The San Francisco 49ers will stay on the roll after that Monday night footballWhen it comes to getting the job done, cement their mantle as the NFL’s ultimate team. It was an ugly 23-17 victory over the Chiefs, and for a while it appeared that Washington would come back and steal one of the leaders of the NFC West. That didn’t happen, the 49ers are 6-0, and now they’re not only part of the NFC, but they look like they can win the Lombardi Trophy this year.
There is so much to love about this 49ers team. Brock Purdy is playing the best football of his career under center, showing composure in the pocket, unmatched decision-making, emerging from a receiver corps he hasn’t had in recent years, and showing real smart scrimmage ability that has him picking up 16 first downs this year.
Christian McCaffrey’s usage rate is down, while he’s on pace to finish with 100 fewer carries than he did a year ago, but that’s not a bad thing. Purdy has had enough success to flip the script offensively for San Francisco, the pass away from the run — but the other way around. That kept CMC from hitting too much, but he didn’t lose his big-game efficiency for 20 rushing touchdowns this season, surpassing his 2025 touchdown total.
And the 49ers are a beast defensively. Raheem Morris has fit in flawlessly as defensive coordinator, leading San Francisco to the NFL’s 12th-ranked pass defense and 7th against the run. While the team doesn’t have a standout pass rush, the overall defense is good enough by committee to get things done — and they embody the “bend, don’t break” ethos that has led the 49ers to rank 4th in points allowed this season.
All of the Niners look like a team that no one can stop and it seems.
Well, something can stop them, and it’s been their biggest rival in the league for the last several years – bigger than the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals combined.
The now-infamous dispensary that borders the Niners’ practice facility is the ultimate MacGuffin responsible for the injuries that have made San Francisco a bride in each of its final seasons. Look, I don’t know that there’s any substance to the idea that it’s the distribution station Really Incorrectly, everything I’ve read suggests that it’s a lot of pseudo-science and coincidence – which doesn’t equate to rationality. But the substation is an absolute shorthand for discussing the team’s injury woes, which seem to be getting worse.
On Monday night, the 49ers may have been dealt a blow they couldn’t get back: an Achilles injury to receiver Mike Evans. Although the Niners appear to have one major shot at Evans with his hamstring intact, he is expected to miss time as he recovers, returning following the Week 8 loss to San Francisco. That’s assuming there are no lingering issues, the recovery goes smoothly, and it can be back to normal almost immediately.
Mike Shanahan’s most admirable trait as a coach is his ability to fix the hand he’s been dealt instead of letting his team down and making excuses. Dealing with injuries is nothing new for him, but when it comes to Mike Evans, Shanahan may be one injury he can’t minimize.
Not only is Evans Brock Purdy’s No. 1 target this season, he’s far and away the most reliable receiver he has. Boasting a 69.2% success rate, Evans is a key engine for the 49ers’ passing offense. Success rate is a measure of the impact of each reception to the receiver, where “success” means 40% of the required yards on 1st down, 60% on 2nd down, and 100% on 3rd and 4th down.
We should consider success rate to be synonymous with reliability or consistency. It’s about chain movement like anything else, and put simply: a 69.2% rate is obscene. A receiver with a solid season will be at or around 50%, while elite NFL receivers boast a success rate of over 60%. This is consistent across the NFL. Taking a look at the league’s top 15 receivers in yards, here are the success rates associated with them.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA): 65.2%
- Chris Olave (NOR): 62.3%
- CD Lamb (DAL): 55.1%
- Drake London (ATL): 57.4%
- Christian Watson (GNB): 52.1%
- Matthew Golden (GNB): 49.1%
- Malik Nabers (NYG): 50.8%
- Davante Adams (LAR): 57.1%
- Zai flowers (BAL): 62.5%
- Tetairoa McMillan (CAR): 62.5%
- George Pickins (DAL): 53.8%
- T Higgins (CIN): 60.5%
- Mike Evans (SFO): 69.2%
- Garrett Wilson (NYJ): 56.3%
- Puca Nacua (LAR): 48.1%
Players considered outstanding include Justin Jefferson (58.3%) and Ja Marr Chase (60.5%). Evans is the best of any receiver in the NFL when it comes to success rate, which is a big reason why Purdy is such a good quarterback to back this season. Evans is making life very easy for the quarterback. Although this has been his modus operandi since entering the league, it has been especially evident this year. Prior to 2026, Mike Evans’ best success rate in 2024 with the Buccaneers was 62.7 percent.
There’s no way he can sugarcoat this: As talented as Shani was in coaching around the problem, Mike Evans is the only player who doesn’t have the means to coach around. Evans has been so good this season that this is not a situation where San Francisco can enter the trade market and simply “find another receiver” because there is no other Mike Evans anywhere else in the NFL. Any hope of a Super Bowl for the 49ers this year is at receiver as they return from injury and return to form – simple as that.
