San Francisco 49ers

NFL Power Rankings: 49ers Don't Move Much in Week 3 Power Rankings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a 46-27 ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. Surprisingly, the Niners didn’t experience too much of a shift in Week 3 NFL power rankings.

The San Francisco 49ers were an entirely different team between Weeks 1 and 2 of the 2016 season.

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In Week 1, against the Los Angeles Rams, the Niners were dominant. A 28-0 shutout victory speaks to that. But dropping a 46-27 game to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 isn’t pretty.

Even if San Francisco was traveling on a short week and taking on one of the NFL’s elite teams.

NFL power rankings didn’t exactly reflect the difference though.

Niner Noise takes a look around the league to see what experts and analysts are saying about the 49ers’ efforts and where they stand compared to the rest of the league.

Spoiler: There’s a few analysts who gave the 49ers a climb.

Elliot Harrison, NFL.com: 23 (+1)

Those weren’t the Rams Carlos Hyde was running against Sunday, huh? After racking up 88 yards and two scores in Week 1, Hyde was held to 34 rushing yards in Carolina. Minus one very large play to Vance McDonald, Blaine Gabbert was wholly ineffective against the Panthers’ defense. Give Chip Kelly’s San Francisco outfit respect, however, as the Niners fought back from a 31-10 deficit in the fourth quarter, in Charlotte, where the pride of several clubs went to die last season. Now San Francisco goes on the road against what should be a supremely ticked-off Seattle team, albeit one that also can’t find the end zone to save its life.

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ESPN Stats & Information: 31 (-1)

Half of the 49ers’ drives this season have failed to register a first down. Half. That’s worse than the Rams, who haven’t even scored a touchdown yet. The 49ers aren’t likely to improve that figure against the Seahawks in Week 3.

Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) goes up for a touchdown pass while being defended by San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 46-27. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 19 (+3)

That was a bit of reality in Carolina. But they did make it interesting in the fourth.

USA Today Sports: 25 (-1)

The defense may be good enough to carry them for a bit. But it may soon fall prey to Chip Kelly’s offense, which had the ball for 24 minutes Sunday.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 29 (-1)

At some point the 49ers just have to admit Blaine Gabbert’s ceiling is not that high and see if Colin Kaepernick — who has played at an elite level, albeit briefly — can recapture that form. It doesn’t sound like a change is coming this week, but it has to happen soon.

Chris Simms, Bleacher Report: 20 (+4)

A team nicknamed the 49ers should know all about fool’s gold.

That’s exactly what their Week 2 was. They stuck with the NFC Champs as long as they could, but probably shouldn’t have been close to start with. The only reason they rose four spots? So many other teams fared much, much worse.

Blaine Gabbert capitalized on a 28-yard touchdown toss to Torrey Smith… and then folded like a lawn chair. In the five ensuing possessions, the Niners picked up only two first downs and 42 yards. That exciting, shiny run game from the previous week? Carlos Hyde has no idea where it went because he got stuffed.

It’s interesting to see some analysts, especially Bleacher Report’s Chris Simms and CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, list the Niners so high. Maybe the reviews are touting how San Francisco was able to stay in contention and keep it a one-score game with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Credit the Panthers too. The Niners had no business winning a game like this one the road.