All the 49ers do is win. And no one is quite sure how to explain it.
Yes, this team has a great defense, and they're as tough as a microwaved steak, but it still defies logic how San Francisco is playing in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The truth is that the Niners have been the beneficiaries of some luck over these last couple of weeks. Don't hold that against them — all championship runs require a bit of good fortune.
But with a Super Bowl berth on the line, the Niners can't go into Sunday's third showdown of the season with the Rams with only the hope that fortune is still in their favor.
"How is this happening?" isn't the question that needs to be answered heading into that game.
No, the only question that should be asked of the Niners is straightforward: "Is the best yet to come?"
If it is, San Francisco will be playing in Super Bowl LVI in the very same stadium they'll play in on Sunday.
If it is, the Niners will have an outstanding chance of winning that game, no matter which AFC team — the Chiefs or the Bengals — comes out to California.
If it is, this Niners team will go down as one of the all-time great squads in this storied franchise's history. They might even go down as champions.
The good news is that the Niners have the talent to put it all together. You have to be some sort of team to make it to the doorstep of the Super Bowl without having played complementary football for the last few weeks.
At the same time, asking the Niners play in all three phases — for them to compliment each other — is a big ask ahead of Sunday's game with the Rams.
The defense is the least of the Niners' worries right now, but the Rams represent the stiffest challenge of this postseason for them. The defense has been led by great linebacker play, a dynamic pass rush, and a secondary that has played its best football as of late, cannot slack — not for a moment. The Rams have four — if not five — excellent pass-catching weapons. They have a quarterback in Matt Stafford who has the arm talent and confidence to attack any part of the field, as evidenced early and late in the Rams Divisional Round win over the Buccaneers. Rams coach Sean McVay might not manage games all that well, but as a play-caller, he can still draw 'em up, and the Rams will run the ball to a middling degree of effect, at least. McVay is a disciple of Kyle Shanahan, after all.
All this to say the Rams are going to score some points. Don't expect hours of shutout football we saw in Green Bay or the comical ineptitude of the Cowboys' offense from two weeks ago.
This means that the Niners need to make sure their special teams don't slack. They bounced back last week after a playoff debut — no, a season — of incompetence, save for kicker Robbie Gould. The Green Bay game might not be possible to replicate — the Packers are truly abysmal on special teams — but they cannot regress to their prior form. You can't win a conference without being competent in the third phase of the game.
And you certainly can't win the NFC if you don't score touchdowns on offense.
The Niners were only the fourth team this century to win a playoff game without an offensive touchdown. Doing that two times in one postseason isn't going to happen.
And while the Niners should be able to run the ball against the Rams — we've seen it twice already this season — the Niners' offensive success and the team's ability to win Sunday's game is going to ride on San Francisco's ability to throw the ball.
Now, the Niners won't need to throw it often, but they'll have to throw it enough.
And it's fair to wonder if Jimmy Garoppolo is up to the task.
The Niners' quarterback has never been known for consistent play, but as he battles a thumb and shoulder injury, he's actually settled into a bit of a groove — one that is anything but advantageous to the Niners' chances of winning the conference title.
Over his last three games, Garoppolo has thrown one touchdown and four interceptions. His quarterback rating is 73.3 — out of 158.3 — and he has seven turnover-worthy plays to only two big-time throws, per Pro Football Focus' grading system.
Yes, he has shown an incredible ability to rally his team and make plays at the end of the first half and the end of the game, but he will need to be at his best for the total of Sunday's contest to beat the Rams. His quantifiable play will need to match all of those things he brings to the Niners that cannot be put in a box score.
Again, he can do it. It's been a while since we've seen it, but it has been done. Garoppolo has a great play-caller, outstanding weapons, and a capable offensive line that could have All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams on the field Sunday.
But it must be done on Sunday. Toughness and resilience are incredible qualities to have in the postseason, but every coach, pundit, and educated fan would rather have a top quarterback running an offense that's humming.
Beating a team three times in one season — and for a second time in a month — is no easy task. Remember, the Niners were deemed to have a 0.4 percent chance of beating the Rams in Week 18 before staging an incredible comeback. The Rams are not a team to be taken lightly they know the Niners well and they've saved their best football for this postseason.
The Niners are still looking for their best form. Again, what a team that they can be this far while still figuring things out.
But the time has come for their best. This team has another gear, or two and it can drive them to the Super Bowl.
