The San Francisco 49ers didn’t make it look easy, but they were able to pick up their sixth win of the season against the Washington Redskins in Week 7.
Pending what happens to the New England Patriots tomorrow night against the potentially resurgent New York Jets, the San Francisco 49ers could exit Week 7 as the NFL’s only undefeated team. The 49ers have become the league’s biggest surprise team, one year after their offense was decimated by injuries at every position.
What makes the 49ers so special is their defense, which produced a shutout performance against the Washington Redskins this week. Coming into the game, the Niners were second in the league in points per game allowed and second in pass defense, allowing an incredibly low 4.4 net yards per pass attempt. On Sunday, Case Keenum could only muster 77 passing yards against Richard Sherman and the stingy San Francisco defense.
While the 49ers offense didn’t have a banner game, they do have enough talent on that side of the ball. Jimmy Garoppolo continues to look like a crisp, accurate, and efficient franchise quarterback, and he’s supported by a deep stable of running backs. His pass-catchers aren’t bad either, given that he has elite talent at tight end in George Kittle to go with a couple of quality pieces in rookie Deebo Samuel and speedster Marquise Goodwin. If 2018 breakout star Dante Pettis can get back on track, the 49ers passing attack could fulfill its high potential.
Even though the 49ers are undefeated at 6-0, it may be difficult for some to get behind them as the best team in the NFL. Not only are the undefeated New England Patriots the clear favorites on paper with their experience and execution on both sides of the ball, but teams like the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, and Green Bay Packers can give the Niners a run for their money in the NFC.
Still, the 49ers have a winning formula. They have a franchise quarterback, a running game that can chew up yardage (and clock), and, most importantly, a defense that can stake its claim to being the league’s best.
San Francisco’s pass rush has reached “elite” status after acquiring Dee Ford and Nick Bosa this offseason to go with DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, and Arik Armstead. That is a scary group of young talent. And with Sherman leading the secondary, the 49ers have enough playmakers to take advantage of the devastating pass rush.
Although the 49ers’ struggles on offense against Washington can be seen as a negative, it says a lot about the character of this team that the can buckle down and get the points they need in the second half. And the result says even more about the 49ers defense, which has the ability to carry the offense through ugly games, which could matter in the winter against teams like Green Bay or Minnesota.
The 49ers will need to show more firepower on offense before they can be considered the best team in the league because the Patriots have set quite the standard this season. But they are right there with the Pats and have shown that they are a cut above the rest in the competitive NFC.