The NFL’s last three unbeaten teams have all taken different roads to 4-0, and that’s exactly what makes the early-season ranking so messy. The San Francisco 49ers are out front, the Kansas City Chiefs are right behind them, and the Minnesota Vikings are unbeaten but clearly living on the edge of a much narrower margin.
San Francisco gets the top spot because the numbers jump off the page. The 49ers have outscored opponents by 58 points and have looked like the league’s most efficient offense doing it.
They’ve won three of four by double digits, and that includes a 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. Brock Purdy has been central to all of it, throwing 11 touchdown passes with just one interception.
The 49ers have also been ruthless on third down, converting 57.5% of their tries, best in the league.
ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell put it plainly: “Through four games there’s Purdy, and then there’s everybody else, ”
That said, the San Francisco defense hasn’t matched the pace of the offense. The 49ers are 18th in expected points allowed per play, Arizona put up 30 points against them, and the pass rush has produced only six sacks.
Nick Bosa is still sidelined by a calf injury, though Mykel Williams is set to make his season debut after tearing his ACL last November. Another thing working against the 49ers: they’ve played their last three games at home and still haven’t beaten a team currently above .500.
That changes Sunday, when they head to Seattle to face the 3-1 Seahawks, the defending Super Bowl champions, at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Kansas City sits second, and the case for the Chiefs starts with the schedule. Their opponents outside of Kansas City are 7-5, while San Francisco’s and Minnesota’s other opponents are both 5-7.
The Chiefs also own a road win over the Las Vegas Raiders, handing them their first loss in a 30-27 game. On top of that, Kansas City has gotten strong production from its run game and from Patrick Mahomes.
Kenneth Walker III leads the NFL with 537 rushing yards, the most by any player through four games in the last 15 years, and he’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The Chiefs rank first in rushing yards over expected per attempt, and Mahomes has added 1,037 passing yards and nine touchdowns.
The record looks shiny, but the path hasn’t exactly been easy. Two of Kansas City’s wins came by three points, including a 33-30 overtime escape against the Indianapolis Colts.
There’s also a notable injury hit: Tyquan Thornton is expected to miss 12 to 16 weeks after dislocating his left ankle on the end of a 55-yard catch against Las Vegas. Thornton had 219 receiving yards on 11 catches.
The Chiefs do have a bit of breathing room on another front, though, since Rashee Rice’s hamstring injury is not considered serious and the Week 5 bye gives him two weeks to recover before the Los Angeles Chargers come to town on Oct. 18.
Minnesota rounds out the group, and the Vikings are the toughest team to pin down because their defense has been carrying so much of the load. They lead the NFL with a 26.5% pressure rate, rank first in expected points allowed per play, and are giving up just 12.8 points per game. Opponents have managed only 12 conversions on 53 third-down chances against them.
The offense, though, has been a different story. Minnesota ranks 28th in expected points added per play and has yet to score a touchdown in either a 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears or a 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Will Reichard’s five field goals against Miami stretched the NFL’s longest active streak to 31.
“If we want to score, we should do it earlier, ” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said.
There are still injury questions hanging over the offense. Kyler Murray, who won the starting job over J.J.
McCarthy before the Vikings traded McCarthy to the New York Giants, missed the Chicago game because of a concussion. Justin Jefferson was out against Miami with an ankle injury, though he said playing Sunday is “definitely the plan.”
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is in concussion protocol, and left guard Donovan Jackson is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a knee injury.
Minnesota visits the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, then heads into a Week 6 bye.
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