Optimism for the San Francisco 49ers season remains high despite some early season setbacks. A 44-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday drops the 49ers to 3-4 on the year but a big reinforcement for the offense arrived late last week. San Francisco acquired running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a host of 2023 and 2024 draft picks. The dual threat back wasn't fully unleashed in his debut with the team given the fact he arrived in The Bay just 48 hours before kickoff of the team's Week 7 contest. However, his early production against the Chiefs (8 carries for 38 yards) bodes well for the 49ers. To get back to their winning ways and take full advantage of their talented roster, head coach Kyle Shanahan and several players identified the need to play more disciplined football moving forward.
"You have to just keep holding people accountable," Shanahan said. "You keep coaching, and people have to focus and keep working to get better. There's no magical answer. That's what we do throughout the week. We coach and those guys work. That's what we've got to keep doing."
The 49ers did have their bright spots on Sunday. Tight end George Kittle had his best game of 2022, recording six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III punched in his first-career touchdown and defensive end Nick Bosa picked up another sack to regain his position as the league's sack leader.
Here's a look at the NFL power rankings from several national outlets headed into Week 8:
NFL.com: 12
Around the NFL Writer Dan Hanzus
"Expect a settled McCaffrey to have a much larger role in the attack moving forward."
ESPN: 14
NFL Writer Nick Wagoner
"Let's not complicate this, the 49ers are at their best when they take care of the ball and play good defense."
Yahoo! Sports: 12
NFL Writer Frank Schwab
"I'm not sure what to make of the 49ers. It's impossible to deny the talent."
Fox Sports: 13
NFL Writer David Helman
"To be fair to the 49ers, they played Kansas City close through three quarters."
