SANTA CLARA — Lots of people thought the 49ers would be good this season.
Not many thought they’d be 5-0.
Sure, the schedule broke in their favor. They haven’t faced a good quarterback yet, because Ben Roethlisberger had season-ending elbow surgery and missed the Steelers’ Week 3 game against the 49ers. The highest-rated quarterback the 49ers have faced is Roethlisberger’s backup, Mason Rudolph. And the best team the 49ers have faced is the Rams, who are 3-3. Bigger challenges will come soon.
But the 49ers seem ready for the challenges. They’ve outscored opponents by 16.6 points per game — second best in the NFL.