They say to be the best, you first need to beat the best — and the undefeated 49ers just did that with their latest dominant victory, 20-7, over the reigning NFC champion Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday.
San Francisco is now 5-0 with an average margin of victory of nearly 17 points. The team is second in the NFL in total defense and scoring defense behind only 6-0 New England. The Niners are first against the pass and sixth against the run.
Offensively, the 49ers are No. 3 in scoring and No. 4 in yardage. They are No. 2 in rushing. They are tied for fourth with 12 takeaways after having seven all of last season.
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In other words, by every reasonable statistical measure and eye test, the 49ers are absolutely for real and worth your attention as a true threat to win Super Bowl 54. There's no doubt coach Kyle Shanahan is leading the best 49ers team since their 2012 NFC champion edition with Jim Harbaugh.
They're already headed to one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history, having surpassed their four wins of an injury-riddled 2018 season. Credit the team for having three-year patience with Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, because they're enjoying the fruits of their spectacular roster- and scheme-building labor.
Now the real question is: Just how far can these 49ers go? With a complete roster, a more than competent quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, and few holes beyond the kicking game, they have the capacity to match the 11-4-1 team from 2012 for sure and should have growing confidence they can also win the franchise's first Super Bowl in 25 years. That momentum will grow as the win total does without a blemish.
The 49ers draw the hapless Redskins on the road in Week 7. They're at home for three big games against three winning NFC teams for the rest of October — Panthers, Seahawks and Packers. Mixed in between is the home-and-home division series with the two-win Cardinals.
All those teams are vulnerable to the 49ers' two most dominant elements — run blocking and pass rushing. It would not be the least bit surprising to see the 49ers at 11-0 by the end of November.
December is tougher, with three of their final five games coming away from San Francisco against the Ravens, Saints and Seahawks. The good news so far is that, like the Harbaugh edition of 2012, Shanahan's players are mentally and physically tough road warriors.
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With their demolition of the Rams, preceded by their destruction of the Browns, the 49ers are now also getting the Las Vegas respect they deserve, jumping to double-digit favorites despite playing cross-country at Washington on Sunday
The Patriots remain a heavy favorite in the AFC with the Chiefs fading fast. But with the Rams, Eagles and Cowboys all down to .500, the NFC is more wide open. The 49ers will get their chances at all three one-loss teams — the Seahawks, Packers and Saints.
After this week's L.A. result, you can no longer say San Francisco hasn't played anybody. And before it's all said and done, we'll know exactly how good the 49ers are.
With their full control of both lines of scrimmage and the ability to rip teams from wire to wire in games, these 49ers profile much like the 2013 Seahawks and 2017 Eagles — the last two NFC teams to win the Super Bowl. The 49ers have done plenty to merit their high level of current praise, but they are built to be even more impressive against higher competition.
