Keys to the San Francisco 49ers’ 3–0 Start

When an NFL team’s starting quarterback gets hurt, panic usually follows. Brock Purdy, fresh off receiving a massive extension from the 49ers this offseason, sustained toe and shoulder injuries in the team’s opener against the Seattle Seahawks that held him out of the team’s next two games. Fortunately, the 49ers’ backup quarterback Mac Jones stepped in, leading the team to two straight victories. 

Jones, the New England Patriots’ first-round pick in 2021, is attempting to salvage his career in San Francisco. Poor performances in 2022 and 2023 led the Patriots to release him. In wins over the New Orleans Saints and Cardinals, Jones has thrown for 563 yards with four touchdowns and only one interception. His steady play and composure leading the team’s game-winning drive to beat the Cardinals is a major reason why the 49ers remain one of six undefeated teams in the NFL. If Purdy returns to action this weekend, Jones will be relegated back to the bench. Yet, these past couple of performances have raised the team’s trust in him to succeed if Purdy gets hurt again this season.

Unheralded Defensive Contributors 

This year, the 49ers are once again led on defense by Bosa and middle linebacker Fred Warner. In the wake of notable offseason roster turnover that saw longtime starters Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, and Dre Greenlaw sign with other teams in free agency, some lesser-known younger players have earned key roles on a 49ers defense that has played well in the season’s early goings.

Linebacker Dee Winters, the team’s sixth-round pick in 2023, has emerged as Warner’s partner in the middle of the team’s defense. In the secondary, young defensive backs Renardo Green and Upton Stout are disrupting other teams’ passing attacks. Winters has 22 tackles, while Green and Stout have combined for five pass breakups.  It will be up to these lesser-known names and the team’s other healthy defenders to ensure the team remains competitive on defense without Bosa on the field. 

With Purdy returning, the offense may need to shoulder more of the load. The next few weeks will show whether the 49ers can stay unbeaten without Bosa or if injuries will derail them again.