After being one of the worst teams in the National Football League for several seasons, the San Francisco 49ers have shot up to one of the top teams in the entire league. Leading the National Football Conference, the 49ers have been a dominant force all season. The Niners are the only team this year to go undefeated for eight games straight, and their success is largely due to the quality of their defense and offense.

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best teams in the league defensively. Cornerback Richard Sherman currently leads the team in interceptions with 3, one of the highest in the NFL. Defensive end Nick Bosa, the second pick of the 2019 draft, will most likely win Defensive Rookie of the Year, if not Defensive Player of the Year, putting up a total of 32 tackles and 7 sacks through 10 games. Along with Bosa, defensive ends DeForest Buckner, Dee Ford and Arik Armstead could become the first four players to notch a total of 10 or more sacks each since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

The 49ers’ offense has been on and off most nights, largely due to injuries and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s lack of experience. Garoppolo has been putting up about 232 passing yards a game, but he has not been able to perform under pressure, throwing two interceptions in overtime against the Seahawks to set up San Francisco’s only loss of the season. The Niners’ rushing game has been the best in the entire NFL, with running backs Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman each averaging about 58 yards per game. The offense has had its moments throughout the season, but hopefully it continues to improve as players come back from injuries in the remainder of the season.

Although the 49ers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Seattle Seahawks, ending their undefeated season, they look to finish the remaining half of the season strong and advance to the playoffs to potentially win Super Bowl LIV in February.