The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a close loss to the Baltimore Ravens, one of the best teams in the NFL.
As the team is in Sarasota, Fla. getting ready for their Week 14 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, here's where members of the media have placed the 49ers in this week's power rankings:
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 2 (Last Week: 1)
"The 49ers did their best to hang with the Ravens and did so through the final seconds. San Francisco, with its tough AFC test out of the way, still has two more big NFC challenges — the Saints in New Orleans next week and the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 17 — to either get the top seed or just win the division."
NFL Staff, Bleacher Report: 2 (Last Week: 2)
"The 49ers gave the Ravens all they could handle, and this is the same San Francisco team that just wasted the Green Bay Packers in Week 12.
But this loss potentially puts the 49ers in a precarious position ahead of next week's trip to face the Saints in New Orleans.
By virtue of Seattle's win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night and a loss to the Seahawks in Week 10, the Niners have fallen from the No. 1 seed in the NFC all the way to No. 5. Home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs has turned into playing on the road on Wild Card Weekend—likely at either Dallas or Philadelphia.
Got to keep your head on a swivel in the NFC Best, folks."
MMQB Staff, SI.com: 2 (Last Week: 2)
"Much like the game the Niners lost to the Seahawks, this loss to the Ravens could conceivably be spun as a moral victory for San Francisco. It was tight throughout both on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet, but a failed fourth-and-one proved to be the decider. A great outing for Raheem Mostert, who rumbled for 146 yards on 19 carries."
NFL Nation Staff, ESPN.com: 2 (Last Week: 3)
"Jimmy Garoppolo isn't really under fire, but all eyes will be on him as the 49ers play in bigger and more meaningful games down the stretch. Garoppolo has been good for the most part this season, save for occasional trouble protecting the ball. He hasn't been asked to carry the freight much for a team with a strong run game and stout defense, but he has delivered productive outings more often than not. The stage is about to get a bit bigger and the lights a bit brighter, but Garoppolo will be the Niner who garners the most attention as the postseason inches closer."
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 2 (Last Week: 3)
"The 49ers did just fine in Baltimore. The 49ers had more yards and yards per play than the Ravens, the hottest team in the NFL, and lost a road game on a clutch 49-yard field goal. It was a great win for the Ravens and not a bad loss for the 49ers at all. It's not like anyone was questioning how good the 49ers were, but Sunday was another reminder that they're one of the NFL's best, even in a loss."
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: 3 (Last Week: 1)
"The 49ers showed they were up to the challenge in a showdown with the red-hot Ravens, but their inability to make the big play in the second half -- not to mention, the impossibly accurate leg of Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker -- haunted the visiting team in a 20-17 loss. The defeat, coupled with a Seahawks win on Monday night over the Vikings, drops San Francisco from No. 1 all the way to No. 5 in the NFC playoff picture. Yep, the top of this conference is as loaded as we've seen in recent memory. The Niners play their third straight opponent with an .800-plus winning percentage on Sunday, when they travel to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to meet the NFC South champion Saints. It's a historically difficult stretch of games that will ensure Kyle Shanahan's team is playoff-tested before the real playoffs begin."
Lindsay Jones, The Athletic: 3 (Last Week: 4)
"Double gut punch weekend for the 49ers, with a three-point loss to the No. 1 Ravens on Sunday, and then a tumble down the NFC playoff standings, all the way to No. 5, when the Seahawks beat the Vikings on Monday night. There is still time for the 49ers to get back into first place in the NFC West (huge game at New Orleans, currently in the No. 1 seed, this week) but it's got to be frustrating for the Niners to see their status change to dramatically in one weekend. Let's not forget that the 49ers two losses have come by a combined six points, both on walk-off field goals."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 4 (Last Week: 3)
"They showed well on defense against the Ravens, but they needed more on offense. They are suddenly in second place in the division."
