Wide receiver Mike Evans and cornerback Renardo Green get the bulk of the credit for the San Francisco 49ers' thrilling 32-29 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5.
However, both the Niners' offensive and defensive lines were paramount in head coach Kyle Shanahan getting his squad to a perfect 5-0 record.
This, despite fears the two sides of the trenches were swiftly becoming San Francisco's greatest liability.
Indeed, the injury losses of defensive linemen like Nick Bosa and Alfred Collins cast doubts, and the lack of established edge rushers behind Bosa sparked fears of yet another season in which the 49ers registered league-lows in sacks.
The Hawks game revealed otherwise.
Flipping the ball, despite Seattle finally getting to quarterback Brock Purdy for his first sacks of the season, the Niners offensive line ensured a successful run game—something it struggled with a year ago.
There are some pleasant truths stemming from the win that San Francisco will happily accept.
2 positive truths from 49ers' Week 5 win over Seahawks
Raheem Morris is getting the most out of his defensive line
Remember when fans were clamoring for the 49ers to add another prolific pass-rusher to pair with Bosa?
It doesn't seem like a need now at all, even with Bosa still dealing with his calf injury.
The Niners notched five sacks in the game, defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa and Gracen Halton recording one apiece from the interior, and Halton's forced fumble recovered for a touchdown was a key turning point.
Getting to quarterback Sam Darnold wasn't just the only success story. The Seahawks, known for having a ground-and-pound offense a year ago, managed a mere 3.4 yards per rush, too, suggesting San Francisco has solved a lingering problem defending against the run.
Putting it bluntly, coordinator Raheem Morris is getting vastly more out of the defensive front than now-Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh got a year ago.
True, new faces like Halton and Odighizuwa help, but Morris is making a substantial difference.
49ers offensive line is (gulp) good
It feels odd to say this beyond the seemingly endless prowess of left tackle Trent Williams, but the 49ers offensive line to the right of him is vastly outperforming expectations.
Sure, Purdy's three sacks taken finally show a blemish after the O-line surrendered zero over the previous four weeks. But Purdy was still given substantial amounts of time to throw, particularly late in the contest when the outcome was very much in doubt.
Let's put this into a deeper perspective, citing a takeaway from our sister site, 12th Man Rising:
But far more troubling was the way San Francisco’s offensive line pushed Seattle’s formidable defense around late in the game. To be fair, the Seahawks defense was very good throughout much of the game. But when they needed it most, they allowed a depleted 49ers offense to run the ball down their throats.
In a sense, the Niners O-line got better as the game wore on, particularly in run support. Also a weakness last year, a largely unchanged unit helped running back Christian McCaffrey average 6.2 yards per carry for 68 yards and a touchdown.
A year ago, particularly late in the season and during the divisional round, the Hawks defensive front would've pushed around San Francisco's O-line, eliminating any substantial gains on the ground while constantly putting Purdy under duress.
The complete opposite happened in Week 5, which was a pleasant surprise.
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