<
        >

          NFL Nation

          49ers move up two spots in Power Rankings to No. 29

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterNov 24, 2015, 04:00 PM ET
            Close
              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
            Follow on X

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

          Rank: 29| Last Week: 31

          Comment: The 49ers were sluggish on offense early, dominated on defense throughout and, yes, dropped their sixth game in seven meetings with the Seattle Seahawks this past weekend. So how did our voters reward the Niners for their lackluster showing in the Pacific Northwest?

          The 49ers (3-7) were elevated two spots in our weekly ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings. Wait, what?

          Indeed. So in keeping with the theme of positivity -- only the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns trail the Niners -- let's look at some encouraging news from that 29-13 loss in Seattle … even with a game against the No. 4 Arizona Cardinals, who beat them 47-7 earlier this season, up next.

          New running back Shaun Draughn had a career-high eight catches for 40 yards, the most receptions by a Niners running back since Frank Gore had nine catches for 102 yards at the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 26, 2010.

          Then there was Phil Dawson converting two field goals to run his streak to 16 consecutive converted attempts, dating to Oct. 6, 2013 and tied for the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history with Wade Richey and Gary Anderson, behind Mike Cofer (17), Joe Nedney (18) and Dawson’s own mark of 27 straight.

          And while Aaron Lynch shared a sack with Quinton Dial, Lynch has set a single-season high with 6 ½ sacks.