Why Peter King considers 49ers as NFL's best team after Week 1 win
Why Peter King considers 49ers as NFL's best team after Week 1 win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After an emphatic 30-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 49ers have NBC Sports’ Peter King convinced that they are the best team in the NFL.
In his weekly Football Morning In America column, King highlights why he believes the 49ers have established themselves as the team to beat following a dominating performance to start the season.
“Best team in the NFL after 15 games: San Francisco,” King wrote. “The Niners went into Pittsburgh for an early game, rushed for 188 yards, played efficiently and mistake-free in the passing game, held the ball for 37 minutes, sacked Kenny Pickett five times and intercepted him twice, and got a great all-around game from Brandon Aiyuk."
King reiterated he was not shocked the 49ers won, but rather how they completely dismantled what was projected to be a formidable opponent.
“It’s not a surprise San Francisco won,” King wrote. “It’s a surprise they dominated what appeared to be a physically imposing team with a deep defensive front. And the Niners did all this after a strange summer — trading Trey Lance out of nowhere, promoting Sam Darnold to backup QB, not signing franchise edge rusher Nick Bosa till 48 hours before the opener. But some teams can function well in a bubbling cauldron. Kyle Shanahan certainly can.”
One play that stood out to King was wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk storming upfield to make a key block that sprung Christian McCaffrey’s 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
“That’s the style the 49ers have become known for under Shanahan,” King said. “It’s a physical, unselfish style. You might remember GM John Lynch telling me in training camp that the Niners have changed the style of receiver they’re looking for. They’ve gone away from the 4.35 guys, sacrificing speed for physicality.”
King then shared some insight on how the 49ers’ ability to adapt to what they were seeking from the wide receiver position helped them cultivate the physical style of football that is now so heavily rooted in their identity.
“Every one of our scouts could tell you we wanted separators,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said. “That was huge for us. But then, the league evolves, and people start holding and playing physical on the separators. The response to that became Deebo Samuel, a guy who’s thick and strong and powerful. We kind of started playing bully ball because what you realize in today’s football, power and oomph kinda translates.”
“That’s the way the Steelers have traditionally played;” King concluded. “On Sunday, the 49ers beat the Steelers at their own game.”
The 49ers will now look to carry that bully ball style over into their Week 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.
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