It wasn't pretty, but it was a victory. The San Francisco 49ers topped the visiting Los Angeles Chargers 22-16 on Sunday night, winning their second consecutive game and improving their record to 5-4.
Aside from wide receiver Danny Gray's slight ankle injury during pre-game warmups, San Francisco emerged unscathed for the second game in a row. And the team had several players return to the lineup, including wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, running back Elijah Mitchell, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
Most believe that if the Niners can limit their injuries, the team is talented enough to be dangerous down the stretch. However, fans still await an explosive performance out of the inconsistent offense overflowing with playmakers.
Next up for the 49ers is a trip to Mexico City to face the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteca.
Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each. The highest rankings are listed first.
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 5
Previous rank: 7
"Even in a game where Christian McCaffrey was more impactful as a moving chess piece, the 49ers showed they belong in the Super Bowl conversation. Jimmy Garoppolo can throw the wrong route on a bad play that shouldn't have been called against that coverage, and it doesn't matter. The skill position players are so good, so explosive that they can make it look brilliant." — Conor Orr
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 6
Previous rank: 6
"Kyle Shanahan's long history of maddening situational conservatism was on display again Sunday night when he kicked a field goal from the 2-yard line with one minute remaining to extend the 49ers' lead to six points. That was a strong 'go for it' recommendation because converting would mean the game was over while failing would still pin the opposition in the shadow of its own goal line. Alas, San Francisco's defense shut the door anyway when Talanoa Hufanga intercepted Justin Herbert on the first play of the ensuing possession." — Bo Wulf
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 7
Previous rank: 6
"On paper, the 49ers should have a dominant offense if Jimmy Garoppolo can effectively distribute the ball to his cabal of talented teammates. We didn't quite get that in Sunday night's narrow win over the injury-ravaged Chargers. George Kittle was targeted just twice (one catch) and Deebo Samuel had just two receptions on six looks. Christian McCaffrey had four catches on six targets in the passing game, but was out-touched in the running game by Elijah Mitchell, who had 18 carries for 89 yards in his first action since Week 1. Brandon Aiyuk got his (six for 84 on seven targets), but overall this had the feel of Kyle Shanahan trying to figure out how to best roll out this attack when everyone is on the field at the same time. Rich-people problems, of course." — Dan Hanzus
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 7
Previous rank: 8
"I agree with my esteemed colleague (Steven Ruiz) that Jimmy Garoppolo currently belongs in the bottom half of the QB rankings, but that doesn't mean Garoppolo's not finding success in an uber-talented Kyle Shanahan offense. San Francisco ranks 10th in offensive EPA per drive since Garoppolo took over for Trey Lance as the starter in Week 3, and Garoppolo ranks seventh in EPA per dropback in the same eight-week period. His average time to throw is the eighth-fastest in the NFL, and his pass catchers lead the league in yards after the catch per reception. He isn't elevating the offense, but he's doing what he has to in order to keep it on schedule and keep the 49ers primed for a deep postseason run." — Austin Gayle
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 8
Previous rank: 10
"If the Niners can clean things up, they're built to do real damage over the second half of the season. The Niners have arguably the best backfield in the league, one of the best defenses, an excellent offensive line and passing-game talent. The ingredients are all there. Head coach Kyle Shanahan just needs to mix them up properly." — NFL Staff
ESPN
Current Ranking: 8
Previous rank: 10
"McGlinchey has had his struggles, most notably in a loss to Kansas City, but the 49ers still believe he's having a solid year. Among tackles, he ranks in the middle of the pack in ESPN Analytics' pass block win rate. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and though the Niners would like to bring him back, that's going to depend largely on how his market shakes out. That's hard to project right now, but solid offensive linemen usually do well on the open market." — Nick Wagoner
USA Today
Current Ranking: 8
Previous rank: 8
"Interesting distribution of touches Sunday, just-activated RB Elijah Mitchell getting one more (19 overall) than RB Christian McCaffrey." — Nate Davis
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 8
Previous rank: 8
"It was odd how Eli Mitchell had 18 carries to Christian McCaffrey's 14. The 49ers didn't give up a truckload of draft picks for Mitchell. But the 49ers won and maybe this will help keep McCaffrey healthy and fresh for the playoffs." — Frank Schwab
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 9
Previous rank: 10
"Watch out for this team. When healthy, they might end up being the best in the NFC. They are getting it right." — Pete Prisco
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 9
Previous rank: 9
"The 49ers had a bit of an offensive grind sticking to the running game against the Chargers but they could afford to do that with their defense dominating again after the bye. They should have the NFC West lead again soon." — Vinnie Iyer
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 10
Previous rank: 11
"Great teams find a way to win when they're not playing well." — Mike Florio
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