The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a hard-fought 17-13 Week 1 divisional win over the Seattle Seahawks, but the victory came at a cost. The team will be without tight end George Kittle for several weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, quarterback Brock Purdy's status for Week 2 remains uncertain as he manages both a left shoulder issue and a toe injury.

RELATEDPurdy uncertain for Week 2; Kittle to miss multiple weeks; Jennings still being evaluated
San Francisco will look to build on its momentum and improve to 2-0 when it faces the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.


How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.

Sporting News
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 5
"The 49ers saw the invaluable mental toughness and moxie of Brock Purdy manifest in the hostile Seattle environment, fighting through his own mistakes to save his best for last, even when down George Kittle. Also, the defense is back in force with Robert Saleh, even with a lot of personnel losses." — Vinnie Iyer

The Athletic
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 15
"Last season, the 49ers defense ranked 26th in the NFL in EPA/play and 29th in success rate. This offseason, Saleh returned as defensive coordinator, and the 49ers look dominant again on that side of the ball. They held Seattle to 230 yards of offense and 3-of-10 on third downs." — Josh Kendall

Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 6
"Yeah, yeah, Christian McCaffrey is healthy again. But did you guys hear that Robert Saleh is back? There were about 10 of these blitzes that made my stomach turn against Seattle. Saleh's ability to generate free runners without resorting to Cover 0 is truly a strength." — Conor Orr

CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 9
"It wasn't pretty in beating Seattle, but good teams find a way to win those games on the road. Injuries could be an issue this week." — Pete Prisco


USA Today
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 13
"Brock Purdy. George Kittle. Jauan Jennings. Talented-but-brittle Christian McCaffrey. No squad looks more like a M*A*S*H unit coming out of Week 1. Good time to catch the Saints. Probably." — Nate Davis

Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 13
"George Kittle and Jauan Jennings left Sunday's game with injuries. The 49ers got a good, tough win at Seattle. But it might be a grind for them — especially if Brock Purdy is out for some time — until they can get fully healthy, if that happens at all this season." — Frank Schwab

Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 14
Previous Ranking: 16
"Injuries have been the dominant storyline surrounding the San Francisco 49ers all offseason. It was the same ahead of Week 1, with the status of running back Christian McCaffrey in question much of the week. McCaffrey played—without his 31 touches for 142 total yards San Francisco never would have escaped Seattle with a win. But the story entering Week 2 for the 49ers will again be injuries. After a couple of early catches (that included San Francisco's first touchdown catch of the season), star tight end George Kittle was forced from Sunday's win with a hamstring problem. With wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk still weeks away from a return and Jauan Jennings' availability a major question mark, the last thing the Niners could afford is to lose Kittle to a multi-week injury. And, in addition to Kittle missing multiple weeks, the 49ers might now also be without quarterback Brock Purdy in Week 2." — Kristopher Knox

ESPN
Current Ranking: 14
Previous Ranking: 15
"Best newcomer performance: S Marques Sigle. After missing most of the spring with a core muscle injury, Sigle found himself working with the starters in training camp because of injuries in front of him. But, much like guard Dominick Puni last year, Sigle was so impressive that he won the starting job for Week 1. Based on his performance, he probably won't give it back anytime soon. Sigle finished with six tackles, recovered a fumble and was solid in coverage. Malik Mustapha should be back at some point in October after a knee injury, which would give the 49ers a promising young safety tandem to complement steady veteran Jason Pinnock." — Nick Wagoner

NFL.com
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 15
"Brock Purdy and the 49ers' defense both came up big when it mattered most against the Seahawks, and the Niners secured a big road win against a division opponent. For a team that went 1-5 against the NFC West and collapsed down the stretch last season, the significance of the victory can't be overlooked. Christian McCaffrey took a bit to get unlocked, but the 49ers didn't hold back, giving him 31 touches on 58 snaps. I assume that's a good thing, although that's a pretty heavy Week 1 workload. There also were reminders of last year's fall, starting with the injuries and kicking issues. George Kittle and Jauan Jennings both left the game with injuries -- Kittle is expected to miss at least a few weeks -- and Purdy is dealing with toe and shoulder injuries that have his status in question. Jake Moody missed a 27-yarder and had 36-yarder blocked, raising questions of just how much patience Kyle Shanahan will have with him" — Eric Edholm


The Ringer
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 15
"When the 49ers' offensive players were going down with injuries left and right last season, quarterback Brock Purdy kept San Francisco competitive by elevating his game to a new level. That didn't happen against the Seahawks on Sunday, as he took a beating in the pocket, got himself into trouble when extending plays, and had a pair of awful turnovers in the second half. Purdy's courage can be a game-tilting force when used correctly, but he has to know when to rein it in and take what the defense gives him. If he can't strike a better balance, he'll throw his team out of games more often than he wins them." — Diante Lee

Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 16
Previous Ranking: 14
"Another year, another rash of key injuries." — Mike Florio

Related News




Follow us on: X, Facebook, Threads, Instagram

Read Original Article
Visit 49ers Webzone

More San Francisco 49ers News