We are entrenched with all that 49ers To do. During Kyle Shanahan’s tenure, it hasn’t been easy to look away from a Niner team that finds a way to make headlines every week. But this season is for the best.
You can’t say Nick Bosa isn’t getting the publicity he deserves anymore, as the 49ers’ star edge rusher has all but won the Defensive Player of the Year award. The attack continues and has been since the arrival of Christian McCaffrey – no matter who is under center.
San Francisco won the NFC West with a few weeks to spare in the regular season and still has an outside chance to earn the No. 1 seed. Of course, we’re putting the cart before the horse here, but the 49ers have no doubt one of the best, if not the best, chances to lift the Lombardi Trophy this season.
Adam Schein of the NFL dot com went through every team in the NFL, and it gave the 49ers the third-best chance to win the superbowl this season:
Color me obsessed with this defense. DeMeco Ryans are a gem and their unit has some real difference makers on all three levels. Nick Bosagets the most attention, and understandably: He just ruined another game with seven tackles, four QB hits, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the 37-20 victory over Washington, Bosa is closing in on Defensive Player of the Year honors. As an Associated Press voter, he’s my current pick for the award, with a league-best 17.5 sacks, including 11.5 over the last nine games. San Francisco also has an additional Pro Bowler at second (Fred Warner) and third level (Talanoa Hufanga). And I didn’t even mention LB Dr GreenlawS jimmy wardCB Charvarius District — three all-star caliber stallions in their own right — or the waves of extra disruptors along Kris Kocurek’s defensive line. It’s true championship defense, which is why the Niners remain squarely in the title hunt despite their third quarterback.
That said, the third-string quarterback deserves a lot of praise; the last choice of 2022 NFL Draft was anything but irrelevant. Take over the injured Jimmy Garoppolo in the second practice of the fight of week 13 against Miami, Brock Purdy skillfully guided San Francisco to a 33-17 victory with a pair of touchdown passes. Since then, he is even better, going 3-0 with sparkling stats across the board: 70% completion, 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio, 121.4 passer rating. the freshly minted 23 years old looks like he belongs, huh? Clearly, Purdy benefits greatly from having an elite play caller in Kyle Shanahan and an assortment of game-changing weapons at his disposal. Whether Deep Samuel Back with fresh (and healthy) legs for the post-season race? Be careful.
You to have starting with defense. For San Francisco to make a run at the Super Bowl, they’ll need to knock out some of the league’s best offenses along the way. There is a plausible scenario where the 49ers path consists of Packers/ Lions, Vikings, Eagles / Cowboys and whatever AFC team makes the Super Bowl – probably Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen.
Perhaps the craziest part is when you think about how DeMeco Ryans and the defense have responded to the bell over the past month and a half, it’s no exaggeration that they’re still the best unit on the field in every game of the playoffs.
A rational person would agree that the 49ers defense is the driving force behind this season’s success. Look no further than last week against Washington. The offense lives on the side of the field commanders, thanks to turnovers and saves from the Niners defense.
There’s still a good chunk of fans waiting for Brock Purdy to make the dreaded rookie mistake. For him to do what all first-year players do at some point. These games have already taken place. Still, the 49ers keep winning, despite playoff teams along the way.
Purdy’s confidence should only grow in the final two games of the regular season. And once the team brings Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell back into the fold, they will only become more powerful.
Do you agree the 49ers have the best chance of coming out of the NFC?
0 Comments