Sherman believes the 49ers, not the Cowboys, are the best team in the NFC
Sherman believes the 49ers, not the Cowboys, are the best team in the NFC originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys set themselves apart from the competition with outstanding victories in their respective season openers.
On FS1’s “Undisputed” on Monday, analysts Richard Sherman and Skip Bayless debated which of these two powerhouses in the NFC is the team to beat.
Sherman argued why the 49ers are the NFC’s best team after a dominant performance in Pittsburgh, citing San Francisco’s incredible offensive star power.
“They let every one of their playmakers touch the ball in that first period,” Sherman said. “Hey, Deebo Samuel, want a better year? Bang, get to work. Who comes next, fourth and first? George Kittle, get us what we need. Every single one of their playmakers, including Christian McCaffrey, showed what they can do and how dynamic this offense can be.
“To top it off with a Brandon Aiyuk touchdown to Patrick Peterson, a future Hall of Fame All-Pro cornerback, this is what the best team and one of the best offenses in football looks like.”
It’s not just the offense that has convinced Sherman, as the former All-Pro cornerback also gave a nod to a 49ers defense that only conceded seven points on the road against a formidable opponent.
“Then we go to the defensive side of the ball, and there are several interceptions in the secondary,” Sherman said. “Charvarius Ward gets a pick on the second drive of the game. Talanoa Hufanga catches a tipped pass from All-Pro Fred Warner. Then there’s Nicholas John Bosa, who didn’t register a sack in the game, but Drake Jackson registered three. [Javon] Hargrave had one and Kerry Hyder had one, so there are five sacks left in the game.
“Bosa brings a lot of attention, but when you have All-Pros at every level of the defense, it becomes difficult.”
“I know you talk about CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks and those guys, but Aiyuk had more catches and yards in that game than Lamb and Cook combined. He was 8 for 129 and two touchdowns on All-Pro.”
Bayless acknowledged that the 49ers are a force to be reckoned with, but he’s not convinced their defense is as good as Dallas’ defense, which pitched a shutout in New York on Sunday night.
“Right here, right now, the 49ers offense is a little bit better than the Cowboys offense, I’ll admit that,” Bayless said.
“But my defense is a little better, and I respect your defense in San Francisco, but my defense is the best defense in professional football.”
“I’ve said from the beginning that my team will only go as far as the defense can take it, especially Micah Parsons. You saw him last night; he practically single-handedly destroyed the Giants. He set the tone with his finishing speed…” . He personally ruined this game.
“I give you Nicholas John Bosa. He’s a man, a monster of a man. But I prefer Micah Bosa. I think Micah will be the Defensive Player of the Year for the third year in this league. For me he is a bigger game destroyer than even Bosa.
While Bosa is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Parsons finished second in each of his first two seasons.
The 49ers and Cowboys meet in Week 5 at Levi’s Stadium and are on a collision course for an NFC playoff trilogy showdown this year after San Francisco ended Dallas’ season in postseason games that went down to the wire.
