San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The San Francisco 49ers are 5-0. They just beat an NFC favorite and now have a few games coming up that they should win before their bye week. Sound familiar?
It should, because it’s a nearly identical situation to when the Niners started the 2023 season 5-0, only to lose three straight. The slump raised major questions about whether the Niners really were the team to beat in the NFC.
Ultimately, the Niners got back on track and ended up getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC that season, but in a perfect world, they will avoid that midseason hiccup this time around. So, how do the Niners do that?
49ers can't take lesser teams lightly like they did in 2023
Obviously, first and foremost, they cannot take any of their upcoming opponents lightly. The Washington Commanders may be 1-3-1 and are coming off an embarrassing tie against the New York Giants, but Jayden Daniels is still dangerous, and Washington gave Seattle its other loss this season. Plus, they will be without linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who was suspended for a game after his headbutt of Ernest Jones on Sunday.
Next week will see the Niners travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Atlanta is 2-3, but when Michael Penix Jr. has been on the field, they've played well, and you can bet the Falcons are going to be motivated going up against 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator who helped blow the 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, and San Francisco's defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was the head coach in Atlanta just last year.
Then, the Niners get their bye week in Week 8. After that, they will face a Las Vegas Raiders team that is 3-2 after a strong 3-0 start to the season. They cannot be taken lightly, and Kirk Cousins will certainly want to go off against Shanahan, his former offensive coordinator in Washington.
49ers' offense needs to continue to pull its weight
San Francisco also has to continue to be productive on offense. When the Niners lost those three straight in 2023, they scored 17 points in each of those games. Brock Purdy started turning the ball over, and the Niners played overall sloppy football. They have to continue their efficient ways and build upon the things they've done well this season.
The good thing is that Purdy is a more complete quarterback than he was in 2023, which is pretty exciting considering he was a legitimate MVP candidate that season. He fully understands Shanahan's offense now, and he is making fewer mistakes and protecting the football.
This whole team looks locked in right now. They don't care about any outside noise, and they have been through so much together that they know now is not the time to let up. This doesn't necessarily mean San Francisco is going 17-0, but there is no reason to expect this squad to drop needless games out of the blue.
The 49ers have been through it all, so expect this experienced bunch to continue to treat every game the same as they look to stockpile wins.
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