At some point, you have to look at the number and ask the obvious question.
asserted
you → have → question
Are you kidding me?
asserted
you → kid → me
In a league where defensive coordinators spend their waking hours figuring out how to wreck quarterbacks’ afternoons, the 49ers have gone an entire month without letting an opponent finish the job.
asserted
opponent → spend → job
Enjoy this while it lasts.
asserted
it → enjoy → this
History suggests you might wait a very long time to see it again.
uncertain
you → suggest → it
The 49ers are the first team since Peyton Manning’s 2005 Colts to open a season with four consecutive games without surrendering a sack.
asserted
49ers → open → sack
They are just the fifth to do it since team sacks began being tracked in 1963.
asserted
sacks → do → 1963
“It starts with the O-Line, but collectively it’s been a huge deal and definitely wasn’t expecting to do that all the way up until now,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.
asserted
Shanahan → start → that
When the man designing the offense is surprised, that tells you something.
asserted
that → design → something
Nobody should expect that zero to survive an entire season.
asserted
zero → expect → season
But the combination responsible for it should have the 49ers feeling awfully good about what comes next.
asserted
what → have → it
They are giving Brock Purdy time to operate and Shanahan room to work.
asserted
They → give → time
General manager John Lynch sees the benefits of familiarity.
asserted
Lynch → see → familiarity
“And all these guys have played a lot of football, but they got to play a lot of football together,” Lynch said Thursday during his weekly appearance on KNBR.
asserted
Lynch → play → KNBR
That matters when five men must recognize and respond to trouble together.
asserted
men → matter → trouble
“I will acknowledge I think they’ve elevated their game and I think they’ll have to,” Lynch said.
asserted
Lynch → acknowledge → game
Purdy sees the work behind the improvement.
asserted
Purdy → see → improvement
“Yeah, they’re awesome.
asserted
they → ’re → ?
Just how they come to work every single day, attacking meetings and practice and it just translates on Sundays,” he said.
asserted
he → come → Sundays
Williams has never needed convincing about the potential.
asserted
Williams → need → potential
“I’ve always thought we had the talent to be one of the best O-lines in the league,” he said.
asserted
he → think → league
Through four games, they have supplied plenty of supporting evidence.
asserted
they → supply → evidence
But this goes beyond five men winning their blocks.
asserted
men → go → blocks
Shanahan’s offense helps create favorable situations.
asserted
offense → help → situations
Receivers must be where Purdy expects them.
asserted
Purdy → expect → them
And the quarterback must recognize when to deliver the ball or escape.
asserted
quarterback → recognize → ball
“It’s how you’re running the ball on first and second down so that we’re in advantageous third downs,” Lynch said.
asserted
Lynch → ’ → downs
That is how an offense can help its protection before the pass rush even begins.
asserted
rush → help → protection
When trouble does arrive, Purdy has shown an instinct for handling it.
asserted
Purdy → arrive → it
“There’s certain times you’ve got to hang in there and really let something develop and take a hit as you throw,” Shanahan said.
asserted
Shanahan → ’ → hit
“And there’s times you’ve got to give up on something and make the play.”
asserted
you → ’ → play
Leave too early, and a completion might disappear.
uncertain
completion → leave → ?
Stay too long, and the offense loses ground.
asserted
offense → stay → ground
Purdy keeps finding the balance.
asserted
Purdy → keep → balance
That partnership should encourage the 49ers most.
asserted
partnership → encourage → 49ers
The streak will end.
asserted
streak → end → ?
The qualities sustaining it can last.
asserted
qualities → sustain → it
“I think we see that as kind of a collective stat,” Lynch said.
asserted
Lynch → think → stat
“But those guys, there’s no doubt about it, they’re playing at a very high level.
asserted
they → ’ → level
It’s a big reason our record is what it is.”
asserted
it → ’ → ?
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
