49ers rolling up convincing wins reminiscent of some of their best teams
With five games remaining, the 49ers' ability to produce double-digit wins has been exceeded only twice in their history.
Steve Young sounded as if he could hardly believe the words as they came out of his mouth.
And while he qualified it to make sure people understood there is no such thing as a lock when it comes to predicting a championship in the NFL, the guts of what he said during his weekly appearance on KNBR is as follows:
“I don’t want to say in early December this team is a lock for the Super Bowl, but without injury, how does anyone beat ’em?” Young said Wednesday. “They look as good and talented as a team has been since the Cowboys of the early ’90s, our (teams) in the early 90s. They look that good. Top to bottom.”
The 49ers (9-3) host the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
With their most recent one-sided win coming 42-19 against defending NFC champion Philadelphia, the 49ers are outscoring opponents by 13.6 points per game. Only Dallas, a team the 49ers beat 40-12, has a higher margin at 14.0. Since the start of the Super Bowl era, the 49ers have only had two seasons where they averaged more — 1984 under Bill Walsh when they went 15-1 and won the Super Bowl, and 1987 when they were 13-2 in a strike-shortened season but their first playoff game to Minnesota.
Of the seven 49ers teams that have outscored their opposition by 10 or more points per game, three have been coached by Shanahan. Here they are in order of the biggest average margin per game:
1984
Record: 15-1
Coach: Bill Walsh
Scoring: 1st in offense 29.7; 2nd in defense 17.1
Average margin: 15.5 points
Offensive standouts: QB Joe Montana (3,630 yards, 28 TDs, 10 int, 102.9 rating) RB Wendell Tyler (1,262 yards, 7 TDs), RB Roger Craig (649 yards rushing, 71 receptions, 675 yards, 11 TDs), Freddie Solomon (40 receptions, 737 yards, 11 TDs), Dwight Clark (52 receptions, 880 yards, 6 TDs), T Keith Fahnhorst, G Randy Cross, CB Eric Wright
Defensive standouts: CB Ronnie Lott (4 interceptions), DE Dwaine Board (10 sacks), LB Keena Turner (4 interceptions, 2 sacks) NT Michael Carter (4 sacks)
All-Pro: QB Joe Montana (2nd team), T Keith Fahnhorst (1st team), G Randy Cross (2nd team), CB Eric Wright (2nd team)
Losses: 20-17 to Pittsburgh, Week 7, at Candlestick Park
Close calls: 30-27 over Detroit in Week 1; 19-16 over L.A. Rams in Week 16.
Largest margin: 51-7 over Minnesota, Week 15
End result: Beat Miami 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium
1987
Record: 13-2*
Coach: Bill Walsh
Scoring: 1st in offense 30.6, third in defense 16.9
Average margin: 13.7
Offensive standouts: QB Joe Montana (3,054 yards, 31 TDs, 13 interceptions, 102.1 passer rating), RB Roger Craig (815 yards, rushing, 66 receptions for 492 yards, 4 TDs), WR Jerry Rice (65 receptions, 1,078 yards, 22 TDs)
Defensive standouts: FS Ronnie Lott (5 interceptions), LB Charles Haley (6 1/2 sacks)
All-Pro: QB Joe Montana (1st team), WR Jerry Rice (1st team), NT Michael Carter (1st team), S Ronnie Lott (1st team)
Losses: 30-17 to Pittsburgh in Week 1, 26-24 to New Orleans in Week 10
Close calls: 27-26 over Cincinnati in Week 2; 34-28 over St. Louis Cardinals in Week 6
Largest margin: 48-0 win over Los Angeles Rams in Week 17
End result: Lost 36-24 to Minnesota in divisional round at Candlestick Park
*-Played 15-game season due to labor dispute
2023
Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Record: 10-3
Scoring: 3rd in offense 29.3, 2nd in defense 15.8.
