The San Francisco 49ers remained undefeated with Monday night's win over the Washington Commanders, but head coach Kyle Shanahan has much bigger goals for his team.
San Francisco had 375 yards of total offense, with most of that thanks to quarterback Brock Purdy's 264 passing yards. Defensively, the 49ers held Washington to just 53 rushing yards, prevented them from converting nine of their 12 third downs, and recorded four sacks, including one that secured the victory on the Commanders' final drive.
After the game, Shanahan acknowledged the 49ers' perfect start but made it clear that his ultimate goal is much bigger than an undefeated record.
"I feel good that we just won a game, I mean, 6-0 is better than any other options in your record … but I feel good when the year's over, and you're the last team to win the last game of the year, so I’ll wait till that moment," Shanahan told reporters.
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The victory improved San Francisco's record to 6-0, keeping the 49ers alongside the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings as the NFL's only unbeaten squads after Week 6. The Vikings had a bye week and are 5-0, with their next game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Ahead of the season, Fox Sports reported that the 49ers ranked 18th on the strength-of-schedule list. By comparison, the Chicago Bears, currently 4-2, were at the top of the list with what was considered the hardest schedule this season.
San Francisco faces several obstacles to maintaining an undefeated record, including rematches against NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, again. All three teams reached the postseason last season, with Seattle ultimately winning the Super Bowl. Shanahan hopes to achieve the same with San Francisco this season.
The 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Oct. 25, and then get a week off, possibly with a 7-0 record, ahead of a Sunday, Nov. 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 49ers' schedule will feature several more tests down the road, including games against the Vikings on Nov. 22 and the Chiefs on Dec. 27.
San Francisco closes its regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Arizona Cardinals, with Shanahan hoping to carry the team's early success into a deep playoff run that culminates in a 49ers' Super Bowl championship.
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