NFL Power Rankings: San Francisco 49ers and 3 Soft Division Leaders

Week 4 of the NFL season provided plenty of drama, not the least of which came in Philadelphia, but it was courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers and not the city's beloved Eagles.

Down 20 points in the second half, Alex Smith led the 49ers to a stunning 24-23 victory and the team cemented its place atop the NFC West with a 3-1 record.

But did we really learn anything about the 49ers in that game?

Based on the way things happened in the second half, it stands to reason that we learned more about the Eagles and where they are at as a team right now than the 49ers.

Here are four division leaders, San Francisco included, who are destined to drop in the power rankings before making a big leap forward.

San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

The 49ers have been a pleasant surprise this season, and their victory over the Eagles should have been a moment that defined this team’s season.

It is clear that the 49ers are the best team in the NFC West, which is not exactly high praise, but we still don’t know how good (or bad) they really are.

Quarterback Alex Smith has been a pleasant surprise so far, but we have seen him have good stretches before, only to fall on his face a short time later. Perhaps this is the start of something new for both Smith and the 49ers.

Then again, maybe they are just a product of a soft schedule and playing the right team at the right time.

Buffalo Bills (3-1)

After singing their praises for the last seven days, the old Buffalo Bills returned on Sunday against Cincinnati.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a mediocre game, ditto, Fred Jackson. There is a reason that people have been reluctant to say that this team is not ready to compete with the Patriots in the AFC East—though, I will admit I was not one of them—and it is because of what happened in Week 4.

The defense still has a lot of work to do in order to catch up to the offense.

Tennessee Titans (3-1)

First, if you look at the three teams they have beaten—Baltimore, Denver, Cleveland—only one of those teams (Baltimore) is going to win more than six games this season.

Second, if you want to put the Titans up near the top of the power rankings, it means that you believe Matt Hasselbeck is going to keep up this performance—1,152 yards, eight touchdowns, three interceptions—all season long.

The Titans are still hoping that Chris Johnson will be his old self, and he did have a good game against the Browns, with over 100 yards rushing, finally.

San Diego Chargers (3-1)

The Chargers are the most infuriating NFL team to watch. They should be one of the best teams in the NFL. They should be a Super Bowl contender. They should be a lot better than what they show week after week.

Another game, another lackluster performance from the Chargers. This time it came against the Dolphins.

This week was probably the best game the Chargers have played all season, but they still left you wanting to see more.

They are winning games, which is all that matters. But at some point, you would like to see them dominate an inferior team instead of always playing down to their level.

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings
1. Detroit Lions (4-0)
2. Green Bay Packers (4-0)
3. New England Patriots (3-1)
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
5. New Orleans Saints (3-1)
6. Houston Texans (3-1)
7. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
8. San Diego Chargers (3-1)
9. New York Giants (3-1)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
11. Tennessee Titans (3-1)
12. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)
13. Washington Redskins (3-1)
14. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
15. Chicago Bears (2-2)
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
18. Oakland Raiders (2-2)
19. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
21. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
22. New York Jets (2-2)
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3)
24. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)
26. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
28. Denver Broncos (1-3)
29. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)
30. St. Louis Rams (0-4)
31. Minnesota Vikings (0-4)
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4)