NFL Rankings: Where the 49ers stand after collapse against the Rams originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
If we’ve learned one thing from the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, it’s that the “any given Sunday” mantra may no longer be true.
Sam Darnold and the juggernaut (?) Minnesota Vikings kept rolling. Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints offense got a taste of humility, while a pair of Super Bowl hopefuls were at the center of two epic comeback attempts.
Here’s the standings for the 49ers and the rest of the league heading into Monday night’s doubleheader:
32. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 29)
Score: 0-3
Backbreaking Will Levis turnovers. Drinking. Ugly display by the Tony Pollard-Tyjae Spears tandem. There is gross offense in Music City.
31. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 32)
Record: 1-2
The Andy Dalton era is here and it’s beautiful. Well, everything is beautiful compared to it.
30. New England Patriots (Last week: 28)
Registration: 1-2
Whoever plays quarterback behind this offensive line is going to get destroyed week in and week out. An ineffective Rhamondre Stevenson leaves you with almost nothing offensively.
29. Denver Broncos (Last week: 31)
Record: 1-2
Bo Nix, I didn’t know your game. Good all-round performance from Denver. Let’s see if they can build on that.
28. New York Giants (Last week: 30)
File: 1-2
Every now and then there is a good Daniel Jones game. This was one of them. Malik Nabers continues to be great.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 26)
File: 1-2
Dalton is a big improvement over Bryce Young, but it’s still the Panthers. Really? Only the Raiders would be embarrassed by Carolina after an impressive win over the Ravens last week.
26. Washington Commanders (Last week: 27)
Score: 1-1
Rookie Jayden Daniels has been impressive so far and has a decent supporting cast around him. This is a rebuilding team that is headed in the right direction, but they have a big test this week on a Bengals team that has something to prove.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 25)
Score: 0-2
Trevor Lawrence is fighting accusations of cheating. Mostly from me. How will he respond against the mighty Bills on “Monday Night Football”?
24. Chicago Bears (Last week: 23)
File: 1-2
There would be less pressure on Caleb Williams if the Bears had a running game, but he seems to be getting more comfortable each week. Still way too many costly mistakes.
23. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 24)
File: 1-2
Anthony Richardson is a loose cannon and it’s going to cost Indy games. Luckily for them, the young quarterback on the other side of the field was more of a liability. Just run the ball 40 or more times a game. Seriously.
22. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 19)
File: 1-2
Their third quarterback was added, so they’ll likely be in free fall for a few weeks.
21. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 20)
File: 1-2
Your offense can’t just be based on taking deep shots at Marvin Harrison. If James Conner isn’t right, it’s going to be a long day for Kyler Murray.
20. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 22)
File: 1-2
A heroic performance from a Rams team decimated by injuries. They had a couple of big chances late in the game but credit where credit is due. They showed a lot of heart.
19. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 21)
File: 2-1
Why was Justin Herbert in this game in the first place? This offense is just a bunch of dudes. Not in a good way.
18. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 15)
File: 1-2
This might be the worst team that should be good in NFL history. #FreeJameis
17. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 11)
File: 0-2
They have a history of slow starts, but losing to the Commanders and dropping to 0-3 would be alarming. There are no must-win games in Week 3, but this is close.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 9)
File: 2-1
I didn’t see this coming. Talk about crashing to Earth for Baker Mayfield and Co. Back to the middle layer, you go.
15. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 17)
Record: 1-2
They’re not quite there yet, but I just can’t leave the Falcons. They’ve gone head-to-head with the Chiefs and they’ve shown signs. One of these weeks, they’re going to prove me right for four quarters.
14. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 14)
File: 2-1
Malik Willis revenge play. He did his job instead of Jordan Love who should be back next week. All will be well soon in Green Bay.
13.Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 18)
File: 3-0
Their first three games of the season: Broncos, Patriots, and a matchup against the Dolphins’ second and third quarterbacks. Talk to me if they beat a serious team. But 3-0 is 3-0, so I’ll give them a little respect.
12. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 7)
File: 1-2
The run game is terrible, and so is their run defense. Dak Prescott nearly completed the comeback with just his arm, and that’s not a recipe for success. There are serious concerns that need to be addressed in Big D.
11. New York Jets (Last week: 10)
Score: 2-1
Aaron Rodgers looked fantastic, distributing the ball well to all of his playmakers. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen make a great backfield. Imagine this offense with Rodgers and Garrett Wilson on the same page.
10.Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 13)
Score: 3-0
Justin Fields has done an admirable job replacing Russell Wilson, who isn’t guaranteed the starting job when he returns. No matter who’s under center, the defense will carry them.
9. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 12)
Score: 2-1
I wasn’t as optimistic about them as others last week, but it’s clear they mean business, even in a tough loss. Derek Carr looked more like the Derek Carr we expected this season, but Alvin Kamara has clearly turned back the clock.
8. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 3)
Record: 1-2
It doesn’t matter that there was no Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel or George Kittle. This was an utterly unforgivable collapse. A meltdown of epic proportions. Shame on everyone involved except Brock Purdy and Jauan Jennings.
7. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 6)
Record: 1-2
An impressive comeback, but it nearly slipped away. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry did what they do best. My suspicions about their defense have proven correct.
6. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 8)
File: 2-0
The offense remains solid despite Josh Allen having a less than impressive supporting cast through the air. Can they run the ball as well as they did against a stout Jags D-line?
5. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 16)
Score: 3-0
That defense is no good. It’s ELITE. Sam Darnold keeps cooking. I’m promoting them from Frisky to WAGON status. I probably just blew it.
4. Houston Texans (Last week: 2)
Score: 2-1
CJ Stroud meets Brian Flores. It wasn’t pretty, but it seems like even the best offenses struggle against this Vikings defense. Fast forward and move on.
3.Detroit Lions (Last week: 5)
Score: 2-1
There’s just something not quite right with this team right now, but they keep doing it behind one of the best running back tandems in the league. An impressive showing from the defense as well.
2.Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 4)
Score: 2-1
Nick Sirianni is more than a frustrating coach. The 2023 Eagles reared their ugly head in the second half of the game before Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert led them to victory.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 1)
Score: 3-0
Carson Steele has stepped in for the injured Isiah Pacheco and has been useful. Rashee Rice has replaced Travis Kelce as Patrick Mahomes’ new go-to target. The champs keep rolling.
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