The San Francisco 49ers are the NFL team to beat and the clear favorite for Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas this February. There is no reasonable conclusion after watching Kyle Shanahan’s crew dismantle the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in their own building this weekend. San Francisco made dismantling a fellow powerhouse look frighteningly easy. After a slow start, it was almost as if the Eagles didn’t belong on the same field as San Francisco. If you’ve followed the Eagles’ exploits all season, you know none of this new. A lot of their romp to a 10-2 record has occasionally felt like it was built on smoke and mirrors. The Eagles just haven’t really impressed as often as you’d expect a team rife with All-Pro talent on both sides of the ball. That’s why I’m quite confident in the assessment below. The Dallas Cowboys are a bigger threat to the 49ers’ supremacy than the Eagles. Hear me out. The Cowboys have been on a mission since getting blown out by the 49ers on national television in early October. They’ve won six of their last seven games (while scoring 40 points three times), and their raucous defense, led by Micah Parsons, is humbling quarterbacks around the league. Perhaps most importantly, Dak Prescott is playing the best football of his career as a genuine MVP favorite. Who are we to argue with a 21-2 touchdown to interception ratio since that fateful October game in San Francisco? And on Sunday night in Dallas, the Eagles must defeat their division rivals to maintain control of the NFC East. Needless to say, I’m betting my money on these red-hot Cowboys. You might recall a critical moment from the aftermath of the 49ers’ humiliation of the Cowboys. Parsons claimed that the 42-10 final score didn’t reflect the gap between the NFC powers. At the time, it seemed silly of Parsons, even a little delusional. Roughly two months later, I’m starting to see he had a point. The Cowboys are different. They are better. They’re finally playing like a team that belongs among the league’s elite and which can make real noise this January. I know everyone wants a Round 3 between the 49ers and Eagles. We still might get it. But I have a feeling the Cowboys will push the Bay Area juggernaut more than anyone wants to believe if they have a postseason rematch this winter. These Cowboys have a weird competitive aura about them that I can’t ignore any longer. Naturally, in For The Win‘s Week 14 NFL power rankings, the Cowboys are a heavy point of discussion. As are the 49ers and Eagles. The playoffs are around the corner. Let’s start setting the table for all the madness, folks. Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 32 The league’s worst record AND a meddling, impatient owner incapable of accepting blame or changing his ways? Well, at least David Tepper’s got a boatload of money to throw at his next head coach because he’s sure as hell not coming to Charlotte for the culture. — Christian D’Andrea David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 31 The Patriots have scored 30 points in their last four games. I do not mean on average. I mean they have scored 30 total points since the start of November. They are the first team in NFL history to lose three straight games despite allowing 10 points or fewer each time. I know these embarrassing Patriots are poised to build around Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, but are we sure it’s gonna happen with Bill Belichick? That man should start sailing around Nantucket in the fall, not doing whatever this is (gestures wildly at the raging blaze). — Robert Zeglinski Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY NETWORK Last week’s rank: 28 This season is merely a vessel for Tommy DeVito memes. Nothing more, nothing less. At least the stage is set for New York to continue its trend of drafting an offensive tackle in the top 10 every other year. — CD Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 29 What does Justin Fields have to do over the last five weeks of 2023 to earn a shot at the team’s starting job next season? And how badly can the Bears sabotage that by dialing him up an offense based solely on screen passes? —CD Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 26 So, who’s gonna pick Ron Rivera as their defensive coordinator in 2024? Would the Panthers bring him back as a gesture of good faith — something owner David Tepper desperately needs right now? Or will he end up filling whatever vacancy gets left behind after Black Monday — maybe even being tasked with the Buffalo Bills’ new era of defense? I dunno, but that’s about all the interest I can muster at the end of this latest disappointing Commanders campaign. — CD Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 27 Will Levis’s bizarre tiff with DeAndre Hopkins underscores Tennessee’s core conflict. This is a rebuilding team that needs a full reset. But it continues deploying effective veterans like Hopkins and Derrick Henry, who would rather win now than toil in obscurity. I do admittedly feel bad for both, considering the Titans should’ve traded them at the deadline. But hey, Hopkins did sign that free-agent deal. He only has himself to blame for not catching passes from Patrick Mahomes right now. — RZ Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 30 Arizona fed the ball to second-year tight end Trey McBride early and often on Sunday. He delivered with the finest game of his career (eight catches, 89 yards, and a score on nine targets). In a lost season, the Cardinals finding out they have a star tight end wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Now imagine pairing him with the playmaking son of a certain Colts Hall of Famer. We’d be really cooking with gas. — RZ Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com/USA TODAY NETWORK Last week’s rank: 23 2023 has been ripe with examples of then-available quarterbacks who would have been better behind center than Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, or Trevor Siemian this season. Namely, Joshua Dobbs and Joe Flacco. Those guys aren’t especially good, either, which tells you what a disaster the New York offense has been. — CD Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 25 This team continues to hang onto the playoff periphery, though barely squeaking by a coach-less Panthers team doesn’t inspire confidence. Baker Mayfield’s been smart enough to keep chucking the ball up to Mike Evans, and it works. Baker Mayfield when targeting Mike Evans: 61-103 (59.2%)1,012 yards (9.8 per att)10 TDs3 INTs112.6 rating Baker Mayfield when targeting *anyone else*: 199-306 (65%)1,778 yards (5.8 per att)8 TDs5 INTs82.4 rating — Christian D’Andrea (@TrainIsland) December 4, 2023 Hooo, buddy, does it work. — CD Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 24 Outside of Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, the Raiders are severely lacking talent and probably need a new head coach, too. But I wouldn’t write them out of the AFC playoffs just yet. Las Vegas plays just two teams with a winning record down the stretch. Anyone can fall backward into a No. 7 seed. There’s just so much “eh” and “meh” at the bottom of the standings. — RZ David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 17 They scored six points against the Patriots, a team poised to draft a quarterback in the top two this April. Quentin Johnston dropped another critical third-and-long pass. You don’t get brownie points for these kinds of wins. Relegate the Chargers. It legitimately hurts to watch them attempt to play pro football sometimes. — RZ Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 18 Derek Carr can be as tough as he wants to be. That doesn’t change the fact he’s not good enough for what the Saints are paying him. With a better quarterback, New Orleans leaves the Superdome on Sunday with its head held high, sitting at .500 and in prime playoff position. Instead, everything remains up in the air with one of the more mediocre organizations in the present league. And yes, I am writing off Jameis Winston, too. I’ve seen that movie. Rotten Tomatoes wouldn’t like it either. — RZ Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Last week’s rank: 22 The Falcons…