Football is a brutal sport. It’s unfair and unforgiving, and it seems like some teams are being reminded of that every week.

The Super Bowl LVIII rematch failed to live up to the hype, and now it appears the 49ers will be without Brandon Aiyuk for the remainder of the season. Deshaun Watson’s tenure in Cleveland just reached an unfortunate new low.

And the NFC North? Yeah, it’s the best division in football by a mile.

Here is where the 49ers stand heading into the “Monday Night Football” doubleheader:

32. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 31)

Record: 1-6

We knew the Andy Dalton magic (?) would wear off soon and it would be ugly. And boy was it ugly. 

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)

Record: 1-5

Will Levis? Mason Rudolph? It doesn’t matter. Bad turnovers are inevitable with either. 

30. New England Patriots (Last week: 30)

Record: 1-6

Drake Maye raises the ceiling of this offense, but it’s a terrible offense so expect plenty of encouraging performances in bad losses.

29. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 25)

Record: 1-6

Nick Chubb scored in his first game back. Stoked for him. That’s all I have to say about this game.

28. New York Giants (Last week: 28)

Record: 2-5

Absolutely brutal showing from Big Blue’s offense. Daniel Jones was sacked seven times. Business as usual.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 27)

Record: 2-5

The Jags are playing better, as is Trevor Lawrence. Tank Bigsby and Brian Thomas are two young players they should lean on moving forward.

26. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 27)

Record: 2-4

This offense is borderline unwatchable right now. It sounds like Tua Tagovailoa is nearing a return, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

25. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 26)

Record: 2-5

Embrace the tank. Gardner Minshew is. On a positive note, Brock Bowers might break rookie tight end records with Davante Adams gone. 

24. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 22)

Record: 2-4 (Monday Night Football)

The offense needs a bounce-back performance, but a stout Chargers defense might not be the best matchup for Kyler Murray and James Conner.

23. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 24)

Record: 2-4

This offense desperately needs Cooper Kupp back. Fortunately for them, Kyren Williams continues to be a touchdown machine. 

22. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 20)

Record: 2-5

They were missing their starting quarterback and their two best wide receivers, but would they have had better success against this Denver defense if they were healthy? Saints are in free-fall.

21. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 21)

Record: 4-3

Anthony Richardson is such a loose cannon, it’s hard to watch. But he’s the future … right? Get Joe Flacco on the TB12 Method. 

20. New York Jets (Last week: 18)

Record: 2-5

Aaron Rodgers is not beating the washed allegations. Will his Davante Adams security blanket eventually help right the ship? I’m not so sure.

19. Denver Broncos (Last week: 23)

Record: 4-3

Bo Nix is not bad, but he’s not good. And certainly not better than Brock Purdy, which was an absolutely absurd take, by the way. But his scrambling ability adds another dimension to an otherwise boring offense.

18. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 19)

Record: 3-4

Don’t look now, but Joe Burrow and Co. are back on track. They do this almost every year, people, we’ve got to stop falling for it. 

17. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 17)

Record: 3-2 (Monday Night Football)

Will anyone step up in the receiving game? They don’t have the weapons to win a shoot-out, so J.K. Dobbins will have to do most of the heavy lifting. 

16. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 16)

Record: 4-3

A nice bounce-back win against a good opponent. I’m confident they’re the same decent-but-not-great team they were last year.

15. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 12)

Record: 3-4

The offense looked absolutely atrocious. Even without Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Christian McCaffrey, that was inexcusable. The injury woes continue. Things look bleak, but I still believe they will win the division.

14. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 14)

Record: 3-3 (Bye week)

Things are tense in Big D. There are fundamental problems that need addressing, and these next few weeks will dictate the team’s direction. You know what, maybe they are “America’s Team” after all.

13. Chicago Bears (Last week: 15)

Record: 4-2 (Bye week)

Caleb Williams and the offense are riding high right into the bye week. It’s still early, but they might have finally found their guy. The matchup next week against Jayden Daniels should be fun.

12. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 11)

Record: 4-3

Bijan Robinson continues to play well and be very involved, only for Kirk Cousins and the passing game to take a step back. Go figure.

11. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 13)

Record: 5-2

Is Jordan Love trying to channel Brett Favre with these multi-touchdown, multi-interception games? An impressive showing from the Green Bay defense as well.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 10)

Record: 4-2 (Monday Night Football)

If Baker Mayfield can cook against the Ravens’ defense on Monday night, he might be the frontrunner for MVP. What a wild thought. 

9. Washington Commanders (Last week: 8)

Record: 5-2

The NFL is so much more fun with Jayden Daniels on the field. Need him back ASAP. Today I learned Marcus Mariota still is in the league and is a pretty decent backup.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 7)

Record: 4-2

Saquon Barkley is such a gift to this offense. Jalen Hurts really doesn’t have to do much when his supporting cast is healthy. 

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 9)

Record: 5-2

That defense is so so so nasty. Russell Wilson stepped right in and played pretty decent football. The decision to bench Justin Fields was controversial, but I do think Russ elevates the offense.

6. Houston Texans (Last week: 4)

Record: 5-2

C.J. Stroud, what happened? Flush it and move on. 

5. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 6)

Record: 5-2

Amari Cooper had a very nice Bills debut. That trade was a slam dunk move. It should pay off big time. 

4. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 5)

Record: 4-2 (Monday Night Football)

Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are a rushing duo unlike any we’ve seen in a long time. Tampa’s defense has its work cut out for it. 

3. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 3)

Record: 5-1

They went toe-to-toe with probably the best team in the league and almost won. Sam Darnold continues to sling it and is proving to be one hell of a game manager. 

2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 2)

Record: 5-1

The NFL’s best offense continues to torch every defense in its path. They’re now atop the NFC North, and I don’t see that changing the rest of the season. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 1)

Record: 6-0

The champs are at their most vulnerable right now, but nobody can seem to take advantage. The best teams always find ways to win. Patrick Mahomes can win with literally anyone.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast