Most dominant elements of the 2022/23 NFL playoffs: What to look out for in the postseason

#2. San Francisco’s suffocating talent & schematic advantages

NFL Regular Season - San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams

The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the most talented roster and the best combination of offensive and defensive play-callers in the entire NFL. That is pretty glaring as we discuss the best teams in this field.

The only two reasons they aren’t quite regarded as an overwhelming force in the NFC are the fact that we also have a Philadelphia Eagles squad that is 13-1 with their starting quarterback under center. There's also the fact that the final draft pick last April in Brock Purdy is leading the offense.

Purdy has the highest passer rating in the NFL since taking over as a starter (112.7), and gives them more of a play-making component than they’ve had in recent years.

You look at their lineup on both sides of the ball and it’s truly astonishing. In three-and-a-half games without Deebo Samuel, their offense has scored 109 points (those 31.1 points per game would lead the NFL).

They are slated to get Samuel back and re-unite what is undoubtedly the most talented combination of five skill position players when they go into 21 personnel. Not only because of what all those guys can do with the ball in their hands, but because of the way they can stress defensive rules with the formation and play-design flexibility they have.

You could argue that the O-line outside of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams may be somewhat vulnerable in heavy dropback settings. However, all their weapons are so explosive after the catch and the Niners have now run for over 120 yards in all but one of their eight games (vs. NO) since the bye week.

Meanwhile, the defense has been even more consistently dominant. There have been three games all season in which they’ve allowed more than 20 points. One was when they were missing half of their starters at Atlanta. Then a game at home against the flamethrower that is Patrick Mahomes. Shockingly, the third came last Sunday in an overtime shootout in Las Vegas.

Those are complete outliers to the rest of their schedule, as they’re still number one in the league in points per game (16.5), DVOA (-14.0%) and EPA per play (-0.096). Nick Bosa is the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year as the most consistent and well-rounded threat off the edge.

Their range on the second level to either chase things down out wide is phenomenal. As is their ability to take away passing lanes and still race up for minimal YAC. The way they squeeze down routes in zone coverage, forcing quarterbacks to hold onto the ball, is also extremely impressive.

A big reason for the success of their players is the way that the coaching staff has put them in place. Kyle Shanahan has been one of the NFL's premier offensive play and game-plan designers for nearly a decade now.

The way he can dress plays up differently and mess with defensive rules adds a few wrinkles to the run game and affects the eyes of defenders. All the variations on how to put the ball in the hands of his best players stand out on a weekly basis.

On the opposite side, DeMeco Ryans has risen to be one of the top head-coaching candidates in this upcoming cycle for how well-orchestrated that defensive unit is. There’s obviously a lot of talent to play with in the front-seven, but the way he has maximized their strengths with different games up front has been tremendous. He utilizes the range of those linebackers, along with not de-accentuating the impact of a fairly average corner group with how they orchestrate coverage.