NFL Power Rankings, Week 7: 49ers, Texans make statements as contenders

2. San Francisco 49ers (5)

Every week, the San Francisco 49ers seem to find new ways to prove their doubters wrong, and Sunday’s win on the road over the Los Angeles Rams could arguably be viewed as their most impressive victory to date.

Despite being one of two remaining undefeated teams (New England Patriots), some critics didn’t believe the 49ers defeated anyone impressive over their first four contests, as crazy as that sounds to say out loud.

But after improving to 5-0 following Sunday’s 20-7 win over Los Angeles on the road, San Francisco continues to show they are in fact the real deal, and deserve to be considered the team to beat in the NFC.

Thanks to Jimmy Garoppolo finally being healthy on top of the defense finding ways to play at a high level, this 49ers team is proving to be a nightmare for opponents, and seems capable of getting better with each win.

Plenty could still happen over the next few months since the Seattle Seahawks aren’t far behind in the division standings, but San Francisco has every reason to feel confident at the moment with this playoff-caliber team.

And even though the Washington Redskins will be tough to beat in Week 7 after finally earning their first victory of the year on Sunday, the 49ers should love their chances of improving to 6-0.