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The San Francisco 49ers hosted the Chicago Bears on "Sunday Night Football" for a primetime matchup at Levi's Stadium, with Kyle Shanahan's team walking out with a 42-38 victory.
San Francisco's win over Chicago was their sixth in a row and showed just how dangerous their offense can be, as quarterback Brock Purdy accounted for five touchdowns on the night (throwing three and rushing for two more).
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Heading into Week 18, USA Today's Nate Davis released his newest NFL power rankings, and after having the 49ers up to No. 4 last week, he dropped them down to No. 5 for the final week of the regular season.
"Why aren't they No. 1 … even though they might wind up there in the overall NFC standings? They're not even two years removed from a near-miss Super Bowl, can light up a scoreboard with anybody − largely because QB Brock Purdy has a blazingly hot hand, and RB Christian McCaffrey has become a helluva rhythm guitar for this offense," Davis wrote. "But have the Niners lost too many key bodies, especially on defense, to survive in January … even if LB Fred Warner somehow returns at some point in the playoffs? Run enough track meets, and you're bound to get dangerously fatigued."
The New England Patriots are the lone team that jumped the 49ers this past week, moving from No. 5 to No. 3. Davis still has the Los Angeles Rams as the top team in the league right now, despite losing their last two games.
San Francisco takes on the Seattle Seahawks (No. 2) on Saturday in Week 18 for the division title and the top seed in the conference.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL power rankings: Where are 49ers after their Week 17 win?
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