The New England Patriots will probably have to lose a game for the San Francisco 49ers to dethrone the defending Super Bowl champions for the top spot in weekly power rankings. Still, the Bay Area squad has made believers out of most in the national media and now ranks in the top 3 of every prominent power ranking.
San Francisco gained some ground in a few power rankings, jumping up a spot in ESPN's, NFL.com's, and USA Today's.
The 49ers are 7-0 after the 51-13 dismantling of a red-hot Carolina Panthers team. They have a short week in preparation for their Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each.
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 2
"They are the real deal. That defense is special and they can run the heck out of the ball. That's a good combination." — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 2
"With each passing week, the crowd of naysayers grows a bit smaller. This week, the run game shone; Tevin Coleman (105 yards, 3 TDs), Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and interloper Deebo Samuel combined for 229 yards and five touchdowns on the ground." — The MMQB Staff
ESPN
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 3
"It hasn't been entirely his fault, as he has had to deal with a game of musical long-snappers, but Gould has missed seven field goals in his first seven games, more than he had ever missed in a season. By his own admission, it's one of the worst streaks of his career, and improvement is necessary as the Niners inevitably get into some closer games. Original long-snapper Kyle Nelson is back from suspension, which should help, but the Niners will need more from Gould & Co. over the season's final half." — Nick Wagoner
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: 3
"Absolute dominance on Sunday by the 49ers, who welcomed the red-hot Panthers to their house ... and promptly crushed their spirits. This is what the great teams do, and week after week, we're seeing that San Francisco should be viewed through that prism. Tevin Coleman was the big star on offense, piling up four touchdowns (three on the ground) in the best game of his career. The standout on defense was rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, who finished with three sacks and an acrobatic leaping interception that he nearly returned for a score." — Dan Hanzus
USA Today
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 4
"You can probably start chiseling Nick Bosa's name onto defensive rookie of the year trophy ... and maybe defensive player of the year trophy, too." — Nate Davis