A weekly examination of the 49ers' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Rank: 11| Last Week: 12

Comment: The bye week did more than soothe what ails the 49ers’ spirits and bodies; it also allowed them to move up one spot, from No. 12 to No. 11, in our weekly Power Rankings. And that’s a good thing, especially with the schedule about to soften up – paging the massively wounded St. Louis Rams – and reinforcements are about to show up in Santa Clara en masse.

Consider: Nose tackle Glenn Dorsey, who started 13 of 16 games last season and had a career-high-tying two sacks but tore his left biceps in training camp, began practicing on Monday, thus opening his 21-day window for the team to either activate him from the short-term injured reserve list or place him on season-ending injured reserve. Also, highly-touted running back Marcus Lattimore is scheduled to begin practicing on Wednesday after being drafted in 2013 with a severe right knee injury, and his 21-day window also opens.

Then there’s linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who continues his rehab from the ghastly left knee injury he suffered in the NFC title game. There is no timetable yet on when to start his 21-day clock. And, of course, there’s the curious case of linebacker Aldon Smith, whose nine-game suspension is already seven games in, though reports continue to swirl that his ban could be reduced by as many as two games.

Yes, the reinforcements are on their way.