It seems like it's been a season-long effort to figure out who's the second-best team in the NFL, and for now at least, we have an answer.
The San Francisco 49ers, who own the league's second-best record at 8-1, moved into sole possession of second place in this week's NFL.com Power Poll.
Seven of our nine experts agreed the 49ers were No. 2 behind the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, who once again claimed all nine first-place votes.
How they voted
Alex Smith and the surprising 49ers have the No. 2 spot all to themselves in the latest NFL.com Power Poll. Find out where our experts rank your favorite team **here ...**
» **Fan Rankings:** Prove the experts wrong
Other notable developments from Week 10:
» It was a good week for the Houston Texans, who jumped from No. 9 to No. 5; the Dallas Cowboys, who went from No. 17 to No. 12; and the Oakland Raiders, whose "Thursday Night Football" victory over the San Diego Chargers bumped them from No. 20 to No. 15.
» The Baltimore Ravens have the same number of losses (3) as the Pittsburgh Steelers and have beaten their AFC North rivals twice this season. But lose to Jacksonville and Seattle, and you pay a price in the Power Poll, which explains why the Ravens are No. 7 to the Steelers' No. 3 this week.
» A new face showed up in the bottom three, with the Cleveland Browns' dismal 13-12 home loss to the Rams dropping them below St. Louis into the No. 31 spot, above only the winless Indianapolis Colts, who once again were a unanimous choice for last place among our nine experts.
