The San Francicso 49ers' 24-3 win against Arizona on Monday Night Football showcased what is possibly the most balanced team in the NFL.
Offense: A-
QB Alex Smith completed 18 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three TDs. Hard to do much better than that. In fact, no one in NFL history has ever attempted more passes in a game and had just one incompletion. His 157.1 quarterback rating represented the best single-game performance of his career. Once the game was out of hand, the offense downshifted and ran out the clock. Previous game's grade: B-
Defense: A
The 49ers have held opposing teams without a TD in four of the last five games. Let that sink in. They’ve only allowed touchdowns in two of the previous 20 quarters of football. That’s domination, and with a bye week upcoming the unit has a chance to let lingering injuries heal before the second half of the season begins with a home game against St. Louis. Previous game's grade: A
Special teams: A
Arizona PR Patrick Peterson had just 15 yards on four punt returns, and all of K David Akers’ kickoffs went for touchbacks. Akers also knocked through a 43-yard FG in his only attempt. Three of P Andy Lee’s punts were downed inside the 20. Previous game's grade: A-
Coaching: A
This was the type of performance that coach Jim Harbaugh is looking for each week. Dominant defense, coupled with efficient offense and no problems on special teams. If there’s one area the staff will address, it’s penalties. The offense was taken out of rhythm early thanks to a few special-teams mishaps. If those issues are fixed, then the team has to like where it’s at moving forward. Previous game's grade: A-
Follow 49ers reporter Kyle Bonagura on Twitter @CBS49ers and @KyleBonagura.
