NFL power rankings: What experts say about the 49ers in Week 7

Niner Noise looks around the league to see where the San Francisco 49ers are lining up in experts’ Week 7 NFL power rankings, and the respect is starting to show up.

The San Francisco 49ers might have been a “prove it” team before their dominant 20-7 Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.

Now, with an unbeaten 5-0 record to boot, the Niners are finally garnering the respect on the national level.

This respect is showing up in league-wide experts’ breakdowns in their Week 7 NFL power rankings, which have steadily seen the 49ers rise over the first quarter-plus of the regular season.

As one of only two unbeaten teams this deep in 2019, the other being the 6-0 New England Patriots, it’s nearly impossible for anybody to keep head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad out of the top five.

So, what are those experts saying heading into Week 7? And how do they compare to Niner Noise’s own NFL power rankings?

Let’s take a look.

Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: No. 2 (+2)

"Quite a six-day span for the Niners, who stole the Browns’ souls on Monday Night Football, then bullied their former tormenters with a convincing win over the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. Again, the defense keyed the victory, holding Sean McVay’s once-unstoppable attack to just 157 yards of total offense. Los Angeles marched 56 yards down the field on seven consecutive runs to score the game’s opening touchdown, then was held scoreless the rest of the way. The game’s biggest sequence began on third-and-goal with the Rams 1 yard away from a go-ahead score late in the second quarter. The 49ers stuffed two Rams rush attempts for no gain, and Los Angeles never reached the red zone again. The Rams’ next six drives after that goal-line scuffle totaled zero yards. The Niners have the best defense in the NFC — maybe the NFL — right now. They’re for real."

NFL Nation, ESPN: No. 3 (+6)

"The 49ers finished last in the NFL a year ago when it came to turning red zone drives into touchdowns. They’ve made some progress this year (they’re up to a 46% touchdown rate from 41% in 2018) but still have plenty of room to improve. Getting their starting offensive tackles and fullback back from injury should help, but if nothing else, they must cut down on turnovers when they get deep in opposing territory. They have three giveaways in the red zone in their first five games, second most in the NFL."

The MMQB Staff, Sports Illustrated: No. 2 (+3)

"The Niners made easy work of their division foes and should cruise to 6-0 against the Redskins next week. The defense–whose oldest player is 31-year-old Richard Sherman–has only surrendered 65 first downs this season."

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 2 (even)

"That defensive front is truly special. It’s the kind of dominant unit that can carry a team a long way. What happens when Jimmy Garoppolo plays better?"

USA Today Sports: No. 4 (+2)

"Despite 5-0 start, Jimmy Garoppolo has been uneven. Once he’s had more time to grow with unfamiliar receivers, Niners could really flourish."

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: No. 2 (+2)

"No offense to the Saints but it’s time to put the 49ers at No. 2 after those past two performances. Any doubts should be gone now. And I think they can get even better if they can get the passing game going. This is a really good team."

NFL Staff, Bleacher Report: No. 3 (+2)

"The 2019 San Francisco 49ers are for real.One week after shutting down the Cleveland Browns in a 31-3 blowout, the 49ers went one better—San Francisco blasted the defending NFC champions in their own stadium.The 49ers defense was dominant against the Rams. The team held Jared Goff to a jaw-dropping 78 passing yards and was perfect on third and fourth down—the Rams failed to convert on all 13 of their attempts Sunday.Los Angeles scored on its first drive of the game—and that was it. A Rams team that entered Week 6 averaging over 413 yards a game had just 157 against San Francisco. The 49ers lead the NFC in any number of categories and now sport the stingiest pass defense in the NFL."

Matt Verderame, FanSided: No. 4 (+1)

"San Francisco is for real. The Niners stifled the Rams on a short week."

Anything other than the No. 2 spot in NFL power rankings seems a bit odd, yes. But perhaps that’s due to the Niners still being associated with the somewhat-dumb idea “they haven’t played anyone yet.”

Well, the Browns were massively hyped last offseason, while the Rams are still the defending NFC champions. So, there’s that.

Comments about Garoppolo are somewhat true, though. He has been good, if not great this season, completing 69.9 percent of his passes — fourth best among qualifiers — and boasting a 95.2 passer rating, which ranks 15th. But he’s also tossed seven touchdowns against five interceptions.

But Prisco’s assessment is correct. What happens when Garoppolo winds up fully clicking with his receiving targets this season?

At that point, the 49ers go from being “for real” to being “exceptionally dangerous.”

San Francisco will look to keep its win streak going in Week 7 on the road against the one-win Washington Redskins.