stretch in which San Francisco to make hay, with five of the next eight games being played at home. Everything gets harder after Thanksgiving, when the 49ers' schedule brings them games against the Packers, Saints and Ravens, plus the rematches with the Rams and Seahawks.
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The 49ers have done all they can do to set the tone for a long-awaited breakthrough season. They have made smart personnel decisions, their designs are strong and they are well-coached.
San Francisco's eight-year drought before the short boom under Jim Harbaugh seemed liked an eternity for the proud, five-ringed franchise. With the Niners now fielding their most complete team in years, the latest playoff layoff has a quicker end in sight.
