It’s Tuesday morning, time to write this week’s column on why I’m picking the San Francisco 49ers in their upcoming game.
At least, that is the way it has been the past four weeks. The 49ers had what appeared to be a challenging opening game as a bet-on favorite against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Turned out to be no problem for Kyle Shanahan’s men, 30-7.
Then, in second week action, the week we began our selections of the 49ers on Tuesday before rating them as a money play on game-day, the 49ers were favored by a touchdown in Los Angeles against their NFC West longtime rival. The Rams kicked a field goal on the game’s last play that week which earned them a push on the point spread in a 30-23 San Francisco victory.
The following Thursday, the New York Giants visited Levi’s Stadium for the 49ers home opener, and San Francisco cruised to a 30-12 win that included covering the double-digit line. The next Sunday, favored by 15 points over the Arizona Cardinals, Brock Purdy and company did what the Dallas Cowboys couldn’t, they beat Arizona … and covered the bloated line, 35-16.
Those opening four games fed into the 49ers being in their best position of the season for a win and cover last Sunday night when the Cowboys came calling. The Cowboys were the best team to challenge the 49ers this season, and San Francisco was not only the better team, still undefeated on the season, but for the first time this year also had obvious motivation on their side.
The result was predictable, San Francisco dominated the visitors from start to finish en route to a 42-10 triumph.
Now, the 49ers go from their best motivational spot of the year to their worst.
When a team prepares for a worthy opponent and the victory comes easier than expected, as it did for San Francisco over Dallas, the following week often finds a team less intense in the week’s practices leading up to their next game. That preparation more often than not results in a flat performance.
Now, the 49ers may be the best team in the league this year, maybe the best team ever, but motivation still has to couple with talent to produce wins. The only perfect team in NFL history, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, did not clobber their opponents by gaudy scores all season long. In fact, that year they were a point spread underdog to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.
The success of Don Shula’s squad in 1972 was achieved while Miami had something to overcome which included losing their starting quarterback, Bob Griese, in a fifth week game and playing the bulk of that season with backup Earl Morrall running their offense. The need to overcome played as much of a role in the Dolphins perfect season as their “no name defense” and powerful running game.
Do the 49ers have something to spike their play this Sunday in Cleveland?
No.
The team with something to overcome is the home-standing Browns. They have had two weeks to prepare for the 49ers incoming assault having enjoyed their bye last Sunday. The Browns are also involved in a tough division race with three other formidable opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns are also at home on Sunday following both their bye week and a lopsided loss two weeks ago at Cleveland Browns Stadium to Baltimore, 28-3.
If the 49ers win and cover in Cleveland they are even more special than the current headlines are purporting them to be. Their quarterback has never lost a regular season game, he is now 10-0 straight up and 8-1-1 versus the point spread. And yet, this week, Purdy is facing the toughest motivational challenge of his two-year career.
Don’t hold it against him if this is where he suffers his first defeat.
It would be like blaming a race car driver for not winning a race when one of his wheels fell off.
Qoxhi Picks: Cleveland Browns (+5) over San Francisco 49ers