Where Do San Francisco 49ers Stand in the NFC After Week 7?

Well, we are through six weeks of the 2011 NFL season, and your San Francisco 49ers remain one of the biggest surprises in the league. After a stirring come from behind victory against the previously undefeated Detroit Lions, San Francisco goes into the bye with a 5-1 record.

This is good enough for the second best record in the entire league, tied with New England and Detroit. That said, a lot of people are still not believing in the 49ers as potential contenders in an ultra-competitive NFC.

It may be too early to anoint San Francisco as Super Bowl contenders, but if they keep this up, that time will come soon enough. That said, there are certain teams that could prove to be better all-around than the 49ers when all is said and done following week 17.

Today, I am going to take a look at the NFC and give you my rankings. The last slide will also provide commentary as to how I believe the NFC playoffs would unfold following six weeks of the season. Keep in mind we are still relatively early in 2011, so these projections will promise to change as the season progresses.

Keep in mind that each teams current ranking isn't indicative of how I believe they will finish the season. It is just where they stand right now.

16. St. Louis Rams

St. Louis is by far the worst team in the NFC at this point. In fact, an argument could be made that they are the worst team in the entire National Football League.

You are looking at a team that has failed to score more than 10 points in three of their five games and have a season high of 16 points scored; that was in a 12-point defeat against the New York Giants. Additionally, St. Louis has only been within single digits in one of their games.

The offense is struggling a great deal, and Sam Bradford appears to be having a second year slump. Without many solid options at wide receiver, the Rams did acquire Brandon Lloyd from the Denver Broncos yesterday, but I am not sure how much he is going to help or hurt at this point.

Looking at the Rams' remaining schedule, I see only a handful of winnable games. A couple within the division and maybe one or two outside of it. 

Update: Sam Bradford may miss a couple weeks with ankle injury.

Projected Record: 2-14

15. Minnesota Vikings

Despite a relatively solid showing against the Chicago Bears Sunday night (19-of-24 passing), Donovan McNabb was benched in lieu of rookie Christian Ponder. I am not sure if this signals that Minnesota has thrown in the towel for the 2011 season, but they might as well.

This team is struggling in many different aspects. They haven't had the right mix of play-calling and execution that is needed to succeed in the NFL. Minnesota has remained ultra-conservative on offense, which enables opposing defenses to stack the box against Adrian Peterson.

Additionally, they don't have any true playmakers on the outside, as Percy Harvin appears to be too inconsistent for a No. 1 receiving role. Defensively, the Vikings are struggling against the pass, as they are ranked 24th in the NFL. These two components don't signify a team that is ready to turn it around.

Projected Record: 4-12

14. Arizona Cardinals

It is way too early to say that Kevin Kolb has been a bust with the Arizona Cardinals, but it really isn't looking too good at this point. When you have a completion percentage under 60 and more interceptions than touchdowns, it means you are struggling at the quarterback position. This is exactly where Kevin Kolb is at this point.

More than that, Arizona ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in every major offensive and defensive category. They are struggling getting the ball to Larry Fitzgerald and see their pass protection break down more often than not. Additionally, Arizona is negative four in the all important turnover battle.

With talent spread so thin on this roster, it seems foolhardy to believe that can make a mid-season push at this point. Still, things could be looking up, with youngsters Beanie Wells and Patrick Peterson starting to show their first round status.

Projected Record: 4-12

13. Carolina Panthers

I struggled with putting the Carolina Panthers so low on this list, as they have impressed me a great deal so far in 2011. That said, this team still only has one win and are far away from contending in their division or the conference.

Cam Newton has played inspired football as a rookie and really does seem like he has that winning mentality. Steve Smith appears to be working well with him as well. Additionally, the likes of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams seem to be starting to perform at the level many expected.

Still, you are looking at a team with holes a wide receiver, a long the defensive line, at linebacker and in the defensive secondary. So, there is no reason to believe that this team is anywhere near contention at this point.

