Early struggles saw the 49ers go from the fringe top-10 team in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings to the middle of the pack as low as No. 15. Consecutive, convincing wins over the Rams and Panthers have them in the top 10 and flirting with the top five at No. 6 overalls.
San Francisco’s defense was likely to keep them from cratering in the rankings, but now their offense is starting to roll as well. Even as injuries piled up, they looked in Carolina like the team that went to the NFC championship game last season.
The defense-first formula feels archaic in an NFL dominated by high-flying offenses and dynamic quarterbacks, but the 49ers’ results over the last three seasons are undeniable. When they get the type of performances they got on both sides of the ball in Weeks 4 and 5, they are extremely hard to beat.
San Francisco is the only NFC West team above .500 after five games, and the only NFC teams ahead of them in the power rankings are the Cowboys (4-1) and Eagles (5-0).
A tough game in Atlanta will give the 49ers a good test before they head home for games against the Chiefs and Rams heading into their bye week. They’ll cement themselves as an NFC contender if they can grab two wins in those three. They’ll cement themselves as a Super Bowl contender if they can pull out all three.
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