The San Francisco 49ers won a big matchup in Week 9, but their victory over the Las Vegas Raiders didn't really move them much in the power rankings. However, they've been among the top-five teams all year so far, so there wasn't much movement to be had — especially as other teams won bigger matchups.
The 49ers still have a sizable NFC West lead, but nothing is safe in the NFL. As such, though, experts still believe the 49ers are anywhere from the best team in the NFL to, well, the almost-best team in the NFL.
Here's the full power rankings roundup for Week 10.
USA Today Sports: 1
If they wind up securing the NFC's No. 1 postseason seed, you can pretty much slot them into the NFC championship game. Including the playoffs and following Sunday's rout of the former Bay
Area rival Raiders, the Niners are now 6-0 with an average margin of victory of 12.8 points coming off their past six bye weeks. Also? The last time DT DeForest Buckner was on the roster, San Francisco wound up in the Super Bowl … and it only seems right that Kyle Shanahan and Co. should get at least one game at SoFi Stadium this season after their September trip to Australia denied them their annual visit.
ESPN: 2
The 49ers have a real chance to earn the NFC's No. 1 seed, so every week matters the rest of the way. But this game represents a great opportunity to stake an early claim to the NFC West. San Francisco is 3-0 in division games so far, and a win here would make it difficult for the Seahawks to catch up. And while the Rams also lurk (and meet the 49ers again in Week 14), San Francisco needs to put the defending champions away before it can worry about anyone else.
CBS Sports: 2
They just keep playing as well as anybody in the NFC, despite their many injuries. Brock Purdy is in the MVP talk.
FOX Sports: 3
The 49ers clearly fixed whatever it was that happened to them before the bye week when they lost to the Falcons — a game that now looks like a weird blip on their otherwise stellar season. They came out strong and fast, putting the Las Vegas Raiders in their place quickly. And the fact that they did it without WR Mike Evans made it even more impressive. Of course, that’s what they do best: Overcome injuries. They’re that good and they’re that deep. They still look like they deserve to be the NFC favorites. And they’re clearly the NFC’s best team.
Sports Illustrated: 4
The 49ers are on an incredible run and, yet, there were more than 10 arrests and 40 ejections in Sunday’s rivalry game against the Raiders. Good on Levi’s Stadium security for getting the jerks out of there. A football game should be a safe space for all.
Yahoo Sports: 2
The 49ers didn't do anything to fall out of the top spot. The Jaguars' moves just gave them precedence, for now. The 49ers continued to look fantastic in Week 9, forcing five second-half turnovers by the Raiders. Their defense has been a major surprise and the Niners should continue to be good now that Nick Bosa is back in the lineup and DeForest Buckner is aboard via a trade.
Last season, Kyle Shanahan was a great NFL Coach of the Year candidate but was overlooked because that award often goes to coaches in their first year on the job and to coaches on teams that outperform preseason expectations. But for a second straight season the 49ers are winning despite major injuries. The job Shanahan has done with the 49ers should not be ignored again.
Bleacher Report: 2
The San Francisco 49ers shook off their first loss of the season with a dominant win after a Week 8 bye. They didn't need lead wide receivers Mike Evans or Deebo Samuel Sr. to throttle the Las Vegas Raiders, but their absences could become an issue against legitimate playoff contenders.
For now, the 49ers are ranked based on what they've done. San Francisco has won four of its seven games by 10 points or more. This team is in contention for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
The Athletic: 2
The Niners have the second-best point differential in the NFL (plus-79), and they hardly broke a sweat Sunday in another multi-touchdown game from Christian McCaffrey. His 37 career touchdown receptions are the most by a running back in the Super Bowl era, surpassing Marshall Faulk.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Week 10 power rankings: 49ers remain a top-5 team after big win
