NFL power rankings: Where 49ers sit after big win vs. Cowboys

NFL power rankings: Where 49ers sit after big win vs. Cowboys originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — Nine weeks remain in the 2024 NFL season, but for some teams, their playoff hopes might have ended today.

It was a put-up-or-shut-up type of week for numerous middling squads, and while some answered the call, others wilted under the pressure.

Jayden Daniels played hero and delivered one of the most memorable plays in league history, Jets fans are starting to P-A-N-I-C and while some contenders got healthy, others continued to lose key pieces.

Here is where the 49ers sit heading into “Monday Night Football” after a huge win over the Dallas Cowboys.

32. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 32)

Record: 1-7

If Bryce Young can throw for 220-plus yards and two touchdowns every week — or close to it, it’s worth letting him develop. Even if he has multiple turnovers.

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 31)

Record: 1-6

There were signs of offensive competency, particularly with Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley. But the rest of this team is horrendous.

30. New England Patriots (Last week: 30)

Record: 2-6

Jacoby Brissett is a great backup quarterback because he can take over for a starter and maybe keep you around long enough to win the game like he did today. Hopefully, Drake Maye will be back soon and Brissett can return to being a backup.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 25)

Record: 2-6

Tanking with pride is going toe-to-toe with the defending champs and losing by one score. Excellent work. They continue to do what they should be doing.

28. New York Giants (Last week: 28)

Record: 2-5 (Monday Night Football)

If you believe in a higher power, pray for Daniel Jones before he faces the Steelers’ defense on Monday night. This might get ugly.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 27)

Record: 2-6

More decent play from Trevor Lawrence, but it’s just not enough. Tank Bigsby should be RB1 moving forward but they’re going nowhere.

26. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)

Record: 2-6

Derek Carr is just an average quarterback, but this offense is absolutely putrid without him. I’m afraid they’ve dug themselves in too deep of a hole for whenever he does return.

25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 29)

Record: 2-6

Jameis. Winston. Rules. Hop on his back and let him carry you to .500 and nothing more. The vibes are infinitely better. Very impressive win.

24. New York Jets (Last week: 20)

Record: 2-6

This was a can’t-lose game and they lost it. To the Patriots. Embarrassing. Put a fork in the Jets, they’re cooked.

23. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 26)

Record: 2-5

Tua Tagovailoa is back, and so is this offense. Almost. However, at 2-5 they can’t afford many more losses. They need to go on a run and quickly if there’s any hope of turning the season around.

22. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 21)

Record: 4-4

Anthony Richardson is infuriating to watch. He will make a couple of impressive big throws per game, but he will have 22(???) incompletions along the way.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 17)

Record: 3-5

This might be one of the worst defenses in the league, and will be the primary reason why they probably won’t make the playoffs. You can’t ask Joe Burow to win shoot-outs every single week.

20. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 24)

Record: 3-4

This is a completely different team at full strength. Welcome back, Cooper Kupp. Welcome back, Puka Nacua. Kyren Williams, keep doing your thing. Time to make a run.

19. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 22)

Record: 4-4

Now this is the Cardinals offense we expected to see this season. Against a pretty decent Miami defense too. Their ascent only will continue as long as Marvin Harrison’s does.

18. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 16)

Record: 4-4

No run game, no win. It’s as simple as that with D.K. Metcalf out. Geno Smith can’t play hero without his full assortment of weapons.

17. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 14)

Record: 3-4

You’re paying Dak Prescott how much money? Good grief. Heads should be rolling any day now.

16. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 19)

Record: 4-3

Justin Herbert has his guy and it’s Ladd McConkey. Might we have a Cooper Kupp lite on our hands?

15. Denver Broncos (Last week: 18)

Record: 5-3

I humbly admit that I was slightly wrong about Bo Nix. I still don’t think he’s anything special, but he continues to develop as a passer each week. He’s actually pretty decent.

14. Chicago Bears (Last week: 13)

Record: 4-3

Caleb Williams lost the battle of first-round rookie quarterbacks and looked pretty bad in doing so. There will be growing pains. No need to panic.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 11)

Record: 4-4

Baker Mayfield still can get it done through the air without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but it won’t be pretty. It won’t get any easier from here on out.

12. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 15)

Record: 4-4

The offense started slow, but man did they turn it on in the second half. A huge win heading into the bye week, where Christian McCaffrey could be waiting for them on the other side. Is this the launching-off point for the season?

11. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 12)

Record: 5-3

Kirk Cousins does wonders for this offense. He needed a few weeks to shake off the rust and we’re starting to see the high-powered Falcons offense we expected. Kyle Pitts fantasy managers are pinching themselves.

10. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 10)

Record: 6-2

Malik Willis filled in admirably for an injured Jordan Love. Where have I heard this story before? Oh yeah, twice already this season. Can they afford another multi-week absence?

9. Washington Commanders (Last week: 9)

Record: 6-2

What are we calling this, the Maryland Miracle? Regardless, what an incredible moment for Jayden Daniels. The Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign is back on. And possibly more?

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 7)

Record: 5-2 (Monday Night Football)

I predict this defense will bully Jones into submission on Monday night. He might quit football altogether. It should be an easy win for Russell Wilson.

7. Houston Texans (Last week: 6)

Record: 6-2

C.J. Stroud has been hit or miss this season, but Joe Mixon is the straw that stirs the drink. They might need to rely on him more if Stefon Diggs misses an extended period of time.

6. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 4)

Record: 5-3

The Ravens’ defense on the road is all bark and no bite. A good Browns defense forced Lamar Jackson and Co. to stray from their game plan.

5. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 3)

Record: 5-2

We have a controversy on our hands. Yeah, the refs missed a call, but that can’t be the excuse for a 10-point loss. They just got beat.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 8)

Record: 5-2

Jalen Hurts was masterful and vultured Saquon Barkley’s touchdowns, but I don’t think they care. The Birds are back to their 2023 first-half form.

3. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 5)

Record: 6-2

A healthy James Cook and a more balanced passing attack are doing wonders for Josh Allen, who didn’t even need to get the ball to Amari Cooper.

2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 2)

Record: 6-1

You can understand my surprise when I opened the box score and saw Jared Goff had 85 passing yards in a game where Detroit scored 52 points. It’s hard to argue this isn’t the best team in the league right now. I want to move them up, I really do. But then there’s the …

1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 1)

Record: 7-0

The champs remain undefeated. They will hold this spot for as long as it remains that way. It might not always be pretty, but they find ways. We might have written off the Patrick Mahomes–Travis Kelce connection too soon.

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