Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers are headed to New Orleans carrying a 1-0 record after a thrilling victory over Seattle. Much of the game felt like 2024 with the special teams gaffes, injuries, turnovers, and red zone difficulties. This isn’t 2024, though. The 2025 49ers pulled out the victory, thanks in part to Robert Saleh’s return and defense, but Jake Tonges snatched a victory away from Seattle.
But how did the NFL media view Sunday’s victory, and did it change their confidence in the 49ers?
ESPN: 49ers move up one spot from #15
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner highlights Marques Sigle after the victory. “After missing most of the spring with a core muscle injury, Sigle found himself working with the starters in training camp because of injuries in front of him. But, much like guard Dominick Puni last year, Sigle was so impressive that he won the starting job for Week 1. Based on his performance, he probably won’t give it back anytime soon. Sigle finished with six tackles, recovered a fumble, and was solid in coverage. Malik Mustapha should be back at some point in October after a knee injury, which would give the 49ers a promising young safety tandem to complement steady veteran Jason Pinnock.“
NFL.com: The 49ers remain at #15
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm lamented the 49ers’ inability to close divisional games in 2024 and the importance of the win on Sunday.
“Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ defense both came up big when it mattered most against the Seahawks, and the Niners secured a big road win against a division opponent. For a team that went 1-5 against the NFC West and collapsed down the stretch last season, the significance of the victory can’t be overlooked. Christian McCaffrey took a bit to get unlocked, but the 49ers didn’t hold back, giving him 31 touches on 58 snaps. I assume that’s a good thing, although that’s a pretty heavy Week 1 workload. There were also reminders of last year’s fall, starting with the injuries and kicking issues. George Kittle and Jauan Jennings both left the game with injuries — Kittle is expected to miss at least a few weeks — and Purdy is dealing with toe and shoulder injuries that have his status in question. Jake Moody missed a 27-yarder and had a 36-yarder blocked, raising questions of just how much patience Kyle Shanahan will have with him. *(*EDITOR’S UPDATE: The 49ers are waiving Moody, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported after publishing on Tuesday.)“
CBS.com: The 49ers are in the top ten at number nine
CBS.com’s Pete Prisco has the 49ers at number nine.
“It wasn’t pretty in beating Seattle, but good teams find a way to win those games on the road. Injuries could be an issue this week.”
Prisco had San Francisco at number nine to begin the season and kept them there, but is worried about their health heading into their Week 2 matchup with the Saints, who played Arizona tough to the buzzer.
**Bleacher Report: The...
