2023 NFL Power Rankings: San Francisco 49ers

Young riser: CB Deommodore Lenoir

After a disappointing start to last season, the 24-year-old played like one of the best cover corners in the league last postseason and spent the offseason working on playing the deep ball better. Going into Monday night, that work has paid off. Among cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps, Lenoir is tied for 14th in passer rating allowed (67.7) and eighth in EPA when targeted (-12.0), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He also has two interceptions and hasn't allowed a touchdown. All of that puts Lenoir in position to get a nice payday as soon as this offseason, when he's first eligible for a contract extension. -- Nick Wagoner

Week 6 in Cleveland, Brock Purdy earned credit after a tough day for putting the 49ers in a position to win, even if that didn't happen. Monday night in Minnesota was shaping up as perfect redemption, but it ended in a nightmare. Purdy was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter on a pair of errant throws, with the latter ending the Niners' comeback attempt in painful fashion. That's now two straight losses after the 5-0 start, and both the Browns and Vikings were able to prevail despite missing key offensive pieces. With Purdy's two picks and Christian McCaffrey's second lost fumble in three weeks, the 49ers' defense had to be razor-sharp on Monday -- and it wasn't. What an unexpected turn, and now the rested Bengals come to Levi's Stadium on Sunday.

They've lost two straight games, and the defense was gutted by the Vikings. Now here come the Bengals and Joe Burrow.

Won't ding them too hard for losing two in a row on the road — and without WR Deebo Samuel and LT Trent Williams for a good chunk of those setbacks. Still, QB Brock Purdy has looked decidedly human with three turnovers the past two weeks, his first two regular-season defeats, including his first multi-interception game in the NFL on Monday night.

One question: Just how valuable is Trent Williams?

Say what you will about Deebo Samuel being sidelined, but the 49ers' biggest absence (literally and figuratively) Monday night was left tackle Trent Williams. With the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder on the sideline because of an ankle injury, San Francisco rushed for a season-low 65 yards and had a season-worst minus-4.95 in rush EPA, according to TruMedia. Williams was limited for much of last week's game against Cleveland by the injury, and the Browns had a pressure percentage of 50 percent.

Maybe I should drop the 49ers further for losing their second game, but the loss in Minnesota simply puts them on par with the rest of the league. They've had a chance to win both of these games in the final seconds, and I think they'll be fine when they get their stars back. I'm not worried about them just yet — although it is eye-opening to see Brock Purdy look mortal without his full supporting cast.

Brace yourself, because you're in for another week of Brock Purdy debate after he threw two fourth-quarter interceptions with Monday night's game on the line. The 49ers are still very good and could still be the best team in the NFL. They're just imperfect, like the rest of the league.

That dominance has disappeared, quickly.

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