The 49ers are in first place in the NFC West but are ranked third in the division in new power rankings.
The NFC West is led by the San Francisco 49ers, while the Arizona Cardinals sit in last place. But in new NFL power rankings in Week 7 from USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, it isn’t the 49ers who are the highest-ranked team in the division.
Two teams in the NFC West make the top five. The 49ers barely make the top half.
NFL power rankings and the NFC West in Week 7
LA Rams (No. 3)
The Rams, coming off a 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, moved up from No. 8.
WR Puka Nacua’s ankle sprain comes at an unideal time, the team parked in Baltimore before it continues east to London. Glass half full, the team’s bye week arrives following this weekend’s U.K. matchup with the Jags.
Seattle Seahawks (No. 4)
Seattle catapulted up eight spots from No. 12 after a 20-12 road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A team of road warriors, one that was philosophically built to play nasty defense (check) and run the ball, arguably – and surprisingly – has what’s probably the league’s most potent quarterback-receiver duo at the moment. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba has overtaken Nacua as the league leader in receiving yards (696) and is just a tick off the elusive 2,000-yard pace. Sam Darnold continues to be deadly efficient (116.0 QB rating), while maximizing his opportunities with a league-best 13.5 yards per completion.
San Francisco 49ers (No. 16)
They were No. 7 last week and following a 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they slid to No. 16. They lost linebacker Fred Warner for the rest of the season.
We know, they’re still in first place with a sweep in the bag after going through the division once. But how is an already middling defense going to survive the losses of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner?
Arizona Cardinals (No. 26)
They have lost four straight games, although by a total of nine points. They now find themselves in the company of the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.
A suboptimal scenario for a team on a four-game slide with most of its top players falling by the wayside? How about a visit from the Pack. Still, worth nothing those four losses have come by a combined nine points, and QB2 Jacoby Brissett led the team to 27 points (tying a season high) and 400 yards (establishing a season high) during Sunday’s near miss at Indy.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
