Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in January 2019. Photo by David290, CC-BY-SA-4.0, resized.Five and oh, built on points
Inside Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Photo by Matthew Roth, CC-BY-SA-2.0, resized.The other 5-0
Only two teams are undefeated through five weeks: the Vikings and the 49ers. Minnesota has allowed 64 points. San Francisco has scored 154.
Kyle Shanahan’s club is first in the NFC West, 3-0 at home and 2-0 on the road, with a plus-61 point differential — best in the league.
- 49ers 27, Rams 7 in Los Angeles
- 49ers 35, Dolphins 13 at Levi's Stadium
- 49ers 36, Cardinals 30 at home
- 49ers 24, Broncos 14 at home
- 49ers 32, Seahawks 29 in Seattle
Brock Purdy with Iowa State in 2021. Photo by Jar-Lar, CC-BY-SA-4.0, resized.An offense that finishes
San Francisco averages 30.8 points per game, third in the league, on 365 yards and 6.4 yards per play. The red-zone touchdown rate is 87.5 percent, first in the NFL. They are converting 51.9 percent of third downs.
Brock Purdy has completed 98 of 142 passes for 1,196 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. His 119.3 passer rating leads the early-season table among qualified starters.
Points scored, week by week
Christian McCaffrey in 2019. Photo by All-Pro Reels, CC-BY-SA-2.0, resized.McCaffrey and Kittle
Christian McCaffrey has five rushing touchdowns on 286 yards, plus 19 catches for 137 yards. George Kittle has 21 receptions for 268 yards and four scores. Between them they account for nine of San Francisco’s 20 touchdowns.
Touchdowns through Week 5
The other side of the ball
The defense is not the Vikings’ wall, but it is top-tier. San Francisco allows 18.6 points and 297.2 yards per game, both third in the league. Opponents are averaging 4.7 yards per play.
Fred Warner leads the team with 50 tackles. Renardo Green has three interceptions and five passes defended. The unit forced seven turnovers against five of its own.
Points allowed, week by week
Week 3 against Arizona and Week 5 in Seattle were the stress tests. The 49ers still left both with wins. A three-point road escape at Lumen Field kept the perfect record intact.
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in January 2019. Photo by David290, CC-BY-SA-4.0, resized.What 5-0 buys you
The Chiefs are 4-0 after a bye. The Vikings are 5-0 on defense. San Francisco is 5-0 on shotgun scoring. Next up: Washington at Levi’s Stadium on Oct. 20, then Atlanta on the road.
- Commanders at Levi's Stadium
- At Atlanta
- Raiders at home after the Week 7 bye window
Unbeaten clubs, points for (through 5 weeks*)
*Kansas City has played four games. San Francisco’s 154 points are already 45 more than Minnesota’s total, on the same number of games. The question for November is whether the red-zone machine and Warner’s front seven can keep both ends this loud.
Shanahan teams have lived on the edge of injury reports before. This one is 5-0 with Purdy upright, McCaffrey scoring and a secondary that has stolen three balls already. The Vikings proved you can win ugly at 5-0. The 49ers are proving you can win loud.
No published comments yet. Start the conversation.