Projected Record: 4-12

12. Seattle Seahawks

Again, this was another hard one for me. Seattle has played really well over the course of their last few games, and the progress has been apparent in the results. They have 64 combined points in their last two games, a close loss to Atlanta and a win against the New York Giants.

Some of this has to do with improved play calling and better offensive line play, but it seems that Seahawks players are once again buying into Carroll's system.

If this were any other mediocre NFL season, Seattle would be right in the midst of contention. However, San Francisco is obviously heads and shoulders above every other team in this division. Still, Seattle have to feel good about their improvements on both sides of the ball.

Still, Seattle is closer to the New Orleans Saints in the wildcard than they are to the 49ers in the division; not a great sign for this team moving forward. With games remaining against Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis (twice) and Washington, the Seahawks should add a nice amount of wins to their total before season's end.

Projected Record: 6-10

11. Philadelphia Eagles

You could put any team between that six and 12 positions in any spot right now, but I have to look at the whole sum of a team's season and not just one week.

Philadelphia had lost four in a row prior to defeating the Washington Redskins on Sunday. In those losses, the Eagles continually shot themselves in the foot with dumb penalties, stupid mistakes and untimely turnovers. In a sense, they were their worst enemies.

Their win against Washington may cure some of these ills, but Philadelphia still has a wide array of issues to address during their bye. Their defense cannot tackle worth a damn, their secondary is under performing a great deal and Michael Vick continues to see pressure thrown his way from every possible angle.

The talent is there, no doubt. However, Philadelphia has a long road to climb in order to be considered playoff contenders moving forward. The goods news is that Vick and Co. have four inner-division games left on their schedule and can take advantage of what has proved to be an up and down division.

Projected Record: 8-8

10. Washington Redskins

After their bye, Washington followed up a relatively weak performance against the St. Louis Rams with a complete dud against the Philadelphia Eagles. And it appears that this downward trend will probably continue for the foreseeable future.

Not many people outside of Washington had a lot of faith in Rex Grossman to succeed this season after so many below-average campaigns during his enigmatic career. Still, he found himself playing pretty well throughout the first couple game. Then came the bad performance against St. Louis, followed by a four interception outing last week.

Now, Washington has to decide between Grossman and another marginal signal-caller, John Beck. Either way, it doesn't appear that this team is in position to contend as the season progresses. They don't have a back that can continually put up nice numbers; they don't have a true No. 1 receiver and are lacking a lot more on offense. The injury to Chris Cooley won't help either.

Still, Washington's defense is good enough to keep them in most games, which should enable them to win more than their talent would suggest.

Projected Record: 7-9

9. Chicago Bears

When a defense that is well-known for being one of the best in the entire league replaces their two starting safeties, there are major concerns about where that unit is heading. This is what Chicago did prior to Sunday Night's blowout over the anemic Minnesota Vikings.

While, Chicago rebounded from their horrible display against the Detroit Lions, this team still has many issues. They only have one true weapon on offense, and that is Matt Forte. Protection of Jay Cutler has also been one of their primary issues so far this season.

With a myriad of issues and a tough remaining schedule, it is hard to imagine this team actually competing for a wildcard spot in the NFC.

Projected Record: 8-8

8. Atlanta Falcons

Despite the Falcons' early season struggles, they are only one game out in the competitive NFC South. This is a team that has been up and down all season long; no consistency. Following a horrible second half against Green Bay two weeks ago, Atlanta played really well against a surprisingly competitive Carolina Panthers team on Sunday.

If Atlanta can become more consistent, there is no reason to believe that they cannot contend for a division crown or wildcard spot. After all, this is one of the most talented teams in the entire conference.

Still, I am a bit worried about pass protection and pass defense. These are two things that have continued to hurt the Falcons throughout the season. With a somewhat favorable late season schedule against the likes of Indianapolis, Minnesota, Carolina and Jacksonville, if Atlanta gets more consistent, they could be in a position to make the playoffs.

