{
  "id": 10847442,
  "title": "NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals climb after loss to 49ers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/nfl-power-rankings-arizona-cardinals-climb-after-loss-to-49ers",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-30T03:35:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nfl-power-rankings-arizona-cardinals-033515735.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Arizona Cardinals, despite a 36-30 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, have managed to climb in the NFL power rankings. They were previously ranked 30th at the start of Week 3 but had slipped to 31st after their Week 2 defeat against the Seattle Seahawks. However, they have since risen four spots to now sit at 26th place.\n\nThe Cardinals' perseverance in the face of defeat was noted as commendable by the source, with the writer suggesting that lesser teams might have given up in such a situation. However, the defense's performance against the 49ers, who managed to score several big plays, remains a concern.\n\nCurrently, the Cardinals are ranked ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers, who have started the season with a 0-3 record, including a loss to the Cardinals in the season opener. They are also ahead of the Green Bay Packers, whose defensive coordinator was former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.\n\nThe Cardinals are just behind the New York Giants in the rankings, as the Giants recently suffered an unimpressive 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans.",
  "summary": "Despite the Cardinals' loss to the 49ers, they moved up four spots in new NFL power rankings.",
  "key_points": [
    "Arizona Cardinals climb four spots to 26th in NFL power rankings",
    "Despite 36-30 loss to San Francisco 49ers, show perseverance",
    "Cardinals now ahead of Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Arizona Cardinals' rise in NFL power rankings despite a loss indicates that their competitive showing against a strong team like the 49ers has boosted their perceived strength.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}