5 Reasons the San Francisco 49ers Can Contend for NFC

Let me preface this article by saying that I don't believe the San Francisco 49ers are currently the favorites to win the NFC. That distinction goes to the Green Bay Packers and then the New Orleans Saints. 

That said, an argument could be made for the top five teams in both the NFC and AFC to win their respective conferences. This is what I plan to do with this article today. 

The 49ers hit rock bottom following their shutout loss against Tampa Bay in November of 2010. It was the first time that San Francisco had been shut out at home since 1977. If you were to tell me that less than a year later the Buccaneers would come in with the score being 48-3 and a rookie quarterback relieving Alex Smith, I would have thought the enigmatic quarterback struggled and San Francisco lost by 45.

Well, we all know that didn't happen. San Francisco handed the Buccaneers the worst loss of the 2010 season so far, dominating in every possible way. Candlestick was electric, the fans were into the game and it reminded many of us of the distant glory days. 

As I watched the game one thing jumped out to me above all else—that this was a really talented and well-coached team. It wasn't that the 49ers destroyed the hapless Arizona Cardinals or St. Louis Rams. Instead, they dominated a team that was 3-1 after finishing 2010 with double-digit wins. It was Tampa Bay's worst loss since losing 45-0 to Oakland in 1999 and the most points they had given up since Cincinnati put up 56 on them in 1989. 

So, today I am going to focus on five possible reasons why San Francisco could be considered favorites to actually win the NFC and go to the Super Bowl. 

The 49ers Front Seven Is Just Stupid Good

There is a reason why San Francisco has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in nearly two full seasons of games (27 outings). They probably have the best front seven in the entire NFL. The 49ers held LeGarrette Blount to 34 yards on 10 rushes. This came on the heels of LeSean McCoy gaining 18 yards on nine rushes.

It isn't like these two running backs aren't productive. In fact, McCoy is averaging 6.3 yards per rush outside of the 49ers game. 

The lateral movement of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman disables the opponent's ability to get to the outside. Instead they are forced to take it up the middle where the defensive line continues to play well above average. 

If teams are unable to run against San Francisco, it makes their offense one-dimensional and allows the 49ers to zero in on the passing game. This is one of the reasons why their defensive secondary is able to play with a "ball-hawking" mentality. 

It also appears that San Francisco has found their "pass-rush specialist" in the form of first-round pick Aldon Smith. He has combined for 3.5 sacks over the course of the last two weeks. He is now second to Von Miller in that category. Manning him opposite an improving Ahmad Brooks is also going to make a world of difference. 

If San Francisco can continue to shut down running attacks it is going to cause a lot of issues for many of the teams remaining on their schedule. Detroit, Washington and Cleveland come to mind immediately. 

The Offensive Line Is Starting To Impose Their Will

This is probably one of the most surprising aspects of San Francisco's recent success. Just four weeks ago it looked like this unit was going to be the downfall of the team. Harbaugh and Roman had to change offensive philosophies in order to protect Alex Smith and the running game was going absolutely nowhere. 

Despite the fact that Jason Babin recorded three sacks against San Francisco two weeks ago, the 49ers offensive line appeared to be getting it together. They opened up monster lanes for Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, while doing a great job in pass protection. 

Both of these areas were magnified in the 49ers trouncing of Tampa Bay yesterday. They were able to run the ball at will against a pretty solid Buccaneers front seven. Even when San Francisco showed run they were still able to give five to six per carry. 

Even more surprising is the fact that Alex Smith was hit just once and not sacked yesterday. This is a far cry from earlier in the season. 

If San Francisco's talented offensive line can continue to improve, it will cause a wide array of issues for opposing defenses moving forward. Defenses are going to have to choose between stacking the box against Frank Gore or playing the pass against an improved Alex Smith. This will either open up lanes for Gore to run in or Smith to pass in. 

Defensive Secondary Is Playing out of This World

The fact that San Francisco ranks 23rd in pass defense is incredibly misleading. They have a whopping 41 passes defended and eight interceptions through five games, the former leads the NFL. A lot of this success has to do with the play of the 49ers front seven, which enables their secondary to play more on point man-to-man defense with a nice mix of zone. 

