NFL power rankings: Where 49ers stand after big win against Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There are levels in the NFL hierarchy. There are real Super Bowl contenders and there are pretenders.
And then there are the Dallas Cowboys.
It was a litmus test week for some of the league’s top teams, and while some proved to be worthy competitors, others, like the aforementioned organization, found themselves battling a formidable foe.
Here are the 49ers and the rest of the league ahead of “Monday Night Football.”
32. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Balance: 1-4
I don’t know what else to say about Will Levis at this point. They’re in tank mode, that’s for sure.
31. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 31)
Record: 1-5
More watchable football from Andy Dalton, and that’s why I appreciate him.
30. New England Patriots (Last week: 30)
Record: 1-5
The offensive ceiling is definitely higher with starting quarterback Drake Maye, and he should start, but they will have to live with the turnovers.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 27)
Record: 1-5
Pity the poor Brits and stop sending the Jaguars to London. This cannot be good for diplomacy.
28. New York Giants (Last week: 28)
Balance: 2-4
Daniel Jones will be back soon. Oh, not in a good way. He is himself again. That’s bad. Don’t worry, it will cook again at some point during the season.
27. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 29)
Record: 2-3 (day week)
They can’t do much offensively and there is no end in sight to this downward spiral as long as Tua Tagovailoa remains sidelined.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 26)
Balance: 2-4
Come on, hug the tank. You know you want that. Go draft a quarterback.
25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 25)
Record: 1-5
I could have copied and pasted the same text about this violation being unwatchable in each of the first six weeks, and it would have been correct every time. Would you blame me if I did?
24. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 24)
Record: 1-4 (day week)
Cooper Kupp could return next week and Puka Nacua won’t be far behind him. They need to stay healthy if they hope to turn their season around.
23. Denver Broncos (Last week: 22)
Balance: 3-3
The bad Bo Nix games are really hard to watch. The past two weeks may have been a mirage.
22. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 21)
Balance: 2-4
There hasn’t been a bigger offense in the league this season than Arizona’s. No miraculous comeback in the second half this week.
21. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 23)
Balance: 3-3
Joe Flacco, even at 39 years old, can sometimes do anything with his arm, but this offense requires Jonathan Taylor to be firing on all cylinders.
20. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 17)
Recording: 2-4
Spencer Rattler is probably a competent backup at best. The offense may last a few weeks, but it’s not like Derek Carr will take it to much higher levels when he returns.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 19)
Balance: 2-4
After scoring 38, 34 and 33 points in each of the last three weeks, Joe Burrow and the high-powered Bengals offense scored 10 points in 58 minutes against the Giants before scoring a last-minute touchdown. They just can’t make it easy for themselves.
18. New York Jets (Last week: 18)
Balance: 2-3
Don’t be fooled by the interim coaching debut. They could rally around Jeff Ulbrich and new offensive play-caller Todd Downing for a week, but there are serious problems here.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 20)
Balance: 3-2
Justin Herbert and his collection of idiots with funny names keep finding ways to win. Good quarterbacks will always do, but maybe add a true No. 1 receiver before the trade deadline?
16. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 14)
Balance: 3-3
The league once wrote off Geno Smith. Two years ago he didn’t write back. The NFL just hit his inbox again with a “Hey! I circle back here :)”
15. Chicago Bears (Last week: 16)
Balance: 4-2
Caleb Williams and the offense are getting underway before our eyes, but their four wins are against the Titans, Rams, Panthers and Jags. Let’s see if they can hang with the big boys before they go overboard.
14. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 9)
Balance: 3-3
It’s the same song and dance every year. They’re a good team until they look incompetent. Oh, but then they’re good again. Oh, never mind the playoffs are here. Back to incompetence. Sure, they might win games by double digits again this year, but they’re not a serious organization.
13. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 15)
Balance: 4-2
It wasn’t pretty, but Jordan Love has come out strong since the injury. He missed two games and could still lead the league in touchdowns this season.
12. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 13)
Balance: 3-3
There was a point where it looked like there was going to be another humiliating second-half collapse against a divisional opponent, but they finally figured out how to stop the bleeding. Brock Purdy continues to own Seattle, and just like that, San Francisco is back in business.
11. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 11)
Balance: 4-2
Hey, a Bijan Robinson game! We knew an event was coming. Do that more often and take the burden off Kirk Cousins’ shoulders.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 12)
Balance: 3-2
One of the most balanced offenses in the league certainly seemed to play a role in a cheer from the Saints. Baker Mayfield did his best Jameis Winston impression, throwing for over 300 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 10)
Balance: 4-2
Even with Russell Wilson lurking, Justin Fields continues to play quite well. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
8. Washington Commanders (Last week: 8)
Balance: 4-2
The NFL is a copycat league, and while Jayden Daniels played relatively well, he’s not quite Lamar Jackson yet.
7. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 6)
Balance: 3-2
Josh Allen can’t be Superman every week and the concerns many had about their offense are starting to come true. It will be difficult to assuage these concerns about the Jets’ defense on Monday night.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 7)
Balance: 3-2
It wasn’t an offensive explosion by any means, but it’s clear how important AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are to this offense.
5. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 5)
Balance: 4-2
The battle between Lamar Jackson and Lamar Jackson Jr. lived up to the hype, but it’s clear there’s still only one real Lamar Jackson. And Dirk Henry.
4. Houston Texans (Last week: 4)
Balance: 5-1
Joe Mixon and a competent running game are the secret sauce that makes this offense so dangerous. Full speed ahead in Houston.
3. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 2)
Record: 5-0 (day week)
Sam Darnold returns to Earth, but they still find ways to win with their elite defense.
2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 3)
Balance: 4-1
They are who we thought they were: really, really good and worthy of all the preseason hype. Jared Goff has taken his game to a whole other level, but Aidan Hutchinson’s injury is a devastating blow.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 1)
Balance: 5-0 (Day week)
No Rahsee Rice, no Isiah Pacheco… no problem? While Travis Kelce isn’t what he used to be, Patrick Mahomes can command reliable power when needed. A big test against a 49ers team looking for revenge.
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