Sure, the teams the 49ers have beaten are now a combined 5-15, but San Francisco is in the best position mathematically possible at 4-0 and atop the NFC West after putting on a Monday Night Football master class.

The San Francisco 49ers scored an 83-yard touchdown on their very first offensive play Monday night. They were up 14-0 before the Cleveland Browns even completed a single pass. And a certain Trump-loving defensive end established himself as a leading Rookie of the Year candidate with a coming-out party, as the San Francisco 49ers demolished the Browns 31-3 in a nationally televised game that was ⁠— hey-o! ⁠— the team’s 49th victory on Monday Night Football, dating back to 1970.  

Edge rusher Nick Bosa announced himself as fearsome force in the NFL, and while registering just two sacks, he should have been awarded a third, and his night will be remembered for dredging up some college-era flag-plant taunting. Tight end George Kittle (six catches, 71 yards, one touchdown) was knocking opponents horizontal like he was the protagonist in a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. Emerging running back Tevin Colemen added an unexpected 97-yard performance, and of course, “Jimmy GQ,” James Richard Garoppolo, enjoyed two touchdowns and a season-high 108.5 quarterback rating.

We should note the 49ers were matched against an exceedingly terrible Cleveland Browns football team. Their star free agent wide receiver acquisition Odell Baines Johnson, or whatever his name is, I forget, had an inconsequential two-catch game that will be more remembered for a comically inept fourth quarter punt return (running backwards 15 yards, then fumbling!) Why was he even still in the game during the shank end of a rout? The Browns are officially still not a well-run football team, and the 49ers personally extinguished Cleveland’s trendy-pick preseason hype.

The Niners do have a major problem, though, in the performance of place kicker Robbie Gould. The guy missed three field goals (one was blocked), and people, this could really matter against a real NFL opponent. Mind you, this is the same Robbie Gould who just held out and power-played the team into making him the highest-paid kicker in football.

But do enjoy this game’s memories, and this moment. This was almost certainly the 49ers’ best win ever at Levi’s Stadium (A dreadful period that includes the Jim Tomsula era and the Chip Kelly era.) The national television announcers did not have any insulting remarks about the quality of the turf, so that’s kind of a win for Levi’s Stadium. And your San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 for the first time since 1990, in sole possession of first place in the NFC West, and the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC.

Short week coming, and the Niners now travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Related: The 11 Best Custom 49ers Cars, Vans and Vehicle Accessories [SFist]

Image: bshamblen via Flickr