After a shaky start to the season, the San Francisco 49ers may be starting to build some momentum.
They notched a huge win in Week 4 versus the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, 24-9, and on Sunday, they blasted the struggling Carolina Panthers, 37-15.
For Carolina, the loss was so bad that it fired head coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow just hours later.
With a 3-2 record, the 49ers currently hold sole ownership of the best record in the NFC West, and the talk surrounding the team is starting to shift from doom and gloom to hope and optimism.
Could it be that they have returned to being one of the NFC’s elite teams, and if so, where do they rank among them?
The Niners Are Winning With D
The thing that makes the 49ers go more than anything else is their defense, and through five games, they’re tops in points allowed, total yards allowed, first downs allowed and passing touchdowns allowed.
On Sunday, they harassed Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield into going 20 of 36, zero touchdowns, an interception and four sacks.
Carolina has also held to a paltry 64 rushing yards for the game, and it only managed to convert on three of its 15 third downs.
Going back to the Jim Harbaugh regime about a decade ago, the 49ers have won with defense.
In fact, even their storied dynasty teams from the 1980s and 1990s tended to win Super Bowl when they rose to elite status on the defensive side of the football.
Defense is the key to winning championships, especially in the NFL, and a team like the 49ers that suffocates teams on that side of the ball will almost always have a shot at winning.
However, there are still two big concerns.
The Niners’ Offense Needs Improvement
Through Week 5, San Francisco is just 16th in points scored, 19th in passing touchdowns, 20th in total yards and 25th in passing yards.
Although its offensive performance seems to be improving, one cannot say with a straight face that its offense is currently good enough to win the Super Bowl.
All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel had another quiet outing with just 20 yards on two receptions, and even though he was targeted nine times, he dropped quite a few of those passes.
Fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk showed spark with 58 yards on three catches, but overall, the 49ers’ wideouts haven’t produced that much so far this year.
The good news is that tight end George Kittle, who had also been quiet, started to come alive on Sunday with five catches and 47 yards, as they looked to get him involved early.
#49ers George Kittle doing George Kittle things 🙌🏼
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) October 9, 2022
Injuries
The injury woes continue to pile up for the 49ers.
Starting running back Elijah Mitchell and star offensive lineman Trent Williams, among others were already out with knee and ankle injuries, respectively, but on Sunday, two more key contributors got hurt.
Placekicker Robbie Gould got hit and suffered a knee contusion, star pass rusher Nick Bosa injured his groin, defensive back Emmanuel Moseley tore his ACL and Jimmie Ward broke his hand.
#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan injury updates:
– Emmanuel Moseley: ACL tear
– Jimmie Ward: has broken hand that will require surgery
– Nick Bosa: groin strain, reevaluate Wednesday
– Robbie Gould: knee contusion, reevaluate Wednesday, working out kickers tomorrow just in case— Lindsey Pallares (@lindseylares) October 10, 2022
This is the third straight season that the injury bug has hit San Francisco hard, and if it doesn’t abate, it will eventually result in unnecessary losses.
Final Verdict
The 49ers are certainly in the mix for NFC supremacy, as they appear to have the ability to convincingly beat anyone at any time on the strength of their defense.
But three teams – the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys – have better records, and the Niners need more victories against teams such as them to truly prove they’re Super Bowl contenders.
At worst, they’re in the second tier of the conference or the entire NFL as a team that can contend but isn’t one of the prime favorites to win it all, at least for now.
NEXT: Jimmy Garoppolo Gives Honest Admission About Injury