San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, left, and head coach Kyle Shanahan, right. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Two major factors explain the 49ers’ surprising 3-0 record

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Henry Cheal | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 11:07 AM ET

If I had told you a month ago that the 49ers would be 3-0, securing three narrow wins despite all their injury problems, few would have believed it.

Now, San Francisco sits comfortably atop the NFC West, already matching half the wins they recorded all of last season and eclipsing their divisional record from that same year.

Keep Robert Saleh as long as possible

Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Injuries have hit the secondary this season, but on the flip side, bringing in multiple rookies has worked wonders. Saleh played a key role in this upon his return to Santa Clara.

Now, with Nick Bosa’s season-ending injury, he faces a tough test, but those three early victories provide some much-needed breathing room.

In both Week 1 and Week 2, Bosa and Bryce Huff helped close out the games. In Week 3, the defense prevented the Arizona Cardinals from running away with the victory when the offense couldn’t put any points on the board.

The 49ers are allowing just 16.3 points per game, placing them third overall in the NFL. Truthfully, Saleh's impact is ultimately the reason why they are still unbeaten.

The 49ers' resilience - according to Christian McCaffrey

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Running back Christian McCaffrey highlights the 49ers’ ability to secure wins despite imperfect performances as a major strength this year. And he's right.

All three victories were decided by one possession. The organization’s ability to close out tight games is something to be proud of.

These wins might not have been flashy, but in the NFL, the final score is what really matters.

"I think anytime you open 3-0 with two division games, that's a big deal," McCaffrey told the media post-game. "I think the best part about it is we're definitely just not satisfied with how we're playing, but to not be satisfied and still find ways to grind out some wins is a huge deal.

"It's a four-quarter game and we know that we've got a lot of guys shuffling around this and that. All those can be excuses, but at the end of the day, we've found some ways to win the last three weeks and today was a good example of that."

The last two times the 49ers started the regular season 3-0, in 2019 and 2023, they made it all the way to the Super Bowl. It’s not the time to get ahead of ourselves, but there's a clear difference this year: they're winning the games they likely would’ve lost last season.

Winning ugly is still better than having a loss on the record.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: