NFL Power Rankings: Where the 49ers stand after frustrating loss to Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Ladies and gentlemen, the champions have been dethroned.
In these meaningless power rankings, of course. Unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, there is still a high probability that the Kansas City Chiefs will get a three-peat.
But we are still far from achieving this.
For now, let’s focus on the discussion…the Jacksonville Jaguars! And the Tennessee Titans! And the Las Vegas Raiders! Isn’t that fun?
Don’t worry, there are still plenty of good teams and exciting matchups worth recapping.
Here’s where the 49ers stand after a frustrating game 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and heads to “Monday Night Football.”
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (last week: 31)
Recording: 2-9
Neither you nor I need to spend time discussing this team. If we pretend they don’t exist, they might disappear.
31. New York Giants (last week: 32)
Recording: 2-8 (Goodbye week)
Is this the last week we have to watch Daniel Jones play football? I hope so ! But I’m not holding my breath.
30. Tennessee Titans (last week: 30)
Recording: 2-8
Will Levis And Nick Westbrook-Ikhine connected on a 98-yard touchdown run. It’s fun. There’s not much else to mention other than the second-year quarterback continuing to solidify his role as a career backup.
29. Carolina Panthers (last week: 29)
Recording: 3-7 (Goodbye week)
Bryce Young is playing a lot better, and it helps that he has the new signing Chuba Hubbard what to rely on. It’s unclear what the future holds for him, but he deserves to start the rest of the season.
28. Las Vegas Raiders (last week: 28)
Recording: 2-8
I fully expect Brock Bowers to break all rookie tight end records this season. Absolute star in the making.
27. New England Patriots (last week: 27)
Recording: 3-8
A more competitive football Drake Maye in a loss. It really looks like it’s him, and they’re doing everything they can to tank while establishing a good culture.
26. Cleveland Browns (last week: 26)
Recording: 2-8
A real pleasure James Winston game. That’s all you can ask for. Even with Cleveland’s poor situation this season, the decline in their defense compared to last season is staggering.
25. New York Jets (last week: 24)
Recording: 3-8
Yes, it’s definitely Robert Saleh’s fault. There, you really dodged a bullet. Good job, guys. What a humbling season.
24. Dallas Cowboys (last week: 25)
Recording: 3-6 (Monday Night Football)
Do yourself and all of us a favor and play Trey Lance. I promise you, it’s not worse than Cooper Rush.
23. New Orleans Saints (last week: 23)
Registration: 4-7
Don’t look now, but Derek Carr and the Saints return to… a .500 finish. They’re playing well, but it’s too little, too late.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (last week: 18)
Registration: 4-7
It wasn’t officially a must-have game for Joe Burrow and Co., but man, they really, really, really needed this one. The path to the playoffs is pretty murky from here on out, but they have a pretty favorable schedule down the stretch.
21. Chicago Bears (last week: 20)
Recording: 4-6
Oh no, bears. This franchise has suffered enough from end-of-game placement chicanes. Against their great rival too. It hurts.
20. Miami Dolphins (last week: 22)
Recording: 4-6
Now it’s the Tua Tagovailoa-Dolphins offense we know and love. Minus the speedy running back depth, which is concerning.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (last week: 19)
Recording: 4-6
To rest, Mayfield Baker And Mike Evans. Your schedule for the second half is a breeze. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if they won.
18. Indianapolis Colts (last week: 21)
Recording: 5-6
Anthony Richardson I still can’t stop turning the ball over, but he’s definitely playing better. A mid-season bench can do wonders for some young quarterbacks.
17. Seattle Seahawks (last week: 17)
Recording: 5-5
There is usually a Geno Smith play or two that decides most Seahawks games. This was the case again this week, but it worked in their favor. He managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat on Sunday and end Seattle’s losing streak against San Francisco.
16. San Francisco 49ers (last week: 14)
Recording: 5-5
I think 10 games is enough of a sample size to conclude that this is an incredibly flawed team. Damn the very talented roster, the Super Bowl hangover is real. The best they can hope for is the division title and a home playoff game, as there is no shot at them getting first place. If they even have a chance to make the playoffs…
15. Los Angeles Rams (last week: 16)
Recording: 5-5
The Rams’ offensive potential was on full display. Puka Nacua And Cooper Kupp are the second-best receiver tandem in the league behind the Cincy duo.
14. Atlanta Falcons (last week: 12)
Recording: 6-5
What once seemed like Atlanta’s division to lose will be a dogfight to the end. The last few weeks have been inconsistent Kirk Cousins and the offense.
13. Denver Broncos (last week: 15)
Recording: 6-5
Right now, Bo Nix plays the best football of any rookie quarterback in the league. Also, some of the best football of any quarterback period. I’m a real Bo-liever now.
12. Arizona Cardinals (last week: 13)
Record: 6-4 (Goodbye week)
In my opinion, they won’t lead the division for much longer, but it’s hard to deny that they are playing some good football at the moment. I would like to see some consistency before fully joining.
11. Houston Texans (last week: 11)
Record: 6-4 (Monday Night Football)
Heartbreaking loss last week, but fortunately for Houston, they have arguably the most dysfunctional organization in the league. This should be a victory, and one that might not be particularly close.
10. Washington Commanders (last week: 8)
Recording: 7-4
Jayden Daniels fell on hard times. The league seems to be finding out. That’s to be expected, but it’s clear that Washington may not be quite the wagon it seemed to be in the first half of the season.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (last week: 10)
Record: 7-3
Jim Harbaugh’s bump is real, folks. They almost missed this match. Coaching matters. They’re probably a star offensive playmaker, far from a legit Super Bowl contender, but man, they’re playing great football right now and could definitely make some noise in the playoffs.
8. Green Bay Packers (last week: 9)
Record: 7-3
A modest but quite effective game of Jordan Love and the offense, which had to be bailed out by special teams to pull off a stirring victory over a division rival.
7. Baltimore Ravens (last week: 5)
Recording: 7-4
Lamar Jacksonmeet the Steelers defense. Don’t worry, they do this to almost everyone. Rinse it out and get ready for another good defense next week.
6. Minnesota Vikings (last week: 7)
Record: 8-2
A decent and bouncy game of Sam Darnoldand the defense continued to suffocate. That’s the formula. There are some tough division matchups ahead, however. Can they keep the division head?
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (last week: 6)
Record: 8-2
Defense wins championships, as they say. I don’t think it’s in the cards for this team, but if you can survive a Russell Wilson Stinking against the Ravens, you have a special, special group.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (last week: 4)
Record: 8-2
Saquon Barkley can take them straight to the NFC Championship Game, where they could very well punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. In other words, if Jake Elliott can kick…
3. Buffalo Bills (last week: 3)
Record: 9-2
If there was anyone who would hand the defending champions their first defeat, of course it would be Josh Allen. They also secured a potentially massive playoff tiebreaker.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (last week: 1)
Record: 9-1
Finally, it’s over. They have escaped far too many ugly games with wins this season. They couldn’t keep getting by. To be honest, I’ve been wanting to take them down for a while, but I respected the sequence too much. This is where they belong. Still, not too bad.
1. Detroit Lions (last week: 2)
Record: 9-1
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion. They brutally humiliated the worst team in the NFL, but Jared Goff was almost perfect after his five-pick game.
