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Ahead of the 49ers is a formidable opponent—the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, making the Week 5 clash at Levi's Stadium a pivotal matchup.
Fresh off a commanding 35-15 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, the Niners showcased stellar performances from star players Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Brandon Aiyuk. The question now is whether this trio can deliver another standout performance against the Cowboys.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are riding high after a resounding 38-3 win over the New England Patriots. They're seeking revenge against a team that has knocked them out of the playoffs in two consecutive postseasons.
What does the national media think about the Niners' roster compared to the rest of the league? Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 2
"San Francisco is defined so far by its lack of chaos. Running back Christian McCaffrey, who had 177 yards of offense and four touchdowns Sunday, is gaining an NFL-high 36.8 percent of his team's scrimmage yards. Brock Purdy was 20-for-21 passing while averaging 13.5 yards per attempt. McCaffrey and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk (six catches, 148 yards Sunday) and Deebo Samuel account for 74.9 percent of the 49ers' yards this season. So far, that's working just fine." — Josh Kendall
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The San Francisco 49ers are rolling offensively. In all three games this season, the Niners have scored 30 points. It's an offense that is firing on all cylinders. On the ground, Christian McCaffrey is averaging over 115 rushing yards a game and has topped 100 total yards in all three contests. Through the air, Brock Purdy has been surgically precise, completing 67 percent of his passes with a passer rating of 106.3. ... There's just nothing the Niners aren't doing well right now. The offense is rolling, and the defense is playing as well as any in the NFL. It's not hard to see why San Francisco sits atop these power rankings." — NFL Staff
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"There is no doubt who the best team in the league is right now. They do face a tough test Sunday night against the Cowboys." — Pete Prisco
ESPN
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"Biggest issue on defense: Red zone efficiency. By and large, the 49ers' defense doesn't have many areas that stick out for improvement, but it could do a better job of slowing opponents down when they get inside the 20. Through four games, the Niners have allowed touchdowns on six of nine drives they've allowed to reach the red zone, a 66.7% rate that is tied for 23rd in the NFL. The Niners are still winning games comfortably, but holding opponents to field goals instead of touchdowns more frequently will matter as the schedule gets more difficult." — Nick Wagoner
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 2
"I touched on this right after Sunday's 35-16 win over Arizona, but I think it's worth repeating: Brandon Aiyuk has become such a dangerous element for this offense. Yes, yes, Christian McCaffrey scored four TDs -- he's amazing and all of that. But Aiyuk's speed spreads the defense wide and deep, and opponents still have to worry about CMC, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. Aiyuk came back from injury on Sunday and had catches of 16, 11, 42, 25, 34 and 20 yards -- the first five coming on first downs. So right when you're gearing up for a handoff, Kyle Shanahan will call a shot play to Aiyuk. That's just wicked. Kittle and Deebo combined for one catch, but the offense mostly hummed right along. And after things tightened up in the third quarter, San Francisco ultimately won comfortably." — Eric Edholm
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"Christian McCaffrey scored three touchdowns on the ground, and Brock Purdy was practically perfect on the day, and yet their game against Arizona was tight until the fourth quarter. That is partially a testament to the Cardinals' competitiveness, but it is mostly because of the game flow. The 49ers only had three true possessions in the first half. They punted on their first drive of the second half, but even on that drive, they picked up three first downs. In short, it was just a slow game. The offense remained dominant." — Dalton Miller
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The top seed in the NFC possibly hangs in the balance on Sunday night, when the Cowboys come to town." — Mike Florio
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The 49ers simply have too many good players and too good of an offensive play caller to fail. Running back Christian McCaffrey and offensive tackle Trent Williams both look like the best players in the league at their respective positions, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is taking the leap in a contract year. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are still running wild. Throw in Fred Warner as linebacker at the head of a defense that's seemingly maintained all momentum despite losing defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, and I just don't see how this team isn't playing February football. It's Super Bowl or bust (again) for Shanahan's 49ers." — Austin Gayle
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"Christian McCaffrey might allow the 49ers to literally run away with the NFC all the way to the Super Bowl. Brock Purdy isn't just along for the offensive ride — he keeps making big plays too." — Vinnie Iyer
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 2
"Back on top, the 49ers are enjoying the process of helping Christian McCaffrey shatter every NFL skill position scoring record. McCaffrey has seven touchdowns through four games, which puts him on pace for 29.75 (if anyone can figure out how to score three quarters of a touchdown, it's Kyle Shanahan). The single-season record of 31, held by LaDainian Tomlinson back in 2006, finally feels like it's being threatened again. Shaun Alexander and Priest Holmes: beware!" — Conor Orr
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"RB Christian McCaffrey is averaging a cool 150 yards and nearly two TDs per game. It's obviously early, but he's got a shot at LaDainian Tomlinson's single-season touchdown mark (31) and probably has a much better one at Chris Johnson's record for yards from scrimmage (2,509). That said, CMC tracking toward more than 400 touches, which he did four years ago, is also slightly alarming." — Nate Davis
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"On Sunday, Brock Purdy was 20 of 21 and also averaged 13.5 yards per attempt. He leads the NFL with an astounding 115.1 passer rating. Purdy hasn't just repeated what he did late last season, he has been much improved. It will be interesting to see what he does against Dallas' defense." — Frank Schwab
Touchdown Wire
Current Ranking: 2
Previous Rank: 1
"Christian McCaffrey scored as many touchdowns against the Cardinals as the Steelers' offense has scored all season. A dominant performance from the best running back in football, but the 49ers slide down to No. 2 this week after an even more dominating performance from the new No. 1 team in football." — Jarrett Bailey
