The San Francisco 49ers snapped their two-game losing streak with an emphatic 30-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. In a much-needed victory, the 49ers' defense took center stage, overwhelming the Patriots' offense and setting the tone for the game.
The defense was dominant, allowing 216 total yards—143 through the air and 73 on the ground—while forcing three key turnovers and recording a season-high six sacks. Linebacker Fred Warner provided a game-changing moment with an impressive 45-yard pick-six, helping the 49ers build momentum toward a victory.
Looking ahead, the 49ers will try to carry this momentum into their Week 5 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, again at Levi's Stadium. Another win could help the team start stacking victories and climb back into the upper tier of NFC contenders.
What does the national media think about the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a sample of some of the most prominent power rankings from around the web, showing where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 5
Previous Ranking: 5
"All was supposed to be good with Brandon Aiyuk when he got paid, but all the 49ers have gotten is limited production and a weird yelling match with Kyle Shanahan when the receiver wore the wrong shorts to practice. Presumably, Aiyuk will look like himself soon, but it's taking longer than expected." — Frank Schwab
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 10
"Christian McCaffrey now apparently has Achilles tendinitis in both of his legs. And while this is obviously a troubling development, and I would never say a team doesn't need Christian McCaffrey, could Brock Purdy end up getting good enough to live with a replacement-level running back and checkdown option? Also, Purdy's snap-to-throw times were up significantly against New England. Too much horsing around in the backfield showing off that mobility. Need to rein that in." — Conor Orr
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 6
Previous Ranking: 8
"In his tenure as the 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan has never had a quarterback as comfortable (or empowered) playing outside structure as Brock Purdy is right now. San Francisco is tied for eighth in the NFL in dropbacks that end outside the pocket; Purdy has already made 30 of those throws from outside the pocket through four weeks—when the Niners had only 18 all of last season. But that's not the only new wrinkle. Purdy is playing aggressively and seeking out explosive passes that don't require yards after the catch, a new development for a Shanahan offense. This is a risky style of play, so I expect the results to vary week to week, but right now it's giving the 49ers their best chance to win." — Diante Lee
USA Today
Current Ranking: 7
Previous Ranking: 12
"WR Brandon Aiyuk still seems to be in preseason mode, currently on pace for a 700-yard season. Yet Sunday was a good 'get right' game anyway for a team that still won't be quite right until its reinforcements arrive. DE Nick Bosa had a season-best seven pressures, and LB Fred Warner managed his first pick-six in five years. At least the Niners are in a stretch where they only travel once in six weeks, their next two contests of the divisional variety (Arizona, Seattle) followed by two against hobbled 2023 division winners (K.C., Dallas)." — Nate Davis
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 11
"They're still one of the best teams in the league, when healthy. (They're pretty damn good when not healthy.)" — Mike Florio
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 9
"The 49ers got back all their key playmakers minus Christian McCaffrey, allowing Brock Purdy to work well again vs. the Patriots. They should get on a division roll with the Cardinals and Seahawks next." — Vinnie Iyer
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 12
"Three games into the season, not many expected the defending NFC Champions to be 1-2...including the San Francisco 49ers. Fortunately, the New England Patriots will cure much of what ails an NFL team. And on the heels of an efficient day offensively and a stout effort defensively, the Niners got a three-score win in Santa Clara on Sunday." — NFL Staff
ESPN
Current Ranking: 9
Preseason Ranking: 9
"Biggest issue on defense: Third-down defense. The 49ers did a much better job of getting off the field on third down against New England, but they are going to see much better offenses and have to find a way to get stops consistently. The Niners rank 26th in the NFL in third-down conversions allowed (46%). What's worse is that they're last in third-and-long (7-plus yards) conversions yielded (50%)." — Nick Wagoner
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 13
"Third-round right guard Dominick Puni has been one of the finds of this year's class by any team. Puni, who played six college seasons at Central Missouri and Kansas, didn't allow a pressure on 29 pass block snaps against the Patriots on Sunday, according to The 33rd Team, and that's become something of a trend for Puni. He's only allowed six pressures this year, according to TruMedia. In the wildest rookie news in the NFL this year, first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall could come off IR this week after being shot in a robbery attempt during the preseason." — Josh Kendall
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 15
"They beat up on a New England team they were supposed to beat. But the injuries are still impacting this team, which is why we haven't seen their best." — Pete Prisco
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 12
"Soundly beating the Patriots was a step in the right direction, but the injuries and self-inflicted mistakes are too plentiful to sustain. Fred Warner made the first big play of the game with his thrilling pick-six, but he left the game with an ankle injury and didn't return. George Kittle returned from injury, along with Deebo Samuel, but even Kittle left the game for a spell before returning. Kittle scored late in the second quarter to make it 20-0, but the Niners had two touchdowns called back by penalty on the drive. They also coughed up a fumble on a kick return that led to the Patriots' only TD, and Brock Purdy kept the door open with a fourth-quarter interception in a two-score game. The 49ers played with fire on Sunday and got away with it against a lesser team. Cleaning things up during this next four-game span -- and getting better injury luck -- will be absolutely critical to getting back to where they want to be." — Eric Edholm
