SF 49ers climb up NFL power rankings after win vs. LA Rams

The SF 49ers were able to move up in Week 13 NFL power rankings after their upset win over the LA Rams last Sunday despite injuries.

It’s pretty incredible to think the SF 49ers are still very much in the playoff picture despite having the highest number of players on injured reserve and the most player games missed due to injuries this season.

But after the Niners’ 23-20 upset win over the LA Rams in Week 12, sending head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad to 5-6 on the season and potentially one game away from moving up a spot in the rough-and-tough NFC West, that’s surely the case.

San Francisco will never be anywhere close to full strength this season. But the analysts around the league are certainly appreciating what a shorthanded SF 49ers squad has been able to do this season.

And it appears as if the Niners were able to put their three-game losing streak behind them with the surprise win over Los Angeles, holding the vaunted Rams offense to just 308 total yards after they entered the contest averaging nearly 400.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise San Francisco climbed a bit in NFL power rankings heading into Week 13.

FanSided’s own Week 13 NFL power rankings boosted the SF 49ers up to the No. 19 overall spot, a climb from 22nd after their Week 11 bye, with Matt Verderame saying the following:

"What a gritty, gutsy win by the 49ers. San Francisco is incredibly banged-up and one game out of a playoff spot."

For sure.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel was a star in the game, hauling in 11 receptions for 133 yards and helping set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. But the Niners defense, which now ranks 11th best in scoring, forced four takeaways.

Those were just as crucial.

ESPN, too, upped San Francisco in their NFL power rankings for Week 13. The SF 49ers moved up only one spot from No. 17 to No. 16. And as Niners fans know, the team’s most important game is going to be Week 13 versus the Buffalo Bills, considering just how precarious its prospects are for a playoff berth:

"It’s not so much about the Bills as the fact that the most important game for the Niners right now is always going to be the next one. An upset against the Rams pushed the 49ers back into the NFC playoff picture, but they don’t have much margin for error if they intend to sneak into the postseason. That means the next game is going to be the one that holds the most meaning simply because another loss will make that task exceedingly difficult."

San Francisco is still in last place within the division, although it trails the Arizona Cardinals by one game with one loss to the Cards in the books and a Week 16 road match on the table. The SF 49ers also play the first-place Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, too, which could have massive repercussions in the postseason seeding.

For now, though, Niners fans have to be feeling pretty good their team is sticking with it despite all the injuries this season.