The 49ers’ journey in the NFL Wire power rankings finished in the top-three after their 26-21 win over the Seahawks in Week 17. San Francisco finished No. 3 behind the Ravens and Saints.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the 49ers’ year isn’t where they finished in the power rankings after treading water in the middle of the pack for the first few weeks, but who they defeated along the way.
Here are the teams the 49ers beat, and their final rankings:
Bengals – 32
Washington – 31
Panthers – 26
Cardinals (twice) – 24
Browns – 21
Buccaneers – 20
Steelers – 14
Rams (twice) – 13
Seahawks – 7
Packers – 4
Saints – 2
While the 49ers did face the bottom two teams, six of their wins came against teams that finished outside the top 20. They also had six wins against the top 15, and a pair in the top five.
The 49ers undeniably earned their spot in the top three after finishing with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that they finish the postseason on top.
Doug Farrar, who authors the NFL Wire power rankings, highlighted the 49ers’ increased Super Bowl chances following their win in Seattle:
This one was well earned. San Francisco used a balanced offense to win. More importantly, the defense came through when it mattered most. The San Francisco defense, helped by a Seattle delay-of-game penalty, stopped the Seahawks inches from the goal line. That creates a much easier path for the 49ers, who would’ve had to go to Philadelphia in the first round if they had lost to the Seahawks.
It’s been a roller coaster year for the 49ers after a 4-12 campaign in 2018, but they’ve put themselves in a position to win two home games to make the Super Bowl. It’s their first time as the NFC’s No. 1 seed since 1997.
Their real season is just beginning, but given where they were to start the year, and what the expectations were for them, it’s been a pretty magnificent year for one of the NFL’s best three teams.