What do 49ers, Seahawks' first 5 weeks say about their season goals? Why San Francisco sees a risk in 5-0

· Yahoo Sports

The San Francisco 49ers were fresh off their fifth straight win, one of two teams in the NFL to reach that mark on Sunday.

They'd proven not only that they front a diversity of offensive playmakers (hello, 33-year-old Mike Evans) but also that their defense can force the reigning Super Bowl champion into four turnovers — which the Niners promptly converted into 21 points.

Visit saltysenoritaaz.org for more information.

So after a 32-29 road win against the division foe that knocked them out of last season's playoffs, why wasn't Christian McCaffrey wary of celebrating? 

This wasn't only about the road that still lies ahead.

McCaffrey saw the danger in 5-0.

"Division wins are big," McCaffrey said after contributing 83 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage. "I love our team's mindset: We've been here before, we've been 5-0 and went into the bye 5-3. 

"So we're more worried about just continuing to get better."

Christian McCaffrey celebrates with Dominick Puni after his rushing touchdown against the Seahawks. Steph Chambers via Getty Images

Cycle back three years, and indeed Kyle Shanahan's squad opened the season 5-0. Quarterback Brock Purdy had thrown nine touchdowns to no interceptions in the opening five-game stretch. The 49ers had trounced the Dallas Cowboys, 42-10, on Sunday Night Football.

Then losses against the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals followed. The 49ers would make it to 12-5 and a playoff berth, but only after that three-game skid. McCaffrey remembers that as a word of caution to keep heads down. He didn't mention that after that 5-0 became 5-3, the 49ers also would win a divisional-round game and the NFC championship. 

Could 5-0 again precede a Super Bowl berth?

"We've found a way to win every game," said linebacker Fred Warner, who forced a fumble in addition to collecting 10 tackles Sunday. "And at the end of the day, the goal is just to continue to be on the rise. We're not satisfied with just winning. Of course you want to win every game. 

"But the goal is to continue to get better as the season goes and I think that sets you up for the best chance to go do what you want to do at the end."

The Seahawks fell to 3-2 Sunday months after, to quote Warner, they did what teams want to do at the end.

A playoff run doesn't seem out of question for one of the league's most physical defenses and the game's best receiver. But since Darnold returned in Week 3 from a hip injury in the season opener, ball security has been a problem.

The Seahawks lost to Washington two weeks ago with three giveaways and to the 49ers on Sunday with four.

Darnold’s first interception of the game came on his first throw. The Seahawks faced third-and-10, 49ers cornerback Renardo Green figured Jaxon Smith-Njigba would run to the sticks, and Green “sat on it, jumped it and made a play,” he said. The Seahawks faced third-and-10, 49ers cornerback Renardo Green figured Jaxon Smith-Njigba would run to the sticks, and Green "sat on it, jumped it and made a play," he said.

On Green's second interception, which came poetically on Darnold's first throw of the second half?

"It was a double-tight end formation and one of them released," Green told reporters after the game. "He ran the over route, I played like he had a step on me. And once the ball went in the air, I just turned it on and undercut the ball.

"We didn't know how many turnovers it was going to be but we knew we was going to get our opps this game. It was on us to capitalize on every opp that we get to win."

Opportunities came also via two first-half fumbles, courtesy running back Emanuel Wilson halfway through the second quarter and running back George Holani after a punt to the 1-yard line with 13 seconds left in the first half.

For those keeping score at home, the Niners' first three touchdowns came from drives of 18 yards, 11 yards and 0 yards. Seattle's offense felt that.

"We're pissed," said Smith-Njigba, who led Seattle with 102 receiving yards and a touchdown but uncharacteristically mistimed a target on third-and-10 with the game on the line. "We wanted this one. Like I said, defense and special teams, they deserved this win. It sucks. 

"As an offense, myself, I feel like we let them down. But, we're going to keep pushing."

Teammates echoed that sentiment, from Darnold saying "a lot of the guys are just pissed about not winning" to receiver Cooper Kupp confirming "without a doubt, there's frustration."

Head coach Mike Macdonald was reminded that Darnold had a stretch with eight interceptions in four games last year en route to winning the championship.

"We're not panicking …" Macdonald said. "If we become more efficient and more effective as an offense, that's going to help our quarterback, too. I think it's everybody. It's not just Sam. Sam knows. 

"It's not like he wants to turn it over."

Jaxon Smith-Njigba misses a catch during the fourth quarter against the 49ers. Olivia Vanni via Getty Images

If the playoffs started this week (they don’t), the 49ers would win the NFC West and NFC second seed playoff games, and the Seahawks would just miss the seventh seed to Bears and Lions teams with similar 3-2 records The Rams state their case next in Monday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

That two of the division’s teams are pacing the Rams right now diverges from league belief entering the opener.

After stockpiling edge rusher Myles Garrett, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and two veteran Chiefs cornerbacks for a defense that would complement Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and the like? 

The Rams entered this year with the best Super Bowl odds in the league. A bold scheduling decision for their opener in Australia contributed to San Francisco edging Los Angeles, 27-7. A late-game defensive pass interference that officials later said they called incorrectly contributed to the Rams’ 30-26 defeat to the Denver Broncos. The Rams haven’t posted a loss that gives reason to question their ability and haven’t posted a win — they beat an Eagles team that lost Saquon Barkley and New York Giants team that lost Jaxson Dart — that gives credulity to their Super Bowl favoritism.

Add in injuries that have sidelined Nacua and Garrett, and there’s reason to believe Los Angeles’ ceiling is still in the distance. 

That doesn’t mean the Niners can’t pace them.

Fred Warner celebrates after defeating the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday. Steph Chambers via Getty Images

“People kind of slipped on our talent all around going into this year,” Warner said Sunday. “We’ve got guys who are ultra-talented but also could care less about what we’ve done in the past. We’re still so eager to prove it every time we go out.

“And Mike, he’s the epitome of that.”

That’s Mike Evans, who posted a season-best 113 yards and a score in a game where no other Niners target hit 25 yards.

There was Purdy, who finished with 189 passing yards and two touchdowns to one interception but also showed up in ways stats can’t counter such as the audible to McCaffrey’s touchdown run that Tom Brady outlined on the color analysis of the game.

And the 49ers' defense, in Raheem Morris’ first year? Even with the injuries that seem to plague the 49ers perennially, and the second-quarter ejection of starting linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the 49ers found ways to torment Seattle’s group in Seattle’s house.

Oh, and Evans wasn’t fazed by that vaunted house.

“My last time playing here, I think it was louder back in 2019,” he said. “It’s definitely loud, great environment, but I don’t think it was the loudest I’ve been a part of.”

Niners-Seahawks may not be the loudest the NFC West gets this season even after the game’s bevy of takeaways and touchdowns delivered consistent entertainment.

How the Rams fare as 3.5-point home favorites against the Bills on Monday will offer the next piece of data. How the Seahawks respond from a game in which they were repeatedly in reach will, too. They’ll turn around quickly to face the Broncos on Thursday night.

“I think we got a tough team,” Macdonald said. “I think we’re a connected team. But in terms of playing complementary football the way that we want to play here as Seahawks and become the team that we want to become?

“We’re not there yet.”

Read full story at source