NFL standings: 49ers stay atop NFC West after beating Panthers

The 49ers actually gained some ground in NFL standings within the NFC West after beating the Panthers, while the rest of the division struggled.

The San Francisco 49ers have to be loving everything about what happened in Week 5.

Well, most of it.

The Niners suffered a number of notable injuries during their convincing 37-15 road domination of the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, including cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who is feared to have suffered a torn ACL late in the game.

Additionally, EDGE Nick Bosa, kicker Robbie Gould and safety Jimmie Ward all exited the game with injuries and didn’t return.

However, San Francisco did what it needed to against a struggling team like the Panthers: win a one-sided victory. The 49ers did give up over 300 yards of offense for the first time this season, yet Carolina managed to climb back over that mark very late in garbage time.

Even the Niners offense was able to find some sparks, too, against a still-good Carolina defense.

Yet those aren’t the only reasons why San Francisco should be thrilled about Week 5’s outcome.

NFL standings: 49ers separate themselves further atop NFC West

The NFC West saw some notable developments while the 49ers were onto beating up on the Panthers, all of which could potentially impact the NFL standings once the postseason rolls around.

At 3-2, and with two division wins in their pocket, the Niners remain in first place after effectively moving up over the Los Angeles Rams a week ago on Monday Night Football.

With LA losing 22-10 to the Dallas Cowboys, it’s yet another game in between San Francisco and its Southern California rivals.

Better yet, both the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks lost their respective Week 5 games, too.

NFL standings for NFC West after Week 5

It’s never too soon to start putting some ground in between a division leader and the trailers, and that’s what the 49ers did on Sunday.

The NFC West division standings are as follows:

1. San Francisco 49ers (3-2)
2. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
4. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Niners’ two division wins over Seattle and LA essentially mean a two-game lead over those two squads, and San Francisco will hope for a repeat outcome in Week 6 when it travels to take on the Atlanta Falcons.