The 49ers keep collecting wins, and the rest of the NFL keeps putting them at the top.
San Francisco survived a tight one in Seattle on Sunday, outlasting the Seahawks 32-29 in a game that went to the final possession. Even with an offense dealing with injuries, the 49ers leaned on a defense that took advantage of Seattle’s seven turnovers and moved to 5-0, staying unbeaten at the top of the NFC West.
That result, paired with losses by both the Rams and Seahawks, only widened San Francisco’s edge in the division heading into Week 6. And when the latest power rankings came out, the message was pretty clear: the 49ers are still sitting at No. 1 almost everywhere.
ESPN kept San Francisco in the top spot, though Nick Wagoner pointed to one area that still needs work. “Under new coordinator Raheem Morris, the Niners rank fifth in yards per play allowed (4.7) and have limited big plays as well as any team in the league,” Wagoner wrote.
“But they have struggled to get off the field consistently. The Niners rank 20th in third-down defense, giving up a first down on 40.8% of their opportunities.
As a result, their defense has been on the field for 31 minutes, 12 seconds per game, which ranks 23rd in the NFL.”
NFL.com also left the 49ers at No. 1, but took a more upbeat view of what happened in Seattle. “There’s something special cooking within San Francisco’s defense, a unit that has every excuse to be average, at best, but continues to exceed expectations,” Nick Shook wrote. “While the final score (32-29) doesn’t suggest it, Sunday’s win in Seattle was a defense-driven victory -- and a big one for the team’s confidence as a true Super Bowl contender.”
The Athletic agreed, putting San Francisco first as well. Chad Graff and Josh Kendall wrote, “No team has a better resume than the 49ers, who overcame a rare so-so game from Brock Purdy in Seattle.”
They added, “This time, it was San Francisco’s defense that led the way, limiting the Seahawks to just 4.2 yards per play. Oh, and Mike Evans and George Kittle certainly do not look like they are 33 years old.”
Sports Illustrated made the biggest leap, moving the 49ers from No. 5 last week to No. 1.
Connor Orr wrote, “The 49ers lead the league in wins…and players who are on injured reserve,” and added a thought he said stuck with him after Monday’s phone calls: “the teams that are at the biggest advantage in the NFL are the ones with continuity at head coach, playcaller and quarterback over a multi-year period, especially during a season in which 10 head coaching jobs shifted this offseason. The steadiness of the Shanahan-Purdy partnership is shining.”
CBS Sports kept San Francisco in the top spot too, and Pete Prisco made the case that this could finally be the year Kyle Shanahan gets over the hump. Prisco wrote that Shanahan “hasn’t won a Super Bowl” but still “isn’t a great coach.”
He pointed to last year’s 12-win season with an injury-ravaged roster and said this year is proving even more. Prisco noted the 49ers beat Seattle with defense leading the way, limiting the Seahawks’ run game, forcing four turnovers, getting one recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, and piling up five sacks, their most in a game since 2024, all without Nick Bosa.
Prisco also highlighted first-year defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and his more aggressive approach. “The coverage is tighter,” he wrote. “Combine that with Shanahan’s offensive wizardry and an MVP-type start for quarterback Brock Purdy, and it’s easy to understand why the 49ers sit atop my Power Rankings.”
Across the board, the Chiefs remain the closest thing to a universal No. 2, with Buffalo also showing up near the top. The Seahawks are still getting plenty of respect despite the loss, while the Vikings joined the upper tier in some rankings even as they continue to get less attention than other unbeaten teams. But for now, the clearest consensus in football is simple: San Francisco is still the team everyone is chasing.
In Other News...
49ers Face A New Monday Night Problem Against Washington
Monday night brings a fresh test for San Francisco, and it comes with a familiar kind of pressure: a division race feel, a national audience and a roster that has to adjust on the fly. The 49ers enter Week 6 dealing with the absence of key defender Deebo Samuel, who was injured against the Seahawks, while Washington arrives carrying its own uneven moments, including a costly mental mistake from Carson Wentz. For San Francisco, the matchup is less about the spotlight and more about staying composed against a team that can still make games uncomfortable if you let it.
The Commanders have enough speed and perimeter talent to force the issue if the 49ers lose discipline, and the game plan on both sides should reflect that tension. San Francisco will want to lean on its structure and its run defense, while Washington will try to find answers against a defense that can make the middle of the field difficult. With the 49ers also trying to maximize Mike Evans and keep the offense on schedule, this one has the feel of a matchup where one or two explosive plays could decide whether it stays routine or turns into a problem. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Tightened Their Grip On The NFC West
The 49ers left Week 5 with a firmer hold on the NFC West after knocking off the Seahawks, a result that gave San Francisco some breathing room at the top of a division that still has familiar challengers lurking behind it. Seattle and the Rams are still in the race, but both are going to need to keep stacking wins to avoid watching the gap widen any further.
For the 49ers, the bigger picture is as important as the result itself. They managed to score 32 points without piling up 300 total yards, and four Seattle turnovers helped swing the game in their favor. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have dropped four straight and already look more like a team thinking ahead than one focused on this seasons chase. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Lose Dre Greenlaw At A Brutal Time For This Defense
The 49ers will have to navigate Monday night without one of their most important defensive voices after Dre Greenlaws one-game suspension was upheld, leaving him unavailable against the Washington Commanders. It is a costly absence for a defense already trying to keep its footing, and it comes at a moment when San Francisco could have used every piece it had on the field.
Greenlaws discipline stems from the late-game incident against Seattle that led to his ejection, and the missed game will cost him pay as well as a spot in the lineup. He remains eligible to return in Week 7, but for now the 49ers are left to adjust on the fly and hope the rest of the defense can absorb the loss. [Read more 🡒]