It’s not surprising that the San Francisco 49ers are undefeated and running roughshod on the entire NFL. This is a roster rife with All-Pro talent, coached by Kyle Shanahan — perhaps pro football’s best sideline leader. Reaping and sowing sheer destruction is what the 49ers should be doing to everyone they play. (Micah Parsons might be the only one in denial.)
What is surprising is how far ahead of the pack they are.
We’re five weeks into the 2023 NFL season, and San Francisco has established a colossal chasm between itself and every other supposed Super Bowl contender. It’s genuinely not even close because they are leaps and bounds better than the competition.
The tale of the tape says as much (especially when they’re copying others’ tape). The 49ers are second in offensive expected points added (EPA) per play (only the potential record-setting Miami Dolphins are just ahead). They’re fifth in defensive EPA, with a few squads of them (see: the Dallas Cowboys they just dismantled) seemingly running on some semblance of smoke and mirrors. They have yet to score less than 30 points in a game and won by at least a two-score margin in all but one affair. Their +99 point differential is the largest by a 5-0 team in over five decades. Last but not least, dating back to the 2022 regular season, the 49ers have won 15 straight regular calendar games, tying a franchise record.
Put another way: San Francisco more or less picked up where it left off last season, while everyone else is stuck in neutral. The 49ers still have to finish the job in January (and February). But at this moment, anyway, all signs point to that outcome being a virtual guarantee. The only thing that likely derails this 49ers bullet train is bad luck (or a certain NFC team residing in Philadelphia).
Here are For The Win’s Week 6 NFL power rankings, with the 49ers setting the pace.
32
Carolina Panthers
Last week’s rank: 30
Bryce Young makes some great plays and some really bad ones. In other words, he’s a rookie quarterback. The Panthers have an estimated $50 million in estimated salary cap space to spend next offseason. The bulk of it’s gotta go toward beefing up his supporting cast and seeing what he can do — especially with next year’s first-round pick headed to the Chicago Bears. — Christian D’Andrea
31
New England Patriots
Last week’s rank: 28
New England hasn’t had a true bottoming out in two decades. Fielding the league’s worst defense will get them there. The way Mac Jones has played, they could really use one — especially with a promising crop of quarterbacks waiting in the 2024 NFL Draft. — CD
30
Denver Broncos
Last week’s rank: 31
The Broncos traded three first-round picks, three second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, gave Russell Wilson $165 million guaranteed, gave Sean Payton $100 million, and still have a 1-4 record. I’m sorry, but that’s just brutal. Denver football should probably pack it in for a while. Hey, look at that! The Nuggets come back soon! — Robert Zeglinski
29
Chicago Bears
Last week’s rank: 32
Was Thursday night’s explosion the sign of a turnaround yet to come or merely an outlier we’ll remember as a rare bright spot in an otherwise lost season? Chicago leaned into D.J. Moore, and he rewarded their faith with the finest receiving performance in Thursday Night Football history (a short, ignominious period but still impressive nonetheless). With the clock ticking on Justin Fields’ trial run as a franchise quarterback, he needs more games like the one he had vs. the Commanders. — CD
28
Arizona Cardinals
Last week’s rank: 27
Jonathan Gannon’s smoke and mirrors can only last for so long. And his greatest trick, a competent Josh Dobbs, finally lost his luster after a middling outing in Arizona against the Bengals. The unofficial tank job (wink, wink) while pretending to compete rolls on. — RZ
27
New York Giants
Last week’s rank: 25
Daniel Jones’ breakthrough came behind a shield of short, low-impact passes, a competent run game and decent blocking. He only has that first thing in 2023, and the Giants are falling apart. His 2.0 seconds in the pocket per dropback rank is a career low, and his 28.8 percent pressured rate is fifth-worst in the NFL. He can operate within a certain system, but New York’s offensive line has ensured that system is inoperable. — CD
26
Las Vegas Raiders
Last week’s rank: 29
Josh McDaniels managed to beat the Packers at home and instilled zero confidence in his decision-making in the process. While his defense — and Jordan Love’s shoddy passing — bailed him out, it’s clear he’s living on borrowed time as a head coach. — CD
25
Tennessee Titans
Last week’s rank: 22
The NFL’s Jekyll & Hyde team never disappoints. One week after embarrassing the Cincinnati Bengals, the Titans laid a big fat egg in Indianapolis. Think about it. DeAndre Hopkins pieced together his first 100-yard effort of the season, and Tennessee still managed just 16 points. Look for the Titans to win and look spectacular against Baltimore next week because that just seems to be their M.O. — RZ
24
Minnesota Vikings
Last week’s rank: 21
The next game the Vikings play without a turnover will be their first, though Week 5’s lone fumble vs. the Chiefs (on the first play of the game!) was down from the team’s season average of 2.8. Kirk Cousins remains a guy who can put up big numbers and nifty plays when it doesn’t matter but finds a way to make brutal reads or incur stupid penalties — see Sunday’s two-minute drill delay of game — in big moments. — CD
23
Houston Texans
Last week’s rank: 20
C.J. Stroud might be a rookie superhero, but he can’t do it all on his own. Houston didn’t play poorly against the Falcons by any means, but it’s hard to point out any singular player’s performance that made a difference. Stroud himself, even while he gave the Texans a late lead, was also overall kind of just … OK. It goes to show that the rebuilding Texans can only go as far as Stroud takes them. For now, when he’s not objectively brilliant, they don’t have enough. — RZ
22
Indianapolis Colts
Last week’s rank: 24
Indy is showing a lot of feistiness, but Anthony Richardon’s health is a genuine concern. For the rookie to suffer a concussion and AC joint sprain in just under two weeks is very troubling and might hinder his development. It begs the question as to whether Shane Steichen and Co. are doing enough to protect the most important person in the franchise. The Colts are surprisingly competitive, but none of that means a thing if Richardson is getting bruised and battered every week. — RZ
21
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week’s rank: 26
The Steelers played with their food for over 50 minutes — because that’s just what Mike Tomlin’s team does in 2023 — and somehow still won over their blood rival. Go figure. Matt Canada’s offense remains fundamentally unserious and Kenny Pickett still resembles an unflattering bust, but we don’t have to talk about any of that for at least a week. Why? Winning (kinda) cures all. — RZ
20
Washington Commanders
Last week’s rank: 15
Boy, Washington really embraced the Thursday Night Football of it all in Week 5, huh? If nothing else, we got proof Logan Thomas can be a reliable safety net for Sam Howell and that the second-year quarterback can throw the ball 50-plus times without his arm falling off. That’s something … right? — CD
19
New York Jets
Last week’s rank: 23
Zach Wilson is … well, not good, but certainly improving. Over the last two weeks, he’s completed 72 percent of his passes and only turned the ball over twice. Most of those attempts have been modest throws, but they’ve sustained drives long enough to give his defense a punching chance to recover and win games. That’s the kind of average performance that can push New York to a winning record, assuming he can sustain it. — CD
18
Green Bay Packers
Last week’s rank: 13
Injuries have played a role, but Jordan Love has vacated his promising start — especially after a three-interception performance in a loss to the Raiders. He still struggles to fit passes into tight windows downfield and still has to prove he can be a franchise quarterback. — CD
17
Cleveland Browns
Last week’s rank: 19
Bye-week inertia was the Browns’ best friend this week. No one had to critique Deshaun Watson — who once faced more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct in what the NFL would later characterize as “predatory behavior” — for struggling to complete any downfield passes. That should be considered a major win. Cleveland’s reward after an extended rest? A home date with the 49ers. Woof. — RZ
16
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week’s rank: 12
Tampa Bay is getting an unlikely revival from Baker Mayfield, who is avoiding pressure and leaning on the Bucs’ star wideouts in order to overcome the team’s blocking deficiencies in the middle. That’s a fine line to walk, but fortunately, a veteran defense has provided vital insurance and staked the team’s claim as a playoff contender. — CD
15
Atlanta Falcons
Last week’s rank: 18
Sunday was a BIG day for Desmond Ridder. After the recent growing fervor surrounding his job security, Ridder responded with a 329-yard performance and his fourth career game-winning drive. The best sign of Ridder’s growth was his spreading the wealth — each of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Jonnu Smith caught at least six passes. It’s not a finished product just yet, but this talented Atlanta offense on paper could be coming into its own. — RZ
14
Cincinnati Bengals
Last week’s rank: 17
The good news: Ja’Marr Chase asked, and Joe Burrow delivered, leaning on his WR1 in a monster game and connecting on a huge deep ball for a 63-yard touchdown:
THERE IT IS FOLKS#CINatAZ | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/F6UefyyIlt
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 8, 2023
The bad news: That’s only Burrow’s second deep ball completion in five games. Week 5 provided evidence his ailing calf may be improving, but he’s not 100 percent yet. If he can get back to full strength, the Bengals have a wonderful opportunity to take the reins of a disheveled AFC North. — CD
13
Los Angeles Rams
Last week’s rank: 11
The Rams almost managed it, but it turns out you can’t win football games by just throwing to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua a gazillion times. Though Kupp’s performance, in particular, should be encouraging for the Rams. In his return from injury and first action this season, Kupp laid down eight catches and over 100 yards against the reigning NFC champion. He more or less slotted back into that coveted WR1 role without missing a beat. If Kupp can maintain this form, L.A. can give anyone in the conference a good fight. — RZ
12
New Orleans Saints
Last week’s rank: 16
For a week, we didn’t have to talk about Derek Carr’s shoulder because the Saints ran the Patriots off the field. Seriously, this was a 21-0 affair less than 20 minutes into the game. At the very least, Dennis Allen should relax seeing his players finally beat up on an extremely inferior opponent. This is a “skill” New Orleans has struggled with of late. — RZ
