Mike Florio is back at it with a take that'll piss off 49ers fans

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio delivered a take that suggests the 49ers have fallen behind this NFC contender.

According to the vast majority of pundits and analysts, the San Francisco 49ers are the No. 1 team in the NFC.

Heck, even according to Pro Football Focus, the Niners boast the best roster in the entire NFL.

That sentiment might have some detractors, though, and it seems as if Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio is among them.

Florio has already had some ridiculous takes on San Francisco of late, including one that suggested Brock Purdy wasn't a starting-caliber quarterback because his name rhymed with "turdy."

Seriously.

But the controversial host doesn't appear to be content with stopping there in his 49ers slander, now going as far to suggest the Niners have lost their standing as the "team to beat" within the conference.

Mike Florio says Lions, not the 49ers are top dogs in the NFC in 2024

On a recent episode of PFT Mailbag on NBC Sports, Florio claimed San Francisco lost enough ground to the team it beat in the NFC Championship game last January, the Detroit Lions.

Florio's specific line about the shift in power was as follows:

"It feels like it’s the Lions this year. Last year, the Lions were kind of in that mode with the 49ers. It feels like it’s the Lions, and then maybe the 49ers this year. That’s just visceral from my perspective, that’s not based on betting odds or anything like that. I feel like this is it for the Lions. This is the peak, and the next logical step is for them to get to the Super Bowl, but who knows?"

Granted, Florio didn't offer much of an explanation, but he certainly took into account the fact Detroit held a 24-7 lead at halftime in that game and was completely dominating the 49ers up to that point.

Despite the valiant comeback efforts by Purdy and Co. that ultimately translated into a 34-31 Niners victory, Lions head coach Dan Campbell made some questionable fourth-down go-for-it calls that undoubtedly aided San Francisco's efforts to advance to the Super Bowl.

Apparently, the Lions' upward trajectory is enough to convince Florio the balance in power within the NFC has switched despite the game's actual outcome and the pound-for-pound comparison between the two rosters.

The 2024 season (and possibly playoffs) will ultimately reveal whether or not Florio's take is correct.

In the meantime, no 49ers fan will agree with what Florio had to say.

Hat tip to Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn for the find.

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