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The level of disaster the 49ers’ season has reached was always kept in perspective nicely by the NFL Wire power rankings. While they’ve undoubtedly struggled throughout the year for a variety of reasons, they were never one of the five worst teams in the league, and for awhile they maintained a spot near the middle of the NFL despite a slew of injury issues and a hefty skid over the second half of the year.
A Week 16 win over the Arizona Cardinals pushed them up three spots to No. 21, giving them a real shot to finish the year in the top 20.
Mark Schofield, who authors the power rankings at the Touchdown Wire, credited quarterback CJ Beathard for his strong outing in the victory. He also credited 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for helping hold the Cardinals to just 12 points despite a rash of injuries on the defensive side.
Via Schofield:
The other story is this: Robert Saleh is going to be a head coach somewhere next year. That has been evident since perhaps last season’s run to the Super Bowl, but with the 49ers going deep into the playoffs Saleh missed out on many of the head coaching interview opportunities. This year, with the 49ers eliminated and Richard Sherman pushing for him to get a job, Saleh is going to get those interview chances.
Saleh and the 49ers defense have been key in keeping the 49ers buoyed in the power rankings all year. They helped put together a stellar game against the Rams that helped San Francisco stay in the playoff conversation into the final quarter of the year, and they gave the club opportunities early in the season while they struggled through health issues under center.
The 49ers’ season was not a good one, but it absolutely could’ve been worse, and their place in the NFL Wire power rankings is a good illustration of that.