The San Francisco 49ers entered Week 14 as the top-ranked NFL team, and Kyle Shanahan's squad silenced any lingering doubters with a commanding 28-16 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The 49ers delivered an impressive 527-total-yard performance at Levi's Stadium, fueled by MVP-candidate Brock Purdy's impressive 368 passing yards and two touchdowns. His 70.4 completion percentage against the Seahawks marks his seventh consecutive game with a completion rate of 70 or higher, the longest streak by a 49ers quarterback since Joe Montana's eight games in 1989.
Purdy's offensive weapons were equally impressive, with three key weapons surpassing the 100-yard mark against the Seahawks defense. Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards, boasting an average of 9.1 yards per carry.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel accumulated 149 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches, adding a rushing touchdown to his stellar performance. Brandon Aiyuk earned 126 yards on six catches.
The 49ers' victory, coupled with the Philadelphia Eagles' second consecutive loss, has positioned the team atop the NFC playoff standings. Securing victories in their remaining games will guarantee home-field advantage for the Bay Area team.
What does the national media think about the Niners' roster compared to the rest of the league? Below are samples from some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first (which, for the second consecutive week, doesn't mean anything).
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"Just like on the field, it's tough to pick which 49er to highlight, but McCaffrey is the San Francisco MVP at least in fantasy (259.4 points) with the fourth-most points of any player in the NFL. The 49ers are the only team with two players in the top 10 (Brock Purdy is sixth at 249.9) and four players in the top 50 (add Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk). In real life, Purdy has passed for 368 yards, and McCaffrey, Samuel and Aiyuk all have had more than 100 as San Francisco inches closer to a first-round bye." — Josh Kendall
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"In a week where more than one of the top-10 teams in the Bleacher Report NFL Power Rankings faltered, the San Francisco 49ers kept right on rolling. And it's not a stretch to say that the Niners are playing like the best team in the league right now. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy had the best yardage game of his young career Sunday, throwing for 368 yards and two touchdowns." — NFL Staff
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"They are cruising to the top seed in the NFC. It wasn't pretty to start against Seattle, but they got it going in a big way." — Pete Prisco
ESPN
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The Niners racked up five sacks in Week 1 but had just 18 total sacks through their first eight games. What's more, they were generating pressure on only 26.3% of dropbacks. Since the bye and trading for end Chase Young, San Francisco has 22 sacks with a 34.9% pressure rate, which ranks first and seventh in the NFL, respectively, over the past five games. San Francisco has invested heavily in its front with the idea that it can be the focal point of the defense, and it's no surprise that the 49ers' defensive resurgence has coincided with dominant play up front." — Nick Wagoner
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The funny thing about Sunday's double-digit win over the rival Seahawks? San Francisco's offense was actually very hot and cold, looking mortal for stretches and then, BOOM! Someone just busts off a big play, and all is right in the 49ers' world. Brock Purdy held everything together. His INT could be blamed on Brandon Aiyuk, who also had a fumble later ... though the stud wideout did chip in with 126 receiving yards. In fact, all of the Niners' top playmakers put up numbers, and Purdy's 54-yard TD pass to Deebo Samuel should end the silly narratives around the quarterback's downfield passing ability. If there was a worry coming out of the game, it was the shape of the defense. CB Charvarius Ward (groin), DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring) and LBs Dre Greenlaw (hip) and Oren Burks (knee) all left the game, with only Greenlaw re-entering. San Francisco was already playing without DT Arik Armstead, so if you're looking for an Achilles' heel on this juggernaut -- with Baltimore on tap in two weeks -- it might be this." — Eric Edholm
Pro Football Network
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The 49ers are seemingly impossible to defend. Even when a few aspects are slow, they have their Deebo Samuel trump card to pull. They don't even have to drop back traditionally to move the ball up and down the field. Brock Purdy threw for 368 yards on only 27 attempts, and he didn't even have a particularly strong game. Between defensive lapses caused by Kyle Shanahan's play-calling and the talent in San Francisco, it was a bloodbath for Seattle's defense." — Dalton Miller
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"There's still a gap between them and the field, but the Ravens will have a chance to close it (or not) on Christmas night." — Mike Florio
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The 49ers are a ridiculous team. They're stupidly good, and it's getting borderline out of control. Every time I pull up Twitter, I find some new historical fact that places them near the top of the pantheon of all-time NFL buzzsaws. Take San Francisco's 28-16 win over Seattle on Sunday, when the Niners offense cut through the Seahawks like a hot knife through butter, gaining 527 yards on just 53 plays—a 9.9 yard per play average—which is a new single-game franchise-best since 1961. That pushed the team's yards-per-play average to 6.7 on the season, which puts them fourth among all offenses in the Super Bowl era. Brock Purdy's now averaging 9.9 yards per pass attempt, which would put him in a tie for the best mark since the time Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. The Niners are ludicrously efficient, is what I'm saying, and they only seem to be getting better." — Danny Kelly
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"One aspect of this 49ers run that I've enjoyed has been the not-so-subtle cockiness. An observation from Sunday: Nick Bosa quickly leaping up after bringing down the quarterback to see whether or not it would count as a sack (and then pestering his coaches on the sidelines to confirm it). And then, Kyle Shanahan clearly calling the end around touchdown for Deebo Samuel after a long Samuel gain set the 49ers up in the short-yardage situation. And … no one can stop it!" — Conor Orr
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The 49ers seem unstoppable offensively when the fabulous foursome of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle are in the groove with Brock Purdy. They are the team to beat and try to outscore before they take Super Bowl 58." — Vinnie Iyer
Touchdown Wire
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"Deebo Samuel has gone off with five touchdowns over his last two games, and the 49ers look like an absolute tank that cannot be stopped." — Jarrett Bailey
USA Today
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, they've won 11 straight against their NFC West 'competition' − putting them on the brink of consecutive division titles for the first time in 11 years. Certainly helps when you have a quartet (RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk) that can give you more than 500 yards from scrimmage on any given Sunday." — Nate Davis
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 1
Previous Rank: 1
"The 49ers got the one Eagles loss they needed to get in pole position for the No. 1 seed. If the 49ers beat the Ravens at home on Christmas, the top seed should be theirs. They will be heavily favored in their other three games (at Cardinals, at Commanders, vs. Rams). We all know the 49ers are dominant, now just imagine them having a bye and being two home wins from a Super Bowl." — Frank Schwab
