NFL Power Rankings 2012: 49ers near the top, Raiders near the bottom

The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are headed in opposite directions, and the latest NFL power rankings reports seem to reflect that.

In SB Nation's latest rankings, San Francisco moved up from 8th to 3rd. After struggling last week with the Rams (with the game eventually ending in a tie), the 49ers righted the ship with a blowout victory, and they moved back up the rankings. In ESPN's latest power rankings, the 49ers moved up one spot from 4th to 3rd after an impressive Monday night performance. Ditto with CBS, who were really impressed with how Colin Kaepernick performed in the starting role.

The Raiders just aren't going anywhere, but they're already near the bottom of the latest rankings. Oakland sticks at 28th in ESPN's power rankings after getting drubbed once again by the Saints. They also remain at 28th in SB Nation's rankings as their overwhelmed defense got run over by the New Orleans offense, and stay at 29th in CBS's rankings.