1) Starting to Believe Nick Bosa Could Be Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa continues to live up to the hype and is dominating offensive tackles.
Bosa finished with 4 tackles, 3 sacks and a gorgeous interception that almost turned into a pick six.
He consistently pressures the quarterback and makes plays. The scary part is, he's just getting started.
2) The Run Game Hasn't Missed a Beat
The 49ers ran for 232 yards and five scores against a very stout Carolina defense. What gets overlooked is that this production is happening without both starting offensive tackles and Kyle Juszczyk, the all-important starting fullback.
The scheme is certainly part of it, as we all saw on the Deebo Samuel touchdown. (If you missed the game, you really need to see the highlights. This play design was stunning.)
The truth is, tackles Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill have stepped up in a way few thought possible. The 49ers have also done a great job at utilizing backup tight end Ross Dwelley at both the tight end position and also as a fullback.
The offensive line as a whole (and George Kittle) has been superb thus far at clearing lanes for Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, and Raheem Mostert.
3) Emmanuel Sanders Made an Impact
The stat sheet isn't overly impressive, but Emmanuel Sanders came up big today. He caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. Two of those catches went for first downs and he scored the opening touchdown.
The opening touchdown really set the tone and showed that the offense wasn't going to settle for field goals.
The Sanders pickup is as big of a pickup as anyone else they added this year.
4) The Defense is Elite and Can Carry the Team Far
Carolina came into the game on a four-game winning streak, a quarterback who hadn't lost a game or thrown an interception, and it was coming off a bye. It didn't matter, largely because the 49ers have an elite defense.
The 49ers completely dismantled the offense of the Panthers and finished the day with seven sacks, three interceptions, and held them to 230 yards. Carolina was only able to convert two out of 13 on third down and got stopped both times it went for it on fourth down.
Teams have only been able to score a total of 23 points the last four games and haven't been able to do much of anything. This defense will be a problem for anyone and can truly carry this team. Fortunately, the offense will continue to get better, making this a complete team.
5) Extra Points
- Tevin Coleman showed why the team wanted him. He finished with 115 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. His 48 yard scamper before the half made the game feel like a rout.
- It wasn't all Nick Bosa. Arik Armstead finished with 2 sacks, while D.J. Jones and Ronald Blair also had one apiece.
- Emmanuel Moseley had a big interception that set up the touchdown that put San Francisco up 21-3. He has filled in nicely for Ahkello Witherspoon.
- Richard Sherman continues to show that he is all the way back with his third interception on the year.
- Robbie Gould was perfect on the day with a field goal and made all his extra points. The only failed extra point was a snap mishandled by Mitch Wishnowsky and turned into an incomplete pass.
- The last time the 49ers scored 50 points was on December 7, 2003 against the Cardinals. They also put up 50 points against Atlanta in 1994 when they had their throwback jerseys on.