The fact that Carlos Rogers is playing at an All-Pro level really doesn't surprise me; he has been one of the best cover corners in the league over the last five seasons. However, his "impact" plays are helping this unit remain one of the best in the entire league. 

Tarell Brown and Chris Culliver played lights-out against Tampa Bay yesterday as well. Brown has been solid all season long, but the emergence of the rookie is absolutely huge with Shawntae Spencer still dealing with injuries. Culliver has above-average technique and doesn't get turned around a lot; this enables him to play one on one on the outside, which is huge. 

We already know that San Francisco has a trio of ball-hawking safeties in Donte Whitner, Dashon Goldson and Reggie Smith. Still, they have been pretty darn good in pass defense as well. As San Francisco's secondary continues to gel you can expect this trio to play much better as the season progresses. 

If you are looking at reasons why San Francisco is among the best teams in the NFC, you have to look at their secondary. It is a whole different ballgame going up against the likes of Detroit, Green Bay and New Orleans in terms of their passing capabilities. If San Francisco does indeed win the NFC West, which isn't a forgone conclusion, they need this unit to continue this progression in order to elevate to elite status. 

Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter Are an Awesome 1-2 Punch

Tampa Bay's rush defense had given up only 85 rushing yards per game in their first four outings. San Francisco more than doubled that yesterday by running at will against their stout front seven. To me it didn't even seem fair. Even when San Francisco showed run and didn't deviate from the plan, they were able to put up huge numbers in the running game. 

One thing that was lost in the 49ers dynasty of the 1980s and 1990s is the fact that they had one heck of a running game. Whether it was Roger Craig, Ricky Watters or Garrison Hearst, San Francisco always had a solid ground attack. 

This is something that I am seeing occur more and more as this season progresses. 

It wasn't just the Tampa Bay game either. The 49ers put up 164 against an inferior Philadelphia rush defense the week before as well. Overall, they have nearly rushed for 400 yards in the last two games. 

We don't expect San Francisco to put the ball in the air 40 times, so having a dominating running game is only going to enhance their opportunity for success. This is also going to be huge moving forward. It enables San Francisco to eat the clock, rest their defense and keep opposing offenses off the field.

Alex Smith Has Taken His Game to the Next Level and Then the One After That Too

Before I get into logistical reasons as to why Alex Smith has improved so much over the last calendar year, let's just put some stats to rest right now.

• Alex Smith put up the best QBR score of any quarterback this season yesterday against Tampa Bay (98.2). For more information on that formula click here.
• Smith's QB rating of 104.1 ranks third in the NFL behind Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
• Smith has thrown two interceptions in his last 270 passing attempts, best rate in the NFL.
• Smith is 7-3 in his last 10 starts.
• Smith has thrown one career red-zone interception, compared to 35 touchdowns.

Okay, so now that stats are out of the way, let's take a look at what I have seen thus far this season.

Smith's pocket presence has improved a great deal. He is able to recognize blitzes and throw into the lanes where the blitz comes from. He currently ranks second in the NFL in passing against blitzes. This is something that Alex has struggled with throughout the duration of his career; now he wants opposing defenses to blitz.

Ball security has also been a major issue with Smith in the past, but that isn't the case anymore. Instead, he seems to have the best ball security of any quarterback in the entire league. Smith steps up in the pocket he tucks the ball instead of holding it loose. This has avoided multiple turnovers, especially when the 49ers offensive line was stinking it up early on. 

Smith also seems to be more of an accurate downfield passer than I have seen in recent years. He is putting the ball in places for receivers to make a play after the catch—one of the most important aspects that a WCO quarterback needs. Additionally, Smith ranks among the league's best in passes of over 20 yards. Yet another sign of his dramatic improvement.

Earlier this season I had come to the conclusion that all Smith needed to do was be a game manager at quarterback in order for San Francisco to succeed. Well, he has done that and more. Moving forward, if Smith can continue this progression and become more than a game manager, it will make San Francisco's offense nearly impossible to stop. 

Say what you want about Green Bay, New Orleans and Detroit—they are not great on defense at this point. San Francisco's offense should be able to magnify these issues if they are fortunate enough to win the NFC West this season. 

Alex Smith will be one of the major reasons why San Francisco wins 10 or 11 games this season. Who would have thought that just 10 months ago?