Some times good things come in sevens.
In their seventh win of the season, the San Francisco 49ers scored seven touchdowns and recorded seven sacks. Not bad for a day’s work.
On an afternoon where they were firing on all cylinders, the 49ers (7-0) obliterated the Carolina Panthers (4-3) in front of a raucous crowd at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Notably, it was the first time in NFL history that a game ended with a score of 51-13.
To start the game, longtime Denver Bronco wide receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, scored his first touchdown as a 49er on a 4-yard dart from quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo. Taking a 7-0 lead, San Francisco got off to a fast start and never looked back.
The defense continued their dominating ways, save for one long touchdown run by superstar running back, Christian McCaffrey, who played his college ball at nearby Stanford. When fire meets fire, somebody’s going to lose, and while McCaffrey got the better of the 49ers defense on one play, he was mostly contained for the rest of the afternoon.
While it was a team win through and through, one player on each side of the ball stood out above the rest.
Running back, Tevin Coleman, enjoyed a career day, scoring four touchdowns to singlehandedly outscore the entire Panthers offense. He became just the second player in 49ers history to score four touchdowns in a game, with the other being Jerry Rice, who did it twice. He finished with 119 yards on the ground to lead the 49ers.
If the rest of the league hadn’t heard of rookie Nick Bosa yet, they certainly have now. He sacked Panthers quarterback, Kyle Allen, who was starting in place of the injured Cam Newton, three times in the first half. In an encore performance, he intercepted Allen to end the third quarter and nearly ran it all the way to the end zone. Being the top performer for an undefeated team that boasts one of the league’s top defenses, he is establishing himself as a premier candidate not just for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but for Defensive Player of the Year. Should he win the latter award, he would be the first to do so since the legendary linebacker, Lawrence Taylor, in 1986.
Both of the aforementioned players were impressive offseason acquisitions by coach, Kyle Shanahan, and General Manager, John Lynch, this year. The chemistry and success shared between Shanahan and Lynch cannot be understated, as they have brought a perennially poor team into contenders in only a couple of years. They have consistently brought in players who play well in the team’s system and have built a problem-free locker room.
The 49ers regime of the early 2010’s ended abruptly because of a notoriously bitter relationship between the head coach, general manager, and owner at the time. The team has clearly learned from their mistakes.
Off of a short week, the Red and Gold will travel to Arizona on Thursday night to take on the Cardinals (3-4-1) as they will look for their eighth of the season.
