49ers being disrespected, ought to be Super Bowl favorites after beating Broncos
SANTA CLARA — This coming Sunday is the date most 49ers fans had circled on their calendar.The NFC West showdown in Seattle carries extra weight in the building, too.After all, there’s no better barometer to measure up against than the defending Super Bowl champions.
But forget about the Seahawks.The Niners already know they belong.Whether it plays out more like the 49ers’ last trip to Lumen Field (a beatdown in the divisional round), or the one before that (a thrilling Week 1 win), it shouldn’t alter what they only further proved with a grind-it-out Week 4 win over the Broncos:The Niners are the most well-rounded — and well-coached — team in the NFL.
The only thing standing between them and a February date at SoFi Stadium is their health.And not even a lengthy injury report, or a 33-year-old’s broken ribs, has been able to deter them — not yet.Despite their phenomenal start to the season, San Francisco boasts the fifth-strongest odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
The Rams, Bills, Ravens, and Seahawks all have shorter odds.That should not be the case.Good football teams have a reliable formula that can win games on a regular basis.Great teams don’t need a blueprint.
They adapt.They can win in any number of ways.With a carload of receivers out, and Mike Evans still in pain, the 49ers didn’t need to ride Brock Purdy; they ran it down the Broncos’ throats.
When their undermanned defense wilted the previous week, Purdy turned in an MVP-worthy performance to pull out a shootout.And when that unit is close to full strength, or at least when it has Nick Bosa, it showed that it’s capable of shutting down a supposedly elite offense in their Week 1 spanking of the Rams. Even while missing their top pass rusher and a handful of other defensive linemen, the 49ers have been able to generate pressure, thanks to Raheem Morris’ creative blitz packages.Deebo Samuel was asked last week why the 49ers’ locker room has seemed more subdued than other tea...