49ers news: Power ranking remaining opponents in 2021

49ers vs. Falcons, Week 15

There’s a sizable gap between the Texans and the Niners’ next opponent in terms of NFL power rankings, the Falcons, who might shock some people when they realize they’re actually second in the NFC South.

Except for the fact that division is terrible outside of the 9-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rest of the NFC South, including Atlanta, is 5-7 and divvied up by tiebreakers.

True, the Falcons are still in the playoff hunt at No. 11 in NFC seeding. But at this point in the year, it’s not so much about the wins and losses, rather leapfrogging teams ahead of them, and that works to San Francisco’s benefit here.

Still, it’ll be key for the 49ers to handle their business at home in Week 15, facing off against quarterback Matt Ryan, who’s still at the helm of the league’s 27th-ranked scoring offense, which has been held to 20 points or less six times this season already. And if that weren’t enticing enough, Atlanta’s offense has allowed 25-plus points in eight games this season, too, suggesting the Niners can pull off this home win if they simply avoid mistakes.

Easier said than done, though.

On paper, San Francisco is the better team. But this is the epitome of a trap game, and the 49ers can’t afford to fall victim to a Falcons’ trap-style game like they did two years ago in 2019.