They’ve done it. The 49ers’ 51-13 romp over the Carolina Panthers, coupled with the Patriots’ relatively pedestrian 27-13 victory at home over the Browns was enough to lift San Francisco over the defending Super Bowl champs in the latest NFL Wire power rankings.

San Francisco’s been stuck at No. 2 since they waxed the Browns 31-3 on Monday Night Football in Week 5. Three convincing wins later, the 49ers finally leapfrogged New England.

The pass rush, spearheaded by rookie defensive end Nick Bosa, and the NFL’s most effective run game were enough to convince author Doug Farrar to put the 49ers at the top:

Bosa became the third player since 1982, when the sack became an official statistic, to record three sacks and an interception in the same game, joining Julius Peppers and Mark Anderson. Factor in San Francisco’s running game, which is just about impossible to stop, and there’s no avoiding the truth at this point. When you look at all the aspects of team excellence, the 49ers have surpassed the Patriots as the NFL’s best team.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the 49ers coming off a four-win campaign in 2018, but it’s difficult to parse through the numbers or film and come away with a conclusion that conclusively proves Farrar wrong.

The 49ers run the ball extremely effectively and converting third downs in the passing game. They’re allowing a paltry 127.8 passing yards and 11 points per contest. It’s difficult to find a team San Francisco doesn’t stack up well against.

The most difficult part of the 49ers’ schedule is coming up, but their record won’t see a steep drop off if they keep executing at the level they have the first seven weeks. While they may not finish the year at the top of these power rankings, they’ve earned their spot there through seven weeks, and they’ll belong in that conversation the rest of the season.