Average margin: 13.6
Offensive standouts: QB Brock Purdy (3,185 yards, 23 TDs, 6 interceptions, 116.1 passer rating), RB Christian McCaffrey (1,032 yards rushing, 51 receptions for 429 yards, 17 TDs), WR Brandon Aiyuk (50 receptions for 927 yards, 6 TDs), TE George Kittle (50 receptions, 735 yards, 5 TDs), WR Deebo Samuel (38 receptions, 590 yards, 160 yards rushing, 7 TDs), T Trent Williams
Defensive standouts: DE Nick Bosa (8 sacks), LB Fred Warner (3 interceptions, 99 tackles), DT Javon Hargrave (6 sacks), LB Dre Greenlaw (86 tackles), CB Charvarius Ward (2 interceptions, 56 tackles)
All-Pro: To be determined
Losses: 19-17 at Cleveland in Week 6, 22-17 at Minnesota in Week 7, 31-17 vs. Cincinnati in Week 8
Close calls: None yet
Largest margin: 34-3 over Jacksonville, Week 10
End result: To be determined
1994
Coach: George Seifert
Record: 13-3
Scoring: 1st in offense 31.6, 5th in defense 18.5
Average margin: 13.1
Offensive standouts: QB Steve Young (3,969 yards, 35 TDs 10 interceptions, 112.8 passer rating), RB Ricky Watters (877 yards rushing, 66 receptions for 719 yards, 11 TDs), Jerry Rice (112 receptions, 1,499 yards, 13 TDs), TE Brent Jones (49 receptions, 670 yards, 9 TDs)
Defensive standouts: S Merton Hanks (7 interceptions), CB Deion Sanders (6 interceptions, 3 TDs), DT Bryant Young (6 sacks), LB Ken Norton Jr. (86 tackles)
All-Pro: QB Steve Young (1st team), WR Jerry Rice (1st team), TE Brent Jones (2nd team), CB Deion Sanders (1st team), S Merton Hanks (2nd team)
Losses: 24-17 at Kansas City in Week 2, 40-8 vs. Philadelphia in Week 5, 21-14 at Minnesota in Week 17
Close calls: 31-27 vs. Rams in Week 12
Largest margin: 42-3 at Atlanta in Week 7
End result: Won 49-26 vs. San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX in Miami
1989
Coach: George Seifert
Record: 14-2
Scoring: 1st in offense (27.6), 3rd in defense (15.8)
Average margin: 11.8
Offensive standouts: QB Joe Montana (3,521 yards, 26 TDs, 8 interceptions, 112.4 passer rating), RB Roger Craig (1,054 yards rushing, 49 receptions for 473 yards receiving, 7 TDs), FB Tom Rathman (73 receptions for 616 yards), Jerry Rice (82 receptions, 1,483 yards, 17 TDs), John Taylor (60 receptions, 1077 yards, 10 TDs), TE Brent Jones (40 receptions, 500 yards)
Defensive standouts: DE Charles Haley (10 1/2 sacks), DE Pierce Holt (10 1/2 sacks), Kevin Fagan (7 sacks), FS Ronnie Lott (5 interceptions), CB Eric Wright (2 interceptions)
All-Pro: QB Joe Montana (1st team), WR Jerry Rice (1st team), PK Mike Cofer (1st team), KR John Taylor (2nd team), S Ronnie Lott (1st team)
Losses: 13-12 to L.A. Rams in Week 3, 21-17 to Green Bay in Week 11
Close calls: 30-27 over L.A. Rams in Week 14 (trailed 27-10), 24-20 over New Orleans in Week 5
Largest margin: 45-3 over Atlanta in Week 10
End result: 55-10 over Denver in Super Bowl XXIV in New Orleans (won three playoff games by a combined (126-26)
2019
Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Record: 13-3
Scoring: 2nd in offense 29.9; 8th in defense 19.4
Average margin: 10.5
Offensive standouts: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (3,978 yards passing, 27 TDs, 13 interceptions, 102.0 passer rating), RB Raheem Mostert (772 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns), TE George Kittle (85 receptions, 1,053 yards, 5 TDs), WR Deebo Samuel (57 receptions, 802 yards, 6 TDs), T Joe Staley
Defensive standouts: LB Fred Warner (119 tackles), DE Nick Bosa (9 sacks), DE Arik Armstead (10 sacks), DT DeForest Buckner (7 1/2 sacks), CB Richard Sherman (3 interceptions), FS Jimmie Ward (61 tackles)
All-Pro: TE George Kittle (1st team), DT DeForest Buckner (2nd team), CB Richard Sherman (2nd team)
Losses: 27-24 in OT vs. Seattle in Week 10; 20-17 at Baltimore in Week 13; 29-22 vs. Atlanta in Week 15
Largest margin: 51-13 vs. Carolina in Week 8
End result: Lost 31-20 to Kansas City in Super Bowl LIV in Miami
2022
Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Record: 13-4
Scoring: 6th on offense (26.4), 1st on defense (16.3)
Average margin: 10.2
Offensive standouts: RB Christian McCaffrey (746 yards rushing, 52 receptions for 464 yards receiving, 10 TDs, 1 TD pass), QB Jimmy Garoppolo (2,437 yards passing, 16 TDs, 4 interceptions, 103.1 passer rating), QB Brock Purdy (1,374 yards passing, 13 TDs, 4 interceptions, 107.3 rating), WR Brandon Aiyuk (78 receptions, 1,015 yards, 6 TDs), TE George Kittle (60 receptions, 765 yards, 11 TDs), WR Deebo Samuel (56 receptions, 632 yards, 2 TDs), T Trent Williams
Defensive standouts: DE Nick Bosa (18 1/2 sacks), MLB Fred Warner (130 tackles), LB Dre Greenlaw (127 tackles), S Talanoa Hufanga (4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 1 TD)
All-Pro: DE Nick Bosa (1st team), T Trent Williams (1st team), LB Fred Warner (1st team), S Talanoa Hufanga (1st team), TE George Kittle (2nd team), ST George Odum (2nd team)
Losses: 19-10 at Chicago, Week 1; 11-10 at Denver, Week 3; 28-14 at Atlanta, Week 6; 44-23 vs. Kansas City, Week 7
Largest margin: 38-10 at Arizona in Week 11; 35-7 vs. Tampa Bay in Week 14
End result: Lost 31-7 to Philadelphia in NFC Championship Game