Projected Record: 9-7

7. Dallas Cowboys

Say what you want about the performance of the Dallas Cowboys thus far, but their schedule has been absolutely horrendous thus far. Their three losses have come against teams with a combined 12-5 record by a total of 11 points. The Cowboys also handed another top-tier team, San Francisco, their only loss of the season. Overall, the Cowboys' first five opponents have a combined 20-8 record.

This team is still incredibly talented and have an opportunity to grab a hold of an underachieving division if they put it all together.

The issue with Dallas is that they have yet to find a real way to close game. They had the lead in the fourth quarter of all three losses, completely collapsing against the Jets and Lions. If they can get that fixed, expect Dallas to take the NFC East.

Projected Record: 9-7

6. New York Giants

The Giants had a good win against Buffalo Sunday, and it was needed. Prior to that game, all three of New York's wins have come against teams with a combined 3-13 record, which indicates that their strength of schedule might be the reason for the record.

Additionally, both of New York's wins were against average teams: Washington and Seattle.

However, by beating Buffalo, the Giants made a statement that they can hang with above-average teams in the NFL. There remains issues in regards to consistency on both offense and defense. One minute, that Giants offense will look dynamic; the next, they will look anemic. The same goes with their defense, which has struggled to an extent so far. New York ranks in the bottom half in pass defense and the bottom third in rush defense.

New York's schedule gets decidedly more difficult towards the last half of the season, with games against Philadelphia (twice), Dallas (twice), San Francisco, New Orleans, New England, Green Bay and the Jets. How many of those games will they actually win?

Projected Record: 8-8

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneeres

I am not really a big fan of college football's ranking system, but I can't help but use one of their markers as an indicator as to why Tampa Bay is ranked higher than the Giants. This marker is quality wins. Tampa Bay has two of those, against New Orleans and Atlanta.

Hence, the reason why I have the Buccaneers at No. 5.

Despite the destruction they took at the hands of San Francisco two week ago, Tampa Bay came back big time Sunday to defeat the New Orleans Saints, a team whose only previous loss came against the Green Bay Packer in Lambeau.

The Buccaneers still have a lot of issues on both sides of the ball. Their secondary isn't playing too great, and Josh Freeman has been far too inconsistent. This is what you get from a young team that hasn't been together for a long time.

When Tampa Bay is on, they are one heck of a football team, and their win against the Saints may give them the momentum needed to vie for a playoff spot.

Projected Record: 10-6

4. New Orleans Saints

For a team that was supposed to be among the league's elite, New Orleans is sure playing down to the level of their opponents, still winning nonetheless.

A few weeks ago Jacksonville gave the Saints all they could handle, keeping the game within one score until well into the third quarter. Two weeks ago, it took a game-winning drive for Drew Brees and Co. to defeat the pesky Carolina Panthers, and this last week, they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There are a couple reasons for this. First, New Orleans continues to rely too much on their passing game instead of giving Mark Ingram and the backs more looks during games. They need to find more balance on offense in order to make up for an average defense. This means controlling the time of possession situation more than they have up to this point. New Orleans is passing the ball 63 percent of the time. That might work against inferior competition, but when they go up against some of the better defenses in the NFL, it wont.

Speaking of the Saints defense, they are 24th in the NFL in scoring (25.2 points per game) and have only forced four turnovers through six games. Not exactly elite status if you ask me. Still, this team has a tremendous amount of talent and should be right there when the season comes to an end.

With six of their final 10 games at home and some favorable road matchups during the remainder of the season, expect New Orleans to run off a string of victories moving forward.

Projected Record: 13-3

3. Detroit Lions

Anyone who watched the entertaining Lions and 49ers game on Sunday should admit that neither team played their best football. For Detroit, there were a lot of missed opportunities because Matthew Stafford was off his game. Of course, that probably had to do with San Francisco's defensive performance more than anything. Still, there is no questioning the talent that Detroit has right now.

You can be concerned about penalties and passion getting the best of this young team, but that could be said for many young contenders, San Francisco included.

