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SANTA CLARA — Wearing the all-white throwback jerseys from their last Super Bowl-winning team 25 years ago, the 49ers indeed looked the part and ran their undefeated start to 7-0 Sunday.
The 51-13 rout of the Carolina Panthers was their most convincing win yet.
Defensively, Nick Bosa led the way with three sacks and his first career interception, sparking the Levi’s Stadium crowd to serenade him with chants of “Bo-sa! Bo-Sa!”
Offensively, Tevin Coleman scored a career-high four touchdowns, coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up ridiculously crafty play calls and Jimmy Garoppolo sparked the onslaught with a touchdown pass to the 49ers’ newest weapon, Emmanuel Sanders.
“It’s always one game at a time, and the more games you win, the more confidence guys get,” Shanahan said. “… We’ve won a lot of different ways.”
The 49ers next play Thursday night with a Halloween visit to the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1), and a victory there could set up the 49ers to match their 1990 team’s 9-0 start when they host the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, Nov. 11.
Here are the highs and lows:
STUDS
49ers DE Nick Bosa: Defensive Rookie of the Year or, shoot, league MVP? Richard Sherman is asking, no, declaring the same thing. “If he just kept the stat line as it is right now, he could win defensive rookie of the year, but right now he should be in line for defensive MVP,” Sherman said. “He plays like a 10-year vet and plays with such a savviness, such poise, such aggression.”
Bosa’s three sacks by halftime raised his team-leading total to seven this season. That hat trick started on the Panthers’ initial third-down play, and his other sacks in near succession just before halftime. Once he plucked his first career interception, Bosa responded with a 46-yard, manly return to the Panthers’ 9-yard line, an so much ground was covered that George Kittle called Bosa an “honorary tight end” on National Tight End Day. “That’s some good YAC,” Kittle quipped in the locker room.
Bosa noted he had a pick-six in high school, and he had no excuse if he dropped Sunday’s interception. “I just played the cut (block) that time, saw the quarterback’s eyes, jumped and it went right in my hands,” Bosa said. “I don’t know how people drop them with the gloves.”
49ers RB Tevin Coleman: He became the 49er to ever score four touchdowns in a home game — 19-yard run, 10-yard reception, 48-yard run, 1-yard run. All that came after a 22-yard run into Panthers territory set up the 49ers’ opening-drive touchdown by Emmanuel Sanders.
Coleman had his first 100-yard rushing game (11 carries, 105 yards) since joining the 49ers this year, having started his career with the Atlanta Falcons in Shanahan’s offense in 2015-16. “He knows how to play in the offense,” Shanahan said. “He had good looks today, and when Tevin has good looks, he usually can get in the end zone.”
What did Jimmy Garoppolo learn about Coleman? “He can fly, man” Garoppolo said. “We had a trap play, he went one-on-one with the safety and he just burned him with pure speed. He did everything today.”
49ers WR Emmanuel Sanders: After one drive as a 49er, he had as many touchdown receptions as any other 49er this season, and his 4-yard snag put them ahead 7-0. He totaled four catches on five targets for 25 yards, including a 13-yarder on third-and-11. “He made the plays when we called his number,” George Kittle said. “He’s a distraction on some plays and I think he did everything we wanted him to do today.”
Welcome to the 49ers @ESanders_10!#CARvsSF pic.twitter.com/AnA4IAChZs
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 27, 2019
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo: Garoppolo confidently led six touchdown drives, and he got pulled with 6:25 remaining after completing 18-of-22 for 175 yards with two touchdown passes. To appease his critics, he threw his weekly interception so they can question his worth. Garoppolo got sacked three times, including twice by Bruce Irvin, once for a safety.
49ers TE George Kittle: As the frontman for National Tight End Day, Kittle answered the call (team-high six catches for 86 yards). He provided the usual: third-down conversion, savvy blocking, physicality at its finest and, yet again, a TD catch nullified by a teammate’s penalty.
Red zone calls: Kyle Shanahan got creative in the red zone and had the Panthers defense out of gaps. The 49ers scored touchdowns on 4-of-5 red-zone possessions, and the prettiest play call came from the red-zone barrier, when Deebo Samuel scored on a 20-yard run thanks to magnificent misdirection. Thee 49ers entered 10-of-26 in red-zone TD efficiency, 0-for-4 last Sunday in Washington. .
49ers DL Arik Armstead: Armstead’s second sack on the day briefly gave him the team lead with 5 1/2 in a sensational contract year.
Interception celebrations: Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley notched his first career interception, then Richard Sherman got his third this season and 35th of his career. After those picks, the 49ers defenders celebrated by posing for pictures in the north end zone. Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen threw 159 career passes before having his first intercepted, by Moseley.
Sherman said teammate Dante Pettis told him beforehand that Allen was going to target him a lot. Was that inside information true? “I don’t know if he said it, but Pettis said he did, so it (ticked) me off,” Sherman said.
49ers NT D.J. Jones: His first career sack was a thing of beauty as chased down Allen for a 10-yard loss, a week after a hamstring injury had Jones inactive.
Hey Mr. D.J.
Everybody's ready to party 🎉@djjones_44 | #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/kd0uyR86FE— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 27, 2019
IGYB Defense: The “I’ve Got Your Back” 49ers defense again limited the damage after a Garoppolo interception. The Panthers settled for a 41-yard goal after Luke Kuechly’s interception started them at the 49ers’ 35-yard line. This season, after Garoppolo interceptions, opponents have converted those turnovers into a touchdown (on a pick-six), three field goals, two punts and a missed field goal.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey: Arguably the NFL’s most dynamic offensive threat, McCaffrey came alive after halftime, highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown run. He’s the first back to rush for over 100 yards this season on the 49ers (14 carries, 117 yards). He had 38 receiving yards, including a 24-yard reception in a mismatch against Bosa.
DUDS
49ers LT Justin Skule: He allowed Bruce Irvin to slip past him and sack Garoppolo for a safety on the 49ers’ first possession after halftime. Shanahan shouldered blame for the play call backed up near the goal line, and that sack shouldn’t taint Skule’s admirable job in five starts. He likely will return to the bench Thursday if Joe Staley returns, as expected.
49ers DE Ronald Blair: He didn’t seal the edge as McCaffrey bounced outside for a 40-yard touchdown run, then Blair’s offside penalty allowed Carolina to re-try a 2-point try, which McCaffrey scored on to cut the lead to 27-13. (Disclaimer: Blair responded in studly fashion and sacked Allen with 6:24 remaining.)
Running back injuries: Matt Breida (ankle) and Jeff Wilson (head) both got hurt, and neither injury is serious. Breida was held out both a precaution and with the next game only four days away. Wilson cleared a concussion check.
Panthers QB Kyle Allen: He got sacked seven times, and he threw the first interception of his career. That did not help his case to keep Cam Newton’s job; Newton was inactive with a foot injury for a fifth straight game. Allen was 19-of-37 for 158 yards.
Panthers returners: Reggie Bonnafon muffed his kickoff return after the 49ers’ second touchdown, pinning the Panthers at their 10. Then Brandon Zylstra muffed a punt that pinned the Panthers at the 7.
Panthers run defense: The Panthers may have entered with the league’s most sacks, but their run defense is ranked 23rd, and the 49ers rushing attack produced 232 rushing yards, five touchdowns and 6.1 yards per carry — all without their usual starting offensive tackles and Pro Bowl fullback.
Seein' it I2I 👀@Teco_Raww takes it 48 yards to the 🏠for his third TD of the game. #GoNiners https://t.co/REhrA4V98S
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 27, 2019
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