NFL power rankings, Week 4: 49ers tumble

The San Francisco 49ers continue to tumble down power rankings, although I suppose that is not surprising to anybody. The 49ers took a tumble against the Indianapolis Colts, and accordingly have slipped down the rankings. What else can you expect when the team loses at home to a double digit under-dog?

This week, they face a Rams squad dealing with their own set of problems. A 49ers win does not necessarily set them on the path to recovery, but one would hope it would at the very least stop the bleeding for now. And that's how I've set my standards for this game. Given the 49ers 0-1-1 performance against the Rams last year, and the short week this year, I look at this game as one where the 49ers just need to figure out a way to get out of St. Louis with the victory. They could win 6-3 and I could probably be somewhat satisfied. I want more, but if they win, I can live with less.

SB Nation NFL

1. Denver Broncos
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. New England Patriots
...
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Green Bay Packers
14. Atlanta Falcons
15. Dallas Cowboys

ESPN

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Denver Broncos
3. New Orleans Saints
...
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. San Francisco 49ers
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Green Bay Packers

CBS Sports (Prisco)

1. Denver Broncos
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. New England Patriots
...
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Houston Texans
13. San Francisco 49ers
14. Atlanta Falcons
15. Green Bay Packers

CBS Sports (Kirwan)

1. Denver Broncos
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Chicago Bears
...
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Houston Texans
13. Detroit Lions
14. San Francisco 49ers
15. Green Bay Packers

FOX Sports

1. Denver Broncos
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. New England Patriots
...
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Indianapolis Colts
13. San Francisco 49ers
14. Detroit Lions
15. Green Bay Packers

The folks at BeatGraphs.com get the prize for most 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 a three-way tie for 16th place.