NFL Power Rankings are being released throughout the day and as would be expected following the big win over Detroit, the 49ers are movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky. At this point, the respect and discussion is there and the major media outlets are paying attention to the team. Their win over Detroit was overshadowed by the Harbaugh-Schwartz incident, but that is to be expected by the media following such a kerfuffle.
In my own NFL power rankings, I moved the 49ers from No. 10 to No. 4. People disagreed with my decisions in recent weeks, but I'd imagine most folks are fine with No. 4. The Packers, Patriots and Ravens are teams that the 49ers could potentially beat but they are playing some excellent football right now.
As you can see I also jumped them over the Raiders, but have the Raiders higher than many people. I think a road win at Detroit was enough to make that shuffle, but I still am high on the 2011 Oakland Raiders. I actually wrote those power rankings Monday night before the Carson Palmer deal, in part because I was fairly certain the Raiders would find some sort of QB to fill in. Kyle Boller was not going to be their starter the rest of this season. However, I also feel that the Raiders' offense is driven by Darren McFadden, which allows for a less than elite QB at the helm. I don't think we'll have a 49ers-Raiders Super Bowl anytime soon, but that would be rather crazy if it did happen at some point.
Below is a rundown of a few power rankings from around the Internet. Each includes some general commentary about the team.
SB Nation: #5
ESPN: #4
CBS Sports: #4
NFL.com: #5