The San Francisco 49ers lost their ninth straight game to open the 2017 season, and continue their battle with the Cleveland Browns for the No. 1 draft pick. They managed to make things close with the Arizona Cardinals early in the third quarter, but the offense shut down after that en route to their 20-10 loss.
It is no surprise the 49ers are near the bottom of NFL power rankings this week. The Cleveland Browns are last in most power rankings, and while there are some 32s for the 49ers, most have them at 31, and a few bump them up to 30. The Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants are giving the 49ers and Browns a run for their money, even with wins already.
This weekend, the 49ers are home hosting the 1-7 Giants in the 49ers best remaining chance for a win. The 49ers could very well beat the Chicago Bears or Houston Texans, or could stun another team the rest of the way. But if we were ranking games based on how likely the 49ers are to win, this weekend is at the top of the list. If they lose this one, I might be tempted to drop them below the Browns on my own power rankings.
And with that, here is a look at Week 8 NFL power rankings from around the media.
As for the 49ers, the trade for Jimmy Garoppolo gave some hope, but the 20-10 loss to the Cardinals was a quick reminder that the offense isn’t ready for a new quarterback right now. C.J. Beathard is currently getting killed on a play-to-play basis and has no help to speak of.
The 49ers are really bad and really injured. To their credit, effort doesn’t seem to be the issue.
They’re the only winless team remaining in the NFL, so why aren’t they at 32? Because they’ve been decently competitive against every non-playoff team they’ve faced. Don’t get me wrong- they’re not going much higher, and do stand to keep falling if they keep avoiding the W column. But at this point losing isn’t the worst thing that can happen to the 49ers anyway.
The 49ers kept it close for a stretch, losing five straight by three or fewer points earlier in the season. But when the Week 1 starting quarterback has been released and the team is 0-9, "almost" doesn't mean much. If it weren't for the Browns, the 49ers would be last in these rankings.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers might not sign Jimmy Garoppolo to a long-term deal, but instead franchise tag him and trade him. Presumably they could get at least a second-round pick back, which is what they gave to the Patriots. Then the speculation turned to Kirk Cousins. Maybe the 49ers sign Cousins and trade Garoppolo. Maybe the trade will be tagged Garoppolo for tagged Cousins. This all sounds like the 49ers trying to gain some contract leverage, because the team has none at the moment, but perhaps there’s something to it. Garoppolo is three years younger and would command a much cheaper deal than Cousins (Cousins has 85 career touchdowns, Garoppolo has 94 career passes), so I’m not sure why a rebuilding team would prefer Cousins. But it’s well documented that the 49ers are infatuated with Cousins. Maybe this ends up as we all figure and Garoppolo signs a long-term deal. Perhaps when we see the master plan unfold we give the 49ers credit for buying low on Garoppolo and flipping him for even more in a few months. It’s certainly an interesting situation.
The sooner they get Jimmy Garoppolo on the field, the better off they will be. They have a winnable game at home against the Giants this week.
NFL.com: 30
The Jimmy Garoppolo Watch started for real Sunday night, after the 49ers fell to the Cardinals, only managing to score 10 points in the process. C.J. Beathard was asked to throw the football, and then throw some more, attempting 51 passes (the second-most of Week 9) with only 24 completions and no touchdowns. Could Niners brass really sit on Jimmy G the rest of the schedule, as Kyle Shanahan has discussed? Doubtful. While the move certainly made sense, it was still a bold one by a first-year GM in John Lynch. Folks are gonna want to see some ROI sooner than later -- or at least get a peek at the shiny new toy. Oh, and better QB play could've beaten Arizona. So could holding onto possession for more than 23 minutes. Or deciding that penalties are not conductive to wins.
Last Week’s Rank: 31
Points in MMQB Power Poll: 33
Highest-Place Vote: 29th
Last-Place Votes: 3 (Brandt, Mravic, Taylor)
Last Week’s Result: Loss vs. Arizona, 20-10
Week 10 Opponent: vs. N.Y. Giants
The San Francisco 49ers have passed the Cleveland Browns as the worst team in football. The Browns at least play solid defense. There's nothing the 49ers are doing well right now.
San Francisco had one of the best chances of the year to win a game in Week 9. The Arizona Cardinals were relying on backup quarterback Drew Stanton, yet they still had their way with the 49ers defense. San Francisco allowed Adrian Peterson to run for 159 yards.
Offensively, the 49ers don't have anything special, either. Rookie C.J. Beathard isn't good enough to be a starting quarterback at this point. He might not be a legitimate backup, either. I don't think the 49ers are going to be able to win a game from here on out unless they're willing to put the newly acquired Jimmy Garoppolo under center.
If the 49ers don't turn to Garoppolo, they're admitting they're tanking.
How long until the Jimmy G. era starts? Don’t be shocked if this team gets its first win on Sunday vs. the Giants.
Jimmy Garoppolo needs to be put into the starting lineup as soon as possible, and he needs to be re-signed for next season and beyond. All this silliness — about how Garoppolo might play or he might not, and about how he might be re-signed and he might not — needs to be put aside.