49ers dominate ‘hidden stat' as NFL's best team on first set of downs

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The 49ers aren't undefeated by accident.

The more often a team has the football, generally, the better off it will be. It comes as no surprise, then, that 6-0 San Francisco has possessed the ball considerably longer than its average opponent so far.

Much of that can be attributed to the 49ers' run-game success, as well as its defensive line's dominance. The Niners rank second in the NFL and first in the NFC in rushing yards per game, and their 20 sacks are tied for fifth most in the league. San Francisco has been able to extend its own drives more often than not, while having the opposite effect on the opposition.

And it all starts on the first set of downs on each drive.

In terms of forcing the opposition into three-and-out situations, no defense has been better than the 49ers.

San Francisco's dominance on the first set of downs isn't limited to the defense, however. As The Athletic's David Lombardi points out, the 49ers are nearly as dominant on the offensive side, too.

[RELATED: Why King doesn't believe 49ers are NFC favorites with Sanders]

The 49ers are off to their best start since 1990. Maybe, just maybe, that has something to do with the fact that they're typically getting off to great starts on each drive.

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