The 49ers got to 4-4 at the bye week thanks to a 31-14 thumping of the Rams in Week 8. Their convincing victory combined with improving health launched San Francisco from No. 10 to No. 6 in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.
It’s clear the club’s health is going to dictate its ebbs and flows in the power rankings, which tracks with how their season has gone. The healthier they are, the better they’ve looked. And they looked the part of a contender Sunday in Los Angeles even without a couple of key players. Via USA TODAY’s Nate Davis:
They’ll play four of five at home on the other side of a much-needed bye. Fully healthy, this could well emerge as the team to beat in the NFC.
Getting healthy is only half the battle. They also have to stay healthy. However, their schedule is favorable coming out of the bye, and during their week off they expect to get players like Deebo Samuel, Arik Armstead, Dre Greenlaw and Kyle Juszczyk back.
There’s a chance Week 8 and the bye are a springboard to another huge second-half run for San Francisco. If they do, it’s hard to believe the 49ers won’t be a top-5 team in the power rankings and one of the toughest outs in the NFC come playoff time.
