The conclusion of week ten means power rankings are out and about for all to view. For the San Francisco 49ers, they've officially reached their peak position as long as the Green Bay Packers keep winning. The ESPN Power Rankings, CBS Sports Power Rankings, SB Nation NFL Power Rankings, and of course my own power rankings have the 49ers in the second position.
At this point, even if the Packers lost a game I would probably leave them at number two, pending any bizarre circumstances (like a major injury). Either way, as long as the 49ers and Packers keep playing the way they are playing, they would be on a collision course for what would be a slightly epic NFC championship game matchup. There is a whole lot of football to be played between now and then and teams like the Saints, Bears, Giants and Lions all could have a huge say in how the NFC playoffs shake out.
While looking ahead can get the team into trouble, once in a while it's fun for fans to ponder the possibilities. If the 49ers continue at their current pace, or anything remotely resembling it, and grab that second seed, they could end up facing the Saints or Bears or getting a rematch with the Giants or Lions in the divisional round. If they can secure a win in that game, they could be looking at the Green Back Packers.
I know folks don't want to count their chickens before they hatch. Yet when a team is on a run like the 49ers are right now, once in a while it's fun to actually consider the possibilities of what lies ahead. Whatever happens in the playoffs, the NFC is sufficiently top-heavy that we could be looking at a pretty amazing January just as football fans. Now we just gotta get through the next seven weeks!