2021 NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Chiefs explode, Broncos remember a hero
By Randy Gurzi
12. San Francisco 49ers
The NFC West remains an incredibly tough division. The worst team is 5-8 but we all know the Seattle Seahawks have enough talent to beat anyone. There’s also the Arizona Cardinals at 10-2 and the Los Angeles Rams at 8-4, and those two will go at it on Monday Night Football.
As for the team that is currently in third place in the West, the San Francisco 49ers are now 7-6 after a thrilling win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Part of what made this win so thrilling was the way the pendulum continued to swing.
Originally, it looked as though San Francisco would run away with the game. Up 20-6 in the fourth, the Bengals came storming back and tied it in regulation. Then, they had all the momentum and hit a field goal to go up 23-20. But thanks to the new overtime rules, San Francisco got another shot and scores a touchdown when Jimmy Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk from 12-yards out.
Now at 7-6, the 49ers are still in the playoff picture even if they don’t have any real hope of catching the top team in their division. And thanks to their talent on both sides of the ball, they could actually make some noise should they be able to sneak in.