The 9ers have beaten some legitimate teams this year. Detroit, New York, a strong starting Philly early on, and now the Steelers.
Smith isn't great, but he isn't giving up the games like he used to. Does the offense need work? Definitely, but if we can just score 21-24 points a game, we have a great chance of winning since the D doesn't give up more than 17 points average a game.
The biggest difference I see this year is the special teams and Smith's better decision making. Will the 9ers give up big for Luck next year? I wonder.