5-0
Always the best way to start these. The San Francisco 49ers are undefeated and have now collected three wins in the NFC West, two of which are away games. If you told me they were going to be 5-0, but they’d have the injuries they have, I’d have a hard time believing it. But now that I see this 5-0, I’m getting giddier thinking about what this team will be like when they get some of those pieces back.
As for the rest of the division? Well, they all lost. So it’s another wonderful week of football
for 49ers fans.
Brock Purdy remains in the MVP conversation; however, he’s now with second-best odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, below Josh Allen after the latter’s legs secured a win for the Buffalo Bills Monday night. Allen’s odds are only +50 better, so it’s nothing huge, and Purdy still deserves to be in the MVP conversation. If you disagree, watch that fourth-quarter drive that Purdy put together that should have ended after ridiculous penalties were called. Instead, Purdy took care of things, put the 49ers in the lead, and set things up for the back-and-forth left to play out.
Speaking of that game…
San Francisco 49ers (5-0)/Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Two days removed, what can I say about this game that hasn’t been said? The 49ers are 5-0 and have beaten the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks to get there. If there’s any question about how “good” they are, that can be put to rest. In fact, they’ll get better once their pieces recover and return.
But that game. Watchthe recaps if you can. It will definitely be one of the year’s best when the season ends. While the 49ers had 29 points scored on them, that defense was beyond filthy, and they weren’t even at full strength. Just think what happens when Nick Bosa gets back to a defensive line that had five sacks without him against the Seahawks.
The Seahawks now have two losses in three weeks. Things don’t get easier on their schedule. First, they have to go Mile High on a short week to face the Denver Broncos. Then they host the Kansas City Chiefs, followed by the Chicago Bears. That’s not a good three-game stretch. As a 49ers fan, rooting for the Chiefs isn’t exactly an ideal rooting situation, but we’ve all done worse.
The Seahawks aren’t in trouble—yet. But after that stretch, they may have an issue, depending on the win/loss total They don’t face the 49ers again until Week 12, which means we can get that game out of the way before the final season stretch.
Right now, the Seahawks are two games behind the 49ers. That’s huge.
Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
After forcing a three-and-out on the Detroit Lions’ opening drive, the Cardinals drove down the field. With five minutes left in the first quarter, a touchdown was secured and a 7-0 lead established.
And then the Lions proceeded to beat the ever-loving snot out of the Cardinals. By half, that 7-0 Cardinals lead turned into a 24-7 Lions lead. And it kept growing, and growing, and going, and going. The Cardinals wouldn’t score again until the third quarter was winding down; by then it was over anyway.
45-21, Lions.
Jacoby Brissett took five sacks and threw an interception while Lions quarterback Jared Goff went 19 for 30, 271 yards passing, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The Lions fumbled the ball three times but recovered all of them. It’s safe to say nothing went the Cardinals’ way today.
Well, on the field. Off the field, they made a little trade to make up for that fourth overall pick they burned a few years back. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and a seventh-round pick were traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for a second and sixth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Harrison’s time in Arizona was underwhelming to say the least, and the Cardinals got something back for their fourth overall selection in 2024. Some may write Harrison off as a bust, but given how good he was in college (not to mention being the son of a Hall of Famer), a change of scenery may be what he needs.
The Cardinals will be worse for it in 2026, even if Harrison wasn’t lighting the field on fire. In any case, the Cardinals not only lose to the Lions, but they also lose Harrison, as he is now playing with DeMeco Ryans.
Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
The greatest football team ever assembled (according to, well, someone) is now 2-3. Their only wins come against the New York Giants, who had to switch to their backup quarterback in the first quarter, and the Philadelphia Eagles, who have some serious dysfunction.
Of course, in their losing effort against the Buffalo Bills, it looked like the opposite might happen. With little time left in regulation, the Rams went down the field with ease to tie things at 34-34, just before the clock struck 00:00. The Bills, getting the ball first, moved down the field with a chance to set the score up. It was shaping up to be another touchdown. Then this happened:
Thanks, James Cook. Thanks for nothing.
The Rams then made quick work of the Bills’ wet paper bag of a defense and set things up for the game-winning field goal. No one wants to switch places with James Cook after that fumble, but I think the NFL got it right by saying we all shared his reaction to the kick:
My hypothesis for Josh Allen getting a small gap over Brock Purdy in the MVP odds is what happened when the Bills took over following that botch. It no longer was 11 on 11; it was Allen vs. the other 11 Rams defenders—and they couldn’t do anything about it. Allen just ran around the field to get the Bills in field goal range and call it a day.
The Bills have done 49ers fans a solid by handing the Rams another loss. Their 2-3 record increases the incline of that uphill battle they’ll need to get a playoff spot, let alone into the Super Bowl. As for the game itself? It was fun, if not a bit sloppy. If that’s our Super Bowl preview, then I’m shivering.
Onto Week 6
The 49ers will be hosting the Washington Commanders. Those of you in certain areas were treated to the end of the Commanders’ game against the New York Giants. I say that loosely because the overtime from that game bled into the 49ers/Seahawks game for about 10 minutes in some markets. That’s a discussion of its own. The Commanders ended their game with a tie due to some poor clock management in the final seconds of the game. The 49ers are favored by a touchdown, so hopefully we can relax after what we endured Sunday.
The Seahawks have a short week and travel to face the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos are 3-2 and need to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs. With this being in Mile High, I expect this one to be interesting. A Broncos win would do the 49ers a huge favor.
The Rams and Cardinals will square off in Los Angeles. Even though it’s the Rams, the Cardinals aren’t a draw, so the Rams will have to play in the afternoon on Sunday. Hopefully the Cardinals can keep that fight in them and hand the Rams another loss.
1st: San Francisco 49ers Next vs. Washington Commanders (Monday Night Football)
2nd: Seattle Seahawks; Next: at Denver Broncos (Thursday Night Football)
3rd: Los Angeles Rams; Next: vs. Arizona Cardinals
4th: Arizona Cardinals; Next: at Los Angeles Rams