That said, Detroit needs to find more balance on offense in order to jump up these rankings as the season progresses. They are way too one dimensional on offense, and Sunday's loss showed that a great deal. Lions fans need not worry; this team is on the upswing and will be a legitimate contender once the playoffs start.

Projected Record: 12-4

2. San Francisco 49ers

If you told me that you saw this 5-1 record coming at the beginning of the season, you would be caught in a downright lie. There is no way that anyone could imagine San Francisco going into their bye with the second best record in the NFL. Just no way.

As it is, the 49ers are heading to their off-week with the most momentum this team has had in nearly a decade. The statistics are just mind-numbing. They have won three consecutive east coast road games after going 3-34 in such matchups over the last decade. San Francisco is currently first in the NFL in point differential and just got done beating a previously undefeated Detroit Lions team on the road.

To say this team is on a roll would be putting it lightly. San Francisco has outscored their opponents 94-25 over the last 10 quarters. This against teams with combined 11-7 records. It is also foolhardy to think that this success of due to the fact that San Francisco is playing in the NFC West or has had an easy schedule thus far. They have played one game inside their division, and their opponents have a combined 19-15 record.

San Francisco's defense ranks in the top 10 in 11 different categories, including points per game (second), rush yards per game (second), sacks (third), passes defended (first), interceptions (fourth) and red zone defense (first). This isn't a fluke, people.

They also have what looks to be multiple Pro Bowl candidates on that side of the ball. Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Carlos Rogers come to mind first. 

What makes things more interesting is the fact that San Francisco got through what looks to be like their most difficult stretch of the season with a 5-1 record. Moving forward, they will have five games against weak NFC West opponents, a home game against Arizona and two games that suddenly appear winnable in Pittsburgh and New York(Giants) at home. There is absolutely no reason to believe that this team cannot continue this great ride.

Projected Record: 12-4

1. Green Bay Packers

There is no denying the fact that Green Bay is the class of the NFC specifically, and the entire NFL in general. This team is just scary good, and Aaron Rodgers is playing some of the best football that I have ever seen a quarterback play.

They are loaded on offense with two solid running backs, a freak tight end, a dynamic receiving corp and an improving offensive line. On defense, Green Bay boasts the best corner tandem in the entire league with Charles Woodsen and Tramon Williams. They also have a crazy good front seven.

After two consecutive single digit victories, Green Bay has run off four consecutive double digit wins against pretty darn good competition, well at least Chicago and Atlanta.

Moving forward, this team will be tested against some really good competition. They have home games against Tampa Bay, Detroit and Oakland as well as road matchups against Detroit, San Diego, and the New York Giants. This means that they will probably lose a game or two before taking home field advantage into the playoffs.

Projected Record: 14-2

Playoff Outlook

Division Winners

1. Green Bay Packers 

2. New Orleans Saints

3. San Francisco 49ers

4. Dallas Cowboys

Wildcard Teams

1. Detroit Lions

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wildcard Playoffs

San Francisco 49ers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Detroit Lions over Dallas Cowboys

Divisional Playoffs

San Francisco 49ers over New Orleans Saints

Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers over San Francisco 49ers

Bottom Line

If you think I am crazy for picking San Francisco to go to the NFC Championship, consider this. They will be hosting a wildcard playoff game if they don't get a first round bye. That team will probably consist of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or another marginal playoff team. San Francisco has not played a home game in nearly a decade, so that advantage is going to be readily apparent.

Listen, most 49ers fans would be happy with a division title and to host a playoff game. I think that is what the goal of a young, up-and-coming team should be. However, this 5-1 start and the prospect of of facing Cleveland, Washington, New York and Arizona in the next four games has a lot of people thinking 9-1 or 8-2 before Baltimore and Pittsburgh come calling.

Expectations should be high right now. After all, it cannot be denied that San Francisco has the second best record in the NFL and it will be that way when they return from the bye at the halfway mark of the season, Week 8.