Sherman confident 49ers, not Cowboys, are NFC's best team

Sherman confident 49ers, not Cowboys, are NFC's best team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers and Dallas Cowboys separated themselves from the pack with statement wins in their respective season openers.

On FS1's "Undisputed" on Monday, analysts Richard Sherman and Skip Bayless debated which of these two powerhouses is the team to beat in the NFC.

Sherman made his case for why the 49ers are the NFC's best team following a dominant showing in Pittsburgh, citing San Francisco's incredible amount of offensive star power.

"They let every one of their playmakers touch the ball in this first drive," Sherman said. "Hey, Deebo Samuel, you want a better year? Bang, get busy. Who's next, Fourth and one? George Kittle, get us what we need. Every single one of their playmakers, including Christian McCaffrey, showed what they can do and how dynamic this offense can be.

"To cap it off with a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk on Patrick Peterson, an All-Pro future Hall of Fame corner, that's what the best team and one of the best offenses in football looks like."

It's not just the offense that has Sherman convinced, as the former All-Pro cornerback also gave a nod to a 49ers defense that surrendered just seven points on the road against a formidable opponent.

"Then we go to the defensive side of the ball, and you got multiple interceptions in the secondary," Sherman said. "Charvarius Ward gets a pick on the second drive of the game. Talanoa Hufanga picks off a tipped pass from All-Pro Fred Warner. Then you got Nicholas John Bosa, who didn't register a sack in the game, but Drake Jackson had three. [Javon] Hargrave had one, and Kerry Hyder had one, so there are still five sacks in the game.

"Bosa brings a lot of attention, but when you have All-Pro's at every level of the defense, it makes it hard.

"I know you talk about CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks and those guys, but Aiyuk had more catches and yards than Lamb and Cook combined in this game. He had 8 for 129 and two touchdowns on an All-Pro."

Bayless acknowledged that the 49ers are a force to be reckoned with, but he is not convinced their defense is as good as the Dallas defense that pitched a shutout in New York on Sunday night.

"Right here and right now, the 49ers offense is slightly better than the Cowboys offense, I concede that," Bayless said.

"But my defense is a little better, and I have respect for your defense in San Francisco, but my defense is the best defense in pro football.

"I've said from the start, my team will go only as far as the defense carries it, especially Micah Parsons. You saw him last night; he destroyed the Giants pretty much singlehandedly. He set the tone with his closing speed ... He personally wrecked that game by himself.

"I'll give you Nicholas John Bosa. He is a man's man, a monster of a man. But I'll take Micah over Bosa. I think Micah is going to be the Defensive Player of the Year in just his third year in this league. He is more of a game wrecker to me than even Bosa is."

While Bosa is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Parsons has finished as the runner-up in each of his first two seasons.

The 49ers and Cowboys meet in Week 5 at Levi's Stadium and they are on a collision course for a trilogy NFC playoff showdown this year, following back-to-back seasons where San Francisco ended Dallas' season in postseason games that went down to the wire.

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