Tom Brady's Take On The 49ers Is The Most Honest Thing Anyone Has Said About The NFL In Week 3
Tom Brady ranked the San Francisco 49ers No. 2 in his Week 3 power rankings, pointing to their plus-42 point differential, eight yards per play on offense, and zero turnovers in Week 2 as evidence of a team playing at a high level.
- By Written by NDTV Sports Desk, Edited by NDTV Sports Desk
- Updated: September 24, 2026, 10:18 AM EDT
The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0, they flew to Australia and back, dominated the Miami Dolphins 35-13 in Week 2, and now have a point differential of plus-42 through two games. That number is almost double the next best team in the league. When Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady ranked his weekly NFL top 10 ahead of Week 3, he put San Francisco at No. 2, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. His reasoning was blunt, and honestly hard to argue with.
What did Tom Brady say about the San Francisco 49ers ahead of Week 3?
Brady did not dress it up. In his Fox Sports power rankings segment, he broke down exactly why the 49ers have earned their standing.
"Top two. Very impressive. The 49ers are 2-0. They get home from Australia, that travel didn't bother them and they dominated the Dolphins," Brady said. "+42 differential this year. That's almost double the next best. Their offense is averaging eight per play, no turnovers on Sunday, these Niners have showed out the first two weeks."
Eight yards per offensive play. No turnovers in Week 2. Back-to-back wins that were not even close. Brady played the game long enough to know what sustainable winning looks like, and right now San Francisco has most of the markers.
What makes Brady's observation interesting is the context around it. The 49ers dealt with a long injury list this offseason and into the early weeks of the season. None of that has slowed anything down on either side of the ball. That resilience is exactly the kind of thing Brady tends to respect, having built a career on staying functional through disruption.
How is Brock Purdy performing for the 49ers in 2026?
Brock Purdy is the engine behind all of this. Against Miami in Week 2, he completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns and added 30 rushing yards with another score on the ground. That earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Across both games, his completion rate sits at 80.4 percent. He has thrown for 492 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception, with a passer rating of 125.6. Those are not just good numbers in a vacuum. They suggest someone who is operating with a real command of the offense, not just collecting easy throws.
The defense has matched that energy. San Francisco has allowed only 20 combined points through two games, generated four sacks against Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis in Week 2, and forced two turnovers in Week 1 against the Rams. They host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and right now nothing about their form suggests that will be a difficult afternoon.
Brady called it straight. The 49ers have been the most complete team through two weeks, and the numbers back that up entirely.