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The 49ers improved to 5-2 this week with their win over the Tennessee Titans, and it has gotten them a modest bump in the various NFL power rankings. The 49ers are in the midst of a stretch of games that aren't going to do a ton for that power ranking mobility, but wins are wins, and they have allowed the 49ers to get their offense back on track.
The bigger question I have this week is how to look at the top of the power rankings. The Chiefs are 7-0, so it is not surprising they lead the way. While their passing game has plenty of question marks, their defense and special teams are doing some great work (that sounds familiar!).
I think it's reasonable to have them No. 1, but after the Colts beat the Broncos, I found myself wondering just who deserved to be considered the top team in the AFC. The Broncos and Chiefs still have two games to play, and that could tell us a lot. If the Chiefs are able to split that series, there is a reasonable chance the Broncos end up with a wild card berth and have to travel the entire length of the playoffs. Can the Broncos make it to the Super Bowl if they have to go on the road the entire playoffs? I don't see it.
Who would be your top team at this point? Right now, it would seem to be one of the Chiefs, Seahawks, Broncos or Colts. I include the Colts because they beat the formerly undefeated Broncos, as well as the Seahawks and 49ers. For sheer body of work, that's pretty impressive.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Denver Broncos
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. San Francisco 49ers
8. Green Bay Packers
9. New England Patriots
10. Dallas Cowboys
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Denver Broncos
4. Seattle Seahawks
5. New Orleans Saints
6. San Francisco 49ers
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. New England Patriots
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Dallas Cowboys
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Denver Broncos
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Indianapolis Colts
8. New England Patriots
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Dallas Cowboys
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Denver Broncos
5. New Orleans Saints
6. San Francisco 49ers
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Green Bay Packers
9. Dallas Cowboys
10. New England Patriots
The folks at Beat Graphs are back with their weekly rankings. You can see their interesting angle on power rankings. They create "BeatPaths" and you can try and figure it out HERE. It seems like if A beats B, A will be ahead of B. And if A beats B and B beats C, A will be ahead of both. It's not quite as simple as that, but it's an interesting way to look at something that is mostly for entertainment value anyway. They have the 49ers in 4th place, a drop of one spot from last week.
