Generally the 49ers’ 37-8 trouncing of the Packers would’ve been enough to move them up one spot to No. 1 in the NFL Wire power rankings. However, when No. 1-ranked Baltimore blows out the Rams 45-6, they get to retain their top spot.
San Francisco will head to Baltimore for Week 13 with a lot on the line, including a chance to be No. 1 in the NFL Wire power rankings going into the final quarter of the season.
The big picture takeaway though goes beyond the power rankings. The 49ers, win or lose Sunday, are one of the best teams in the NFL. They’re likely going to lock up a playoff spot in the next couple weeks, and their place among the NFL’s elite in power rankings was earned by playing high-level football through the first 12 weeks.
Their win over the Packers cemented San Francisco as Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. Via Doug Farrar, the author of the NFL Wire power rankings:
But any serious questions about the vulnerability of the NFC’s best team went straight out the window after Sunday night’s 37-8 demolition of the Packers. When Aaron Rodgers could get away from San Francisco’s furious pass rush (which wasn’t often), San Francisco’s airtight secondary shut down his receivers and made consistent offensive performance nearly impossible. And though Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been a bit limited in the run game over the past three games, Jimmy Garoppolo has taken the passing game to a new level, especially with the return of tight end George Kittle, who caught six passes on six targets for 129 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay’s overwhelmed defense. This was a team in need of an undisputed win, and boy, did it get one.
Sunday in Baltimore will shuffle the top of the power rankings in some way, whether it’s San Francisco climbing to No. 1 or falling out of the No. 2 slot. It won’t matter either way, because the 49ers have already asserted themselves as a force in the NFC.