Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL power rankings: Post-preseason 32-team breakdown before Week 1

By Peter Panacy

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
14 of 33
Next
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 19: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers sets to run the offense against the Denver Broncos in the first quarter during a preseason National Football League game at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 19, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – AUGUST 19: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers sets to run the offense against the Denver Broncos in the first quarter during a preseason National Football League game at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 19, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

42. . . Previous: . San Francisco 49ers. 20. team

The 49ers drop a couple of spots in our NFL power rankings, and the fall is mostly due to what happened with Jimmy Garoppolo his first week back against the Broncos.

Granted, Garoppolo didn’t exactly have the chance to get into much of a rhythm in Denver. And his performance in Kansas City against the Chiefs was significantly better, which inspires a lot of confidence.

More from Niner Noise

That said, the Niners franchise quarterback is likely going to have to shake off a lot of rust early on. He hasn’t yet played a full four quarters since his devastating ACL tear back in 2018, and there are going to be mistakes.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan is still trying to figure out his best receiving options outside Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle, too.

At least the 49ers are deep at running back. That’s a good thing, even though there are some questions about offensive line depth here.

Surprisingly, the Niners defense has looked pretty stout this preseason, aside from an ugly early stand against the Chiefs in Week 3. And this unit still isn’t at full strength, missing edge rushers Dee Ford (knee) and Nick Bosa (ankle), who might not be quite ready for the start of the regular season.

That’s a major bonus, though, considering how bad San Francisco’s defense was a year ago.