The San Francisco 49ers rolled in Cincinnati as they defeated the Bengals by a score of 41-17. Here are some rapid reactions to the second win of the season:
1) The offense is good. Really good.
From start to finish, Jimmy Garoppolo and the offense took it to the Cincinnati Bengals. Garoppolo had protection, big plays were had in the air and oh, the running game had a bit of an impact.
Matt Breida ran 12 times for 121 yards, Raheem Mostert carried the ball 13 times for 83 yards, and Jeff Wilson rushed for two scores.
There were so many "chunk plays" of ten yards or more as well as big plays from Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, and George Kittle.
Garoppolo finished 17 for 25 for 297 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
All in all, it was a great day for the offense, which gained a whopping 572 total yards.
2) Kwon Alexander Brings Swagger to the Defense
We already know how good the pass rush is (four sacks today, by the way), but Kwon Alexander may have been the most valuable pickup this offseason.
Not only does he add experience and leadership but the "splash plays" and his fiery presence are making the most impact.
Alexander was all over the field today, had an interception and was simply a house of fire that led the 49ers to a pretty dominant defensive performance today.
3) The Secondary Continues to Improve
While there were a couple of big plays given up, for the most part, the secondary had the Bengals under lockdown.
Ahkello Witherspoon and Tarvarius Moore continue to show why they're in the starting lineup and both former third round picks are paying dividends.
4) Bad Break
Left Tackle Joe Staley was hurt in the second half on a running play and it turned out to be a broken fibula, which at the moment appears to be out 6-8 weeks and may not require surgery nor an IR spot.
We will know more tomorrow but this is a big blow and a bit of a damper on what would have otherwise been a great day.
Defensive end Dee Ford left the game with a quad injury. At this point, it is unknown if he will miss next week's game.
5) The Bottom Line
Despite the injury to Staley, this was a great day for both the offense and the defense.
Next week, the 49ers are finally at home as they host the 0-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, who could be without Ben Roethlisberger as he left Sunday's game against Seattle with an injury to his right arm.
The 49ers showed a lot of poise and guts as they not only survived the travel and the heat, but won both of their opening road games. Great start to the season.