1) Nick Bosa is the Real Deal
Despite a lot of noise during the offseason and preseason, Bosa has shown that he is worth that second overall pick. He continues to consistently pressure the quarterback and finished with four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and recovered a fumble.
Bosa is looking like a legitimate Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and should continue to improve. It's turning out to be a good thing the 49ers didn't give Cleveland their second overall pick for Odell Beckham.
2) The Running Game is Dominant
Whether it's Matt Breida bursting through a hole for an 83-yard touchdown run on the first offensive play from scrimmage, Tevin Coleman grinding out nearly 100 yards on tough yardage as well as chunk plays, or reverses and tight end end-arounds, this run game is devastating to opposing defenses.
They finished with 275 yards on the ground (Breida finished with 114 yards), and for this offense, the ground game opens everything up. When the running game is successful, the play-action works to perfection, and every skill player has a role.
If the ground game continues to be productive, this offense will be very difficult to stop. Overall, the team finished with 446 yards of offense and had 22 first downs. Oh, and by the way, it only had four penalties tonight!
3) The 49ers Continue to Show Their Depth in Key Areas
When Joe Staley and Ahkello Witherspoon went down, there was a lot of unrest and uncertainty as to how the backups would fare.
Rookie tackle Justin Skule has performed admirably thus far against Pittsburgh's pass rush and Myles Garrett, and that has made a world of difference knowing they can continue to protect Jimmy Garoppolo while Staley recovers.
Undrafted cornerback Emmanuel Moseley faced a big test, going up against Odell Beckham, and didn't blink. Beckham finished with only two receptions, and Moseley had a big pass breakup in the endzone. He did not get beat and allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
The front office again should be credited with these finds. Skule was a sixth-round pick in this year's draft, and Moseley was an undrafted find.
4) This Defense Can Be Leaned Upon
We all know the running game is great, and Jimmy Garoppolo is a very good quarterback, but the defense is special. The pass rush isn't just Nick Bosa. DeForest Buckner a terrific defensive tackle. Dee Ford is a proven edge rusher who can get to the quarterback and force fumbles. Arik Armstead is coming into his own as a pass rusher and run defender.
Then there are the linebackers Kwon Alexander and Fred Warner who are leaders and able to stop the run and defend the pass.
Richard Sherman looks like his old self. This defense is difficult to move the ball against, and it can close out games with the pass rush. As good as the offense is, it may be the defense that is the most valuable.
5) This Team is Out to Prove the Doubters Wrong
Whether it's Ryan Clark, Stephen A. Smith, Nate Burleson, or anyone who wants to knock their schedule thus far, the 49ers are well aware of the complete disrespect they receive in the media and made a statement under the big lights.
Offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey said after the game, "This should put to rest the idea of a fake undefeated team."
You can only play who is on your schedule. Tampa Bay has played much better since Week 1 and put up 55 against the Rams. It is a missed field goal away from a 3-2 record. Yes, the Bengals are bad, but the 49ers completely dominated them. Good teams dominate bad teams.
Pittsburgh? It has a good defense and took the Ravens, who have gotten a lot of praise thus far, to overtime. The Browns went into this game with a 2-2 record and also received a lot of praise for defeating the Ravens after scoring 40 points in their win.
It is extremely weak and lazy to simply say the 49er opponents have a 5-15 record as if the 49ers are expected to win the conference and have played terrible teams. Besides the Bengals, all of the 49er opponents have played well in a few of their games. The Niners have done what they have needed to in order to win difficult games and have dominated in two of their games. That is no fluke.
San Francisco has shown tremendous growth and would have lost to Tampa and Pittsburgh last year or the year before. The bottom line is, the 49ers are division and playoff contenders. It is unfair to move the goalposts and hold them to a Super Bowl contender standard at this point. They are undefeated and deserve some respect.
