49ers news: Mike Florio says Niners ‘would beat anyone in the NFL’

It sure seems like a long time ago when the 49ers were struggling, and now a longtime critic is actually saying the Niners are the top dog in the NFL, currently.

Running down the list of teams who have either clinched a spot for the NFL playoffs or who are on the verge of doing so, it’s actually somewhat hard to find one that’d give the red-hot San Francisco 49ers a difficult time.

Or at least for all four quarters of a game.

True, the Niners did struggle a bit over the first half of their Week 16 home game against the Washington Commanders and their top-10 defense. But, after a 7-7 tie at halftime, head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad turned things on for both sides of the ball en route to the 37-20 victory.

That left San Francisco with an 11-4 record and an eight-game win streak.

So, which teams out there should either be equally or heavily favored over the 49ers right now?

According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, none.

Mike Florio says 49ers are the ‘No. 1’ team in the NFL right now

Florio’s Week 17 NFL power rankings come with a few surprises, and one of those might actually be him propping up the Niners.

OK, so Florio’s critiques about San Francisco over the years have turned plenty of fans off in a big way, but that might just be his shtick. Plenty of NFL personalities have them anyway, and it might actually be more impressive to see Florio boost the 49ers up instead.

All the way to No. 1 in those power rankings, too.

“They would beat anyone in the NFL right now,” Florio said of the Niners. “If that doesn’t make them No. 1, what does?”

It’s a strong point.

Perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills or the Philadelphia Eagles would have realistic shots. Toss in the Dallas Cowboys, perhaps, and the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings are both threats.

According to Florio, though, none of those teams would topple San Francisco in a must-win game.

Brock Purdy is showing depth of talent 49ers have

Most teams would write off a season as a wash if their starting quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. Most teams down to a third-string quarterback would likely be looking at a top-10 pick in the following year’s NFL Draft.

Instead, the 49ers are gunning for a top seed in the NFC playoff picture and have already clinched the third spot.

While on their third-string quarterback.

Yes, Brock Purdy has become something of a household name since taking over under center for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, who took over for an injured Trey Lance way back in Week 2. While Purdy deserves all kinds of credit for not only helping keep the Niners’ playoff context alive and well, he also is mixed in amid an embarrassment of riches on both sides of the ball.

Read More: Niners are most-bet team to win Super Bowl 57

San Francisco’s offense, which was struggling to score an average of 20 points per game earlier this season, is now a top-10 bunch.

Its defense is No. 1 in the NFL, too.

Arguably most average-level quarterbacks would have success on the current rendition of the 49ers, and that might be the point to which Florio was referring.

The Niners are dangerous regardless of who is under center.