The San Francisco 49ers hope to hit their stride, securing back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Coming off their bye week, the 49ers managed to build momentum from their previous win against the Dallas Cowboys. Although, it wasn't always pretty, with fans on the edge of their seats as the 49ers struggled late at Raymond James Stadium.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey made his 2024 season debut after recovering from Achilles tendinitis. He contributed 107 scrimmage yards in the Week 10 matchup, providing a boost to the 49ers offense, which will hopefully find its rhythm as the team pushes toward a second-half surge.
Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for an impressive 353 yards and two touchdowns. One scoring pass went to rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall, who notched his first NFL touchdown, while the other connected with tight end George Kittle. The 49ers defense limited the Buccaneers to just 105 passing yards, which proved crucial in holding off Tampa Bay's attempts to mount a comeback.
What does the national media think about the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a sample of some of the most prominent power rankings from around the web, showing where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 7
"When it became clear that McCaffrey looked good enough at practice to return to game action on Sunday, there was an assumption that this offense would dive right back into some of the heavier personnel looks it used last season to force linebackers to match up with McCaffrey coming out of the backfield. Instead, we saw him spend a majority of his time on the field with three receivers around him—57 percent of his snaps, his highest rate in a game since Week 11 in 2022 (four games into his 49ers tenure). This matters because it's a signal of where Kyle Shanahan's philosophy is right now, trusting quarterback Brock Purdy to handle the offense without the aid of play-action. Things were messy at times for Purdy on Sunday, but you could feel McCaffrey's gravity opening up intermediate throwing windows again, and the yards receivers gained after the catch reminded me that this offense is too good for us to toss San Francisco aside. The NFC better not lose sight of the 49ers down the stretch." — Diante Lee
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 12
"The 49ers got Christian McCaffrey back for the offense, and he provided a needed spark for Brock Purdy and the offense to help the maligned defense. Now they need to be wary of some dysfunction with Deebo Samuel." — Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 11
"Christian McCaffrey looked good in his return and the 49ers got a road win. Those were the positives. Still, the 49ers look far short of what they have been the past couple seasons. Time is running short for them to find that version of themselves this season." — Frank Schwab
The 33rd Team
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 12
"The San Francisco 49ers got a win coming out of a Week 9 bye, but to say they played well would be a massive overstatement. Brock Purdy shined, but Tampa Bay had plenty of chances to win this game outright. Something still feels off about this 49ers team despite back-to-back wins. We'll see if Christian McCaffrey can help get this team back on the right track, but they clearly aren't the same team that we saw in 2023." — Marcus Mosher
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 13
"Getting guys like Christian McCaffrey back is big for the playoff push. They still don't look as crisp as I expect them look in the coming weeks." — Pete Prisco
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 12
"They'll need to perform better than they did in Tampa if they hope to start stacking wins." — Mike Florio
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 10
"Brock Purdy's time having to navigate this team without one star or the other has turned him into such a confident and situationally mobile pocket passer. His athleticism has unlocked a new level and it will be worth seeing how this manifests itself with Christian McCaffrey now a part of this team again. It was a blessing in disguise for Purdy who, if you'll remember, was playing in the preseason behind a line full of backups. That has paid off." — Conor Orr
USA Today
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 16
"Their post-bye record in 2024 (with RB Christian McCaffrey) is 1-0. Their post-bye record since 2021 is 31-9." — Nate Davis
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 10
"It feels like Brock Purdy has reached an important milestone this season. There's no longer a daily debate about whether he's a great quarterback or merely the product of his environment. He's just playing mostly good football. Purdy is sixth in EPA per dropback (.18) and second in air yards per attempt (9.1). Since he was drafted in 2022, he leads the NFL in passer rating (106.9). On Sunday, he threw for 353 yards and was 4-for-5 for 39 yards on the 49ers' game-winning drive." — Josh Kendall
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 12
"CMC's back and you're gonna be in trouble. Hey-la-day-la, CMC's back. For the first time in 2024, reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey was in the backfield for the San Francisco 49ers. McCaffrey gained just three yards a carry in his first game. But thanks to six receptions, McCaffrey topped 100 total yards in his 2024 debut. It was Brock Purdy's 353 passing yards and two scores that carried the day offensively for the Niners. And the story of the game may have been a rough day from kicker Jake Moody that included three missed field goals and a sideline dust-up with wide receiver Deebo Samuel." — Gary Davenport
ESPN
Current Ranking: 12
Preseason Ranking: 14
"Non-QB MVP: Tight end George Kittle. Aside from the one game he missed, Kittle has been Mr. Dependable on an offense that has had many moving parts. At 31, he is still one of the best-blocking tight ends in the league. He also ranks first among tight ends in receiving yards per game (70) and is second among all pass catchers in touchdown receptions (7)." — Nick Wagoner
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 13
"There was a lot of postgame hand-wringing about how Sunday's win over the Buccaneers played out, especially coming off a bye, suggesting the 49ers lack the same killer edge they had last season. They settled for six field-goal attempts and only made three of them. That plus a muffed punt left a lot to be desired. Despite outgaining the Bucs by nearly a 2:1 ratio, the Niners needed maligned kicker Jake Moody to make his final attempt for the game-winner in Tampa. Relying on a kicker to make six kicks was one thing in Week 1, but trying to go back to that well, on the road, in Week 10? Not ideal -- especially considering Moody had missed more than a month with an ankle injury. Christian McCaffrey's return to the field was steadier. He totaled 107 yards on 19 touches, including a 30-yard catch on a brilliant play from Brock Purdy. As long as the big dogs keep producing, the 49ers are in the race, but they still need some general maintenance." — Eric Edholm
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