49ers Stay Perfect at 5-0, Take Command of NFC West With Thrilling Win Over Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers are in a class of their own. Sunday's thrilling 32-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks kept their perfect start intact at 5-0 and opened up a two-game lead in the NFC West, with a two-and-a-half game cushion over the Rams, who play on Monday night. It was a gritty rather than flawless performance, and head coach Kyle Shanahan praised the resolve of all three phases. The defense delivered the decisive blows: Gracen Halton burst through to punch the ball out from George Holani and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown, while Renardo Green picked off two passes. Punter Corliss Waitman repeatedly flipped field position with five punts landing inside the 20. The numbers behind the streak are remarkable. According to ESPN, the 49ers are only the second team in NFL history to win their first five games with three of them coming against teams that won at least a dozen games the previous season, joining the 1999 Rams — with road wins at the Rams and Seahawks plus a home victory over the Broncos already banked. The Vikings also moved to 5-0 this week and the Chiefs stayed unbeaten at 4-0 on their bye, but neither can match San Francisco's strength of schedule.