Where do the 49ers stand in experts’ NFL power rankings in Week 15?

Niner Noise looks around the league to see what experts are saying about the San Francisco 49ers in their latest NFL power rankings for Week 15. It’s safe to say the team is heading in the right direction.

The San Francisco 49ers own their first winning streak since 2014 after beating the Houston Texans 26-16 last week.

Armed with three wins and what looks to be a franchise-type quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, the Niners appear poised to pull away from the bottom of NFL power rankings heading into the final stretch of the 2017 season.

Garoppolo has made a world of a difference for this offense. Despite a sluggish start in Houston, San Francisco still managed 416 yards of offense and 20 first downs — numbers one could only dream of between Weeks 1 and 12.

San Francisco 49ers

Niner Noise took a look around the league to see what experts had to say about the team’s efforts last week and where they stand heading into Week 15.

Let’s see what was said.

Elliot Harrison, NFL.com: 26 (+6)

"Jimmy Garoppolo is now a local legend in San Francisco. He’s 4-0 as a starter in the NFL. He surpassed 300 yards passing in the win over the Texans, making him the first 49ers quarterback to pull that off since John Brodie. So maybe that’s an exaggeration — but Garoppolo is the first Niners quarterback to do that since Brian Hoyerin Week 5. Maybe this flurry of wins (yes, two in a row counts as a flurry for this 49ers group) will result in San Francisco missing out on a top-five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Fine. Picking sixth or seventh ain’t so bad when you aren’t desperate for a quarterback. Just a thought."

ESPN Stats & Information: 29 (-1)

"The quarterback position was looking like a major weakness for the 49ers, but the trade for Jimmy Garoppolo may have solved that. Garoppolo is 2-0 with a 66 Total QBR for San Francisco. The 49ers’ other starting quarterbacks went 1-10 with a combined 29 Total QBR."

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 27 (even)

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 27 (+3)

"The only problem with Jimmy Garoppolo playing this well is his price tag for the offseason continues to grow. The 49ers still have the franchise tag though. You have to assume the undying stories of the 49ers pining away for Kirk Cousins are done now, but who knows."

Chris Simms, Bleacher Report: 25 (+5)

"It’s amazing what having a franchise quarterback does for a team. With Jimmy Garoppolo under center, the San Francisco 49ers have a different swagger. They believe they can win games.Garoppolo was phenomenal on the field against the Houston Texans too. He was under pressure a lot but continued to get the ball out quickly and find the open man. He also moves in the pocket well, which cannot be overlooked.The San Francisco defense isn’t effective, and it will need to be addressed in the offseason. 49ers fans have to feel optomistic heading into that offseason, though. They have their franchise quarterback, they have their head coach and they have a few young playmakers to build around."

Russell Baxter, FanSided: 26 (+1)

"On Sunday afternoon at Houston, it appeared from afar that the San Francisco 49ers just wanted the game more. The team overcame an early interception by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and would finish the day with 416 total yards and a second road victory in as many weeks. The Niners’ newest starting signal-caller threw for 334 yards and a score and running back Carlos Hyde added 78 rushing yards and a touchdown. It was also another productive outing for veteran kicker Robbie Gould, who has scored a total of 29 points (9 field goals, 2 PATs) in the wins over the Bears and Texans."

More from Niner Noise

I’m a little curious what ESPN was looking at, as they decided to drop the Niners down a spot. I get there’s some other information to look at besides wins and losses, but whatever. The rest of the selected NFL power rankings all give San Francisco a boost.

The question now becomes whether or not the 49ers should attempt to win out. Of course they will, but that also comes with the consequence of a lower spot in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Still, the Niners are probably going to stay within the top five, perhaps in the top three, when the season comes to a close. And with a quarterback in place — one that looks like the future of the franchise — San Francisco doesn’t have to worry too much about using that high pick to address such.

Next: NFL power rankings: Stacking up 32 teams heading into Week 15

We’ll see what happens when the 49ers host the Tennessee Titans in Week 15.