The good news is that the 49ers will regain the top spot should they win out. Those wins will have to come against two division opponents. San Francisco (11-3) hosts the Los Angeles Rams (8-6) at Levi's Stadium on Saturday before its regular-season finale in Seattle against the Seahawks (11-3) the next weekend.
Home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye could be significant for the 49ers, who haven't had an extended break since their Week 4 bye.
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: 4
Previous rank: 2
"It was a painful letdown game for Kyle Shanahan's team, but all is not lost. The Niners surrendered a temporary grip on the No. 1 seed and division lead, but the NFC West and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs can still be theirs with wins over the Rams and Seahawks in the final two weeks." — Dan Hanzus
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 2
"The Niners have already established themselves as one of the NFC's best, so while it doesn't hurt that much, a late-season loss to the Falcons is kind of confusing. But aside from George Kittle's 134 from scrimmage, no San Francisco pass catcher topped 29 receiving yards, and the normally stout defense had no answers for Julio Jones while surrendering a pair of fourth-quarter TD drives to Atlanta." — The MMQB Staff
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 6
Previous rank: 2
"What happened against the Falcons? The once-dominant defense hasn't been as dominant the past few games." — Pete Prisco
ESPN
Current Ranking: 3
Previous rank: 2
"Defensive end Arik Armstead, safety Jimmie Ward and receiver Emmanuel Sanders are all set to become unrestricted free agents, and the Niners also need to sign defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and tight end George Kittle to contract extensions as they enter the final season of their rookie deals. Juggling all of that and maintaining flexibility figures to make for some tough choices this offseason." — Nick Wagoner
USA Today
Current Ranking: 4
Previous rank: 2
"First team in 15 years to feature three rushers each reaching 500-yard plateau. Niners only have two receivers with more than 500 yards." — Nate Davis
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa 'pretty far along' in ACL recovery
The San Francisco 49ers are optimistic that defensive end Nick Bosa will be ready for training camp, and Bosa shares that outlook. After suffering a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3 of the 2025 season, the star pass rusher says his recovery remains on schedule, putting him in... -
49ers' Brock Purdy lands at No. 17 in Chris Simms' 2026 QB rankings
Last year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy earned a spot in Chris Simms' "Scheme Dream" tier of quarterbacks, placing him among the NFL's top 13 signal-callers. The ranking marked steady progress for Purdy, who came in at No. 17 in 2024 and No. 26 in 2023. However,... -
49ers insider doesn't dismiss Mac Jones returning after 2026
It seems unlikely that quarterback Mac Jones will return to the San Francisco 49ers in 2027, especially if he sees the field during the upcoming season and performs at the same high level he showed in 2025. However, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area isn't ruling out the... -
49ers' George Kittle shares update on Week 1 availability amid Achilles recovery
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles during the Wild Card playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing him to miss the following week's Divisional Round matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Initially, the injury was viewed as one that...