Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up to embark on an unprecedented 2020 season in what the team has dubbed a "Legendary Revenge Tour." The last time the 49ers were seen on the football field, they were suffering a fourth-quarter collapse at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
The players and coaches hope to make amends for that.
San Francisco kicks off its regular season by hosting the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium during Week 1. Much of last season's Super Bowl roster returns, with the exception of veterans Joe Staley, DeForest Buckner, and Emmanuel Sanders. The team has added on, though, with additions like
Trent Williams,
Javon Kinlaw, and
Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers also added
Jordan Reed to complement their All-Pro tight end,
George Kittle.
Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each.
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 2
Previous rank: N/A
"
Deebo Samuel is working his way back from a broken foot.
Richie James Jr. missed camp with a broken wrist. First-round pick Brandon Aiyuk is week-to-week with a hamstring injury.
Jalen Hurd tore his ACL.
Tavon Austin hit IR with his own knee issue. Emmanuel Sanders exited via free agency, and
Travis Benjamin was a COVID-19 opt-out. Right about now, George Kittle is probably wondering what kind of damage he can do on Sundays while being quintuple-teamed." — Dan Hanzus
ESPN
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: N/A
"Rare is the team that can lose a Super Bowl, return the next year and win the Lombardi Trophy. In fact, it has happened only three times. But the Niners believe they can do it in large part because they return almost all of their starters and coaching staff in a season when continuity might be more valuable than ever." — Nick Wagoner
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: N/A
"The Niners appear to have a ready-made replacement (for Buckner) in first-round rookie Javon Kinlaw. But as talented as he may be, he's never played in an NFL game. In a loaded NFC West, the 49ers can't afford for Kinlaw to be anything other than a quick study." — NFL Staff
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: N/A
"Getting back to the Super Bowl after losing it is a big challenge. Kyle Shanahan has the makeup to get it done, but it won't be easy. Their season will be all about the growth of
Jimmy Garoppolo." — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: N/A
"Will there be a Super Bowl hangover in the Bay Area? Whether our voters see one coming or not, they mostly gave the defending NFC champions the respect they earned last year." — The MMQB Staff
USA Today
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: N/A
"Really would have been fun to watch these (already legendary) Trent Williams-
Nick Bosa training camp battles. The Niners should be better because of them." — Nate Davis
Are they good? Are they bad? Maybe it depends on the week. No one really seems to be sure what to make of the San Francisco 49ers when it comes to power rankings. One week they are being walloped by the Miami Dolphins. The next, they are knocking off the Los Angeles Rams.
The 49ers finally earned their first home win of the season by beating the favored Rams 24-16 at Levi's Stadium on Sunday night as many were prepared to write off Kyle Shanahan's squad. Things don't get any easier for the 49ers, who will travel to Foxborough this weekend to face the New England Patriots before matchups against the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints.
The 49ers received some more bad news on the injury front. Coach Shanahan informed reporters that featured
Despite numerous injuries, the San Francisco 49ers won their second consecutive game and remained undefeated on the road. A tougher test awaits them at CenturyLink Field, where the defending NFC champions will get their first shot this season at knocking off the division-leading Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco is coming off a dominant 33-6 win over Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Seattle is coming off its first loss of the season — a heartbreaker in overtime against the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers are currently a 3.5-point underdog in the Week 8 matchup.
San Francisco will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (ankle). Both sustained injuries against the Patriots and are
The San Francisco 49ers lost their second consecutive game and remain winless at home as the team fell to 2-3 in the standings. The latest embarrassment came courtesy of a 43-17 beating at the hands of the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The 49ers are exiting what many considered to be the easier portion of their schedule and now embark on a five-game stretch that includes the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints. First, they will host the Los Angeles Rams before playing three of four games on the road before the bye week.
With San Francisco's Super Bowl hopes becoming less and less realistic, the team's playoff hopes also diminish with each loss. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers need to turn things around and start
