After enduring a grueling three-game losing streak, including two lopsided defeats, the San Francisco 49ers finally found their footing with a commanding 38-13 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. But was the performance enough to convince the national media that the team has turned its season around?
At 6-7, the 49ers are clinging to their slim postseason hopes, fully aware that every remaining game is a must-win. However, there's little time to celebrate Sunday's victory. With a quick turnaround, the team is already preparing for a pivotal Thursday night showdown against the division rival Los Angeles Rams.
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: 14
Previous Ranking: 14
"It finally feels like the 49ers have a Kyle Shanahan offense again, using under-center runs to set up play-action passes, and peppering throws in the intermediate areas of the field in a blowout win over Chicago on Sunday. Quarterback Brock Purdy stayed clean in the pocket, and the scheme helped him vary his launch point and keep Chicago's defensive backs from beating receivers to the spot. With the playoffs out of reach at the moment, I like that the 49ers are taking the time to get back to their core identity and give their young quarterback easy answers within the offense's structure." — Diante Lee
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 16
"The 49ers got some offensive things back on track with Brock Purdy leading the way, but it was a bummer to lose promising Isaac Guerendo to another key running back injury." — Vinnie Iyer
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 16
Previous Ranking: 19
"Christian McCaffrey is officially out. Jordan Mason is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. Rookie fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo is the next man up in the 49ers' backfield. Despite only one collegiate start, Guerendo didn't look out of place starting for the first time at the professional level. He contributed 78 yards and two scores before leaving the contest with a sprained foot. Though the injury doesn't appear to be of much concern. Kyle Shanahan knows how to scheme a run game, and Guerendo is the latest in a long line to take full advantage of helping the coach's offense." — Brent Sobleski
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 17
Previous Ranking: 20
"Sunday's win over Chicago was a bittersweet reminder that the 49ers at peak performance level are as good as virtually any other team out there. So they were missing several key players. No matter -- they stormed the Bears from the opening whistle and only let up a little in the second half of a blowout victory. It was a taste of what could have been this season. And yeah, San Francisco is still technically alive, but barely. Speaking of bittersweet developments, Isaac Guerendo was terrific Sunday, scoring two touchdowns, running hard and even logging some big catches, excelling in a way that made it easy to imagine Kyle Shanahan envisioning a larger role for the rookie, who has played really well when he's had the chance. Naturally, he left the game late with what was believed to be a sprained foot, which usually means missed time. Just a microcosm of the season, isn't it?" — Eric Edholm
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 17
Previous Ranking: 18
"At this rate, they'll have to bring back Roger Craig to run the ball." — Mike Florio
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 17
Previous Ranking: 18
"The 49ers decided to finally play like Super Bowl contenders after they fell to two games under .500. That's frustrating. They were dominant in a win over the Bears. The 49ers' only real hope for the playoffs is winning out, and that's possible if this past Sunday was a preview." — Frank Schwab
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 18
Previous Ranking: 22
"Breakout player: Wide receiver Jauan Jennings. In a season in which almost nothing has worked, Jennings has. The seventh-round pick from 2020 is second on the team with 774 yards after seven more catches and 90 yards against the Bears. He has 221 more receiving yards than Deebo Samuel. His six receiving touchdowns are second on the team to only George Kittle, and he has set career highs in both catches (57, previous high of 35) and yards (previous high of 416)." — Josh Kendall
ESPN
Current Ranking: 18
Previous Ranking: 21
"In 2023, the Niners led the league in red zone efficiency and their 67.2% conversion rate was the fourth best by any team over the past three seasons. This year, the Niners have had little trouble moving the ball with 51 red zone drives, which is tied for sixth in the NFL. But they have consistently failed to put the ball in the end zone. Some of that can be attributed to the star players they've been missing with injury, such as wideout Brandon Aiyuk (ACL) and running back Christian McCaffrey (PCL), but the number of negative plays and ineffectiveness in the run game has been jarring for an offense that not long ago was the best in football at finishing drives." — Nick Wagoner
USA Today
Current Ranking: 18
Previous Ranking: 21
"They could potentially be relying on RB4 Patrick Taylor Jr. this Thursday, though maybe it wouldn't be a major issue given the Niners' top three runners have all averaged at least 5.4 yards per touch this season." — Nate Davis
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 19
Previous Ranking: 20
"They kept their playoff chances alive with an impressive victory over the Bears. Now they face a big one against the rival Rams." — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 19
Previous Ranking: 19
"The 49ers looked great on Sunday against a flat-footed Bears team but now have to play for their bare-minimum survival this week on short rest with their…checks notes…67th-string running back. While finding backs to thrive in this system hasn't been a challenge for Kyle Shanahan, the numbers game has to look daunting at some point. Still, it must have been nice to drop back and look out to see all of their targeted mismatches coming to fruition, creating tons of receptions for folks like George Kittle." — Conor Orr
The 33rd Team
Current Ranking: 20
Previous Ranking: 20
"The San Francisco 49ers bounced back in a big way in Week 14, getting a dominant win against the Bears. However, their odds of making the playoffs actually dropped after the Seahawks and Rams secured victories. San Francisco needs to win out to have a chance at the postseason, but with the injuries continuing to mount, that seems unlikely. The 49ers might be able to get to nine wins this season, but don't expect the 2023 NFC Champions to be in the postseason this year." — Marcus Mosher
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