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Are the 49ers the best team in the NFC?

By Kevin Parvizi

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 27: San Francisco 49ers Running Back Tevin Coleman (26) scores his third touchdown of the first half during the NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 27: San Francisco 49ers Running Back Tevin Coleman (26) scores his third touchdown of the first half during the NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Week 8 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers was supposed to be the best game on the slate, but the Niners worked quickly to make sure that it wouldn’t even be a contest.

A week after riding their defense to a 9-0 win over one of the NFL’s worst teams, the San Francisco 49ers put on an absolute clinic on offense against the Carolina Panthers. This game against Carolina was supposed to be a tight contest, as Carolina was riding high with young quarterback Kyle Allen. The Panthers came into Week 8 with a 4-2 record, including a perfect 3-0 tally on the road.

They were met by a 49ers team that scored early and often. Kyle Shanahan favorite Tevin Coleman had a massive game, showing his full playmaking potential as a passer and a rusher with 101 yards from scrimmage in the first half and two touchdowns on a mere six touches.

Jimmy Garoppolo had another franchise quarterback-level showing, confirming that he is here to stay as the 49ers answer at the position. He completed 14-of-17 passes with two touchdowns and one interception in the first half, leading the Niners to a 27-3 lead that essentially put the game to bed before it ever started. By the end, the 49ers put up 51 points to Carolina’s 13.

What more superlatives can be said about the 49ers defense? Before the fourth quarter had even begun, they forced Kyle Allen, who had impressed so much lately that some have openly wondered if he should remain the starter over Cam Newton, into three interceptions. One of those picks was a particularly athletic effort from Nick Bosa, serving as yet another addition to his Defensive Rookie of the Year resume.

The 49ers’ elite pass rush made life impossible for Allen in the pocket. Carolina’s quarterback could barely complete half of his passes and was stuck trying to rely on MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey, who ended up being the lone threat to the Niners defense. San Francisco recorded six sacks, including three from Bosa and two from Arik Armstead.

Defensively, it was business as usual for the 49ers, as they are built on a hungry secondary and a pass rush that just might be the league’s best, brightest, and deepest. Offensively, Week 8 served as an opportunity for the Niners to get back on track after being held out of the end zone in Week 7, and Garoppolo and Co. managed to do exactly that.

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It looks like the Emmanuel Sanders trade is already paying dividends for San Francisco, and after this win to bump their record up to 7-0, they are safely neck-and-neck with the NFL’s other undefeated team, the reigning champion New England Patriots, for the claim to be the league’s best.

Although the NFC is stocked with talented teams like the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints, the Niners are still the cream of the crop in their conference. As scary as the Saints are with Drew Brees back and their defense firing on all cylinders, the depth of talent that the 49ers have on both sides of the ball is alarming. And now, nobody can deny an undefeated team that just absolutely owned a very good Panthers team at home. The 49ers are legit, and they are the best team in the NFC until proven otherwise.