The San Francisco 49ers are off to a historic start to the 2023 season, hoping they finish with the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy in hand. At 5-0, the team remains one of two unbeaten in the NFL, sharing the stage with the Philadelphia Eagles.
San Francisco is averaging 33.4 points per game, second only to the Miami Dolphins' 36.2 points per game. The team boasts a staggering point differential of plus-99, by far the best in the league. The Buffalo Bills come closest with a plus-79 differential.
In NFL history, only eight teams have previously kicked off a season at 5-0 with a point differential of plus-99 or better. Six of those teams reached the Super Bowl, with three (Washington in 1991, Rams in 1999, and Saints in 2009) emerging as champions. Will San Francisco be the next to join that elite group?
The 49ers own the third-ranked offense in the NFL, averaging an impressive 402.6 total yards per game. While their 246.2 passing yards per game currently ranks eighth in the league, their 156.4 rushing yards rank third.
Much of this success can be attributed to their star running back, Christian McCaffrey, who leads the NFL with 510 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He also leads the league with 678 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns.
McCaffrey has one or more touchdowns in 11 straight regular-season games, a streak surpassed only by the great Jerry Rice's 13 games from 1986 to 1987. His one or more touchdowns in 14 consecutive games, including the playoffs, stands as the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest ever by a player in 49ers history.
In his second year, quarterback Brock Purdy is also etching his name in the record books. Purdy is the first quarterback in NFL history to start 5-0 in each of his first two seasons. Only Ben Roethlisberger, with 15 consecutive wins from 2004 to 2005, had a more impressive start to a career.
Some teammates struggle to believe that Purdy has only started 10 career games.
"[H]e's just playing at a very high level," tight end George Kittle said. "He's playing like a vet. He doesn't seem like a second-year guy. He seems like a vet."
Purdy has completed 183 of his 260 passing attempts for 2,369 yards and 20 touchdowns while throwing only two interceptions in his 10 regular-season starts. His 121.1 passer rating during this span is the highest ever for a quarterback in their first ten starts.
The 49ers seek to earn their 16th consecutive regular-season win, which would become a franchise record. Their Sunday road game against the Cleveland Browns sees them enter as a 6.5-point favorite, setting the stage for a historic win in 49ers history.