NFC West power rankings: 49ers climb out of the basement after Week 4 win

The 49ers no longer occupy the bottom of the NFC West, and they also managed to jump two other divisional rivals with their Week 4 win.

The San Francisco 49ers reached a season-low following their Week 3 collapse at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, blowing two double-digit leads against an LA squad that was even more banged-up than the Niners were.

Fortunately, San Francisco was graced with a perfect "get right" game in Week 4 at home against an offensively challenged New England Patriots team that struggled to move the ball and committed three turnovers, ultimately leading to the 49ers ending their two-game losing streak after the 30-13 win.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles' brief feel-good moment after beating the Niners came to a quick close after they fell to the Chicago Bears on the road, while the Washington Commanders easily upended San Francisco's next opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, in commanding fashion.

Needless to say, the NFC West standings have jumped around quite a lot over the first-quarter mark of the season, and Niner Noise's divisional power rankings reflect the change.

You can check out last week's NFC West power rankings here.

NFC West power rankings, Week 5

After playing a notably soft first three weeks of their schedule, the Seattle Seahawks finally had to take on a playoff-caliber opponent in the Detroit Lions.

And, wow, Detroit sure put up some offense.

The Hawks couldn't contain quarterback Jared Goff's perfect night, going 18-of-18 for 292 yards and two scores, while the Lions posted a perfect 5-of-5 mark in the red zone.

Sure, Seattle's offense was cooking, too, and the connection between quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is very much a threat within the NFC West. And the Seahawks offense actually outgained Detroit, 516 yards to 389. On top of that, running back Kenneth Walker III's three touchdowns help solidify him as a legitimate ground weapon.

But that couldn't dig the Hawks out of a first-half hole, and one has to wonder if a banged-up defense will be able to turn things around against a hapless New York Giants team in Week 5.

Quarterback Brock Purdy might be playing his best football yet. And while his stat line wasn't overly impressive, including a late-game interception on an ill-advised throw, he nevertheless got his three favorite weapons -- tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings -- involved on a regular basis.

However, defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner were the stars of the game. Warner, who exited at halftime because of an ankle injury, continued his Defensive Player of the Year campaign with a pick-six interception that helped set the tone for an embattled 49ers defense, while Bosa wreaked havoc on a struggling Pats offensive line, stripping the ball loose from quarterback Jacoby Brissett and notching the fumble recovery.

It wasn't perfect, and the Niners still have plenty of room for improvement. But at least they climbed out of the basement, both in terms of standings and in our power rankings.

Seriously, we're not just following the standings. There are reasons why the red birds are No. 3 in power rankings within the NFC West.

Unlike the Hawks, Arizona has faced some nasty competition to open up the season, losing in Week 1 to the playoff-hopeful Buffalo Bills before suffering defeats at the hands of the Lions and Commanders.

The Cardinals' only victory is that Week 2 stomping of the Rams.

Meanwhile, a surging Washington squad stomped all over Arizona at State Farm Stadium, putting up nearly 450 yards of offense in contrast to the Cardinals' 296.

Simply put, the Cardinals couldn't keep quarterback Jayden Daniels and Co. off the field, allowing the Commanders to convert nine of their 12 third-down tries.

San Francisco will try replicating those efforts this week.

Wide receiver Tutu Atwell and running back Kyren Williams continued taking advantage of LA's sizable injury problems, but those two are about the only things going well for head coach Sean McVay's offense.

In nearly every facet, Los Angeles outplayed the Bears, gaining nearly 60 more yards of offense, converting nearly half of its third-down tries and not getting penalized quite as much as Chicago.

But the Bears, who struggled to get into any sort of offensive rhythm early, ultimately found theirs in the second half, while LA had to settle for mere field goals over the first three quarters before hoping for yet another fourth-quarter comeback miracle as it had engineered against San Francisco the previous week.

True, Los Angeles is still missing some of its key offensive weapons, including receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.

However, those two can't fully solve the Rams' woes that have been on display for much of the first quarter of 2024.

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