11
Baltimore Ravens
Last week’s rank: 9
Who are these Ravens? Are they the team that outclassed Cleveland by over three scores with a walking-wounded lineup? Or are they the squad that laid down a red carpet for an upset by the miserable Steelers? What’s most troubling are the Ravens’ playmakers, who combined for an astonishing six drops Sunday. Oh, and don’t look now, but Odell Beckham Jr. has seven catches in (checks notes) three games. Baltimore isn’t good enough to survive these kinds of receiver no-shows. — RZ
10
Los Angeles Chargers
Last week’s rank: 10
Austin Ekeler is slated to return from injury after the Week 5 bye, which should help balance out the loss of Mike Williams in Kellen Moore’s offense. Justin Herbert is finally working toward a truly elite season, thanks in large part to a healthy offensive line. None of these things will matter when Brandon Staley calls a halfback dive at his own 21-yard line on fourth-and-1 with 45 seconds left while protecting a four-point lead in a vital game this December. — CD
9
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week’s rank: 14
Okay, word, the Jaguars do have a little bit of sandpaper and grit to them. After an uneven first month, Trevor Lawrence essentially played a “pick-and-roll” game with Calvin Ridley in London, and it somehow worked against Buffalo’s exceptional defense. Throw in Travis Etienne Jr.’s terrific all-around production, and this output more closely resembled the Jacksonville team we thought we were getting in the preseason. — RZ
8
Seattle Seahawks
Last week’s rank: 8
Devon Witherspoon is playing like a top-10 pick and, with Christian Gonzalez out for the bulk of the season, stands to emerge as 2023’s top rookie cornerback. Geno Smith remains coolly efficient, and if he can get his offensive line back to full strength, he’ll have time to unlock a deep and intermediate-range passing game that could devastate the rest of the NFC. There’s a lot to like about the Seahawks, whose overtime win in Detroit looks better each week. — CD
7
Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s rank: 5
Hoo … boy. Many didn’t expect the Cowboys to go into San Francisco and leave with a win. But you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who saw them getting systematically dismantled in front of the entire country. For a team with championship aspirations, this is a crushing reversion to reality: Dallas probably won’t win Super Bowl 58. Barring full-scale changes — which should be definitely considered after a loss like that — “America’s Team” is a rightful postseason afterthought. — RZ
6
Miami Dolphins
Last week’s rank: 7
Sunday was a demonstration of the difference between the Bills’ and Giants’ defenses. Miami generated six plays of at least 20 yards with ease against New York, including two long electric touchdowns by De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins have a chance to win every week because they’re just flat-out faster and quicker than almost everyone. — RZ
5
Buffalo Bills
Last week’s rank: 2
Buffalo came out flat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and never really recovered. A defense lacking Matt Milano let the Jaguars run all over it en route to more than 38 minutes of ball control. That’ll put even more of an onus on a front-four pass rush that’s been devastating this fall and just brought Von Miller back into the fold. That should be enough to paper over the team’s losses due to injury, but we’ll see. — CD
4
Detroit Lions
Last week’s rank: 6
Welcome to the MVP discussion, Jared Goff. His 104.4 passer rating ranks sixth in the NFL, and his 0.178 expected points added (EPA) per play rank seventh. That’s not enough to unseat Tua Tagovailoa or, deep breath, Brock Purdy as the favorite to win the award, but Goff has worked his way into the picture. Not bad for a guy who was locked in a QB battle with John Wolford a few years ago. — CD
3
Philadelphia Eagles
Last week’s rank: 4
Philadelphia keeps playing with fire but keeps winning. Importantly, the Eagles are getting big performances from their young defensive prospects to showcase that, despite last offseason’s attrition, this team remains a contender. Having Dallas Goedert snap out of his season-opening slump was important as well; his breakout helped Jalen Hurts to his first 300-yard passing performance in regulation this fall. — CD
2
Kansas City Chiefs
Last week’s rank: 3
Kansas City’s weak pop-gun offense continues to be a major concern, but it didn’t come back to bite the Chiefs in Minnesota. That’s because a rising defense, led by promising second-year cornerback Trent McDuffie and the traditionally great Chris Jones, has picked up the slack for the Big Red Machine. We’re not used to the Chiefs being carried by a stout defense. But it probably suffices when Patrick Mahomes is still your quarterback. — RZ
1
San Francisco 49ers
Last week’s rank: 1
The 49ers had 12 possessions against what was the NFL’s No. 1 defense in most metrics. They scored six touchdowns in the most casual primetime beatdown of a supposed contender we’ve seen in a while. In most seasons, it’s abundantly clear that there’s a distinct group of comparable Super Bowl contenders who could all feasibly beat each other in the winter. That’s not the case with 2023 San Francisco — the far and away best and most complete team in professional football. — RZ
