The 49ers’ extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a resounding 31-3 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium. It’s becoming harder to ignore San Francisco on the grounds of strength of schedule, and Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire illustrated that in his power rankings. He moved the 49ers up to No. 2 from No. 12 after their Week 5 win.
While San Francisco hasn’t played a top-tier team yet, they’ve been beating their opponents soundly. Even their 24-20 win over the Steelers was more of a thorough rout than the score indicated.
It’s hard to find a lot of flaws through the 49ers’ first 4-0 start since 1990. Farrar pointed to their diverse run game and pass rush as two things that have carried them, and could keep carrying them, throughout the season:
Their systemic beatdown of the Browns on Monday night was a case in point. Cleveland’s vaunted defensive front had no answers for Shanahan’s inside and outside zone calls, whams, pulls and backfield motions. And the defense? Yikes. Nick Bosa was absolutely unstoppable against the Browns’ offensive tackles, and a team that had two interceptions all last season now has seven through four games. Does the road to the NFC now go through the Bay Area? Tough to argue otherwise at this point.
San Francisco has their first huge road test of the year Sunday when they visit the Rams in Southern California. It’s the first division game of the year for the 49ers, and it’s their chance to unseat the reigning NFC West champions.
A few stats illustrate the 49ers’ dominance this season, but their point differential is what stands out the most. Their +70 mark is the second-highest in the league behind the New England Patriots, and they’re way ahead of the Cowboys – the team directly behind them.
A win Sunday could help the 49ers unseat the Patriots atop these rankings. Even if it doesn’t, it would secure their place among the NFL’s elite, and erase any doubts about their undefeated start.
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