Sunday wasn’t a great day for the San Francisco 49ers. The loss to the Los Angeles Rams temporarily knocked them out of the playoff picture, leaving them in eighth place in the NFC.
Even so, there’s reason for optimism over the next three weeks, as the 49ers have a real chance to climb back up the standings. Here’s where San Francisco landed in the latest PFSN Power Rankings.
Where Does the 49ers Stand in the Latest Power Rankings?
Overcoming injuries hasn’t been easy for the 49ers. As resilient as the team has been, the defense has taken heavy hits with season-altering injuries to Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and, more recently, Mykel Williams.
The loss to the Rams wasn’t exactly a surprise, but the way it unfolded changed how the 49ers are being perceived. The defense couldn’t slow down the Los Angeles offense, as Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay combined for six touchdowns in the game.
As a result, the 49ers dropped three more spots in PFSN’s weekly Power Rankings, from Jacob Infante, sitting at the 15th spot, and also fell out of the NFC playoff picture. While it was their worst loss of the season, the most challenging part of the schedule is behind them, and the upcoming stretch should offer some relief for San Francisco.
San Francisco will face the Arizona Cardinals on the road next week, followed by matchups against the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans. These are four games in which the 49ers are clear favorites and should be able to stack up wins before heading into another challenging end to the season.
The 49ers will close out the year against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks, with the game against Chicago likely determining the NFC Wild Card spot.
According to the PFSN NFL Football Playoff Meter, the 49ers currently have a 68% chance of making the playoffs. Green Bay’s loss helped San Francisco improve its odds after a significant drop following Sunday’s defeat.
Robert Saleh will have five weeks, including the bye, to find a way to get his defense back on track before the NFC playoffs, where San Francisco still expects to be in January.
