It's only Week 4, but the San Francisco 49ers are already in need of some help in the NFC playoff race.

The 49ers first need to help themselves by getting back on track after stunningly dropping a second straight game to fall to 1-2 by letting slip a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Los Angeles Rams. That will require them overcoming a New England Patriots team that will be no pushovers despite the Niners being heavily favored.

Later in Week 4, the 49ers could use a favor from a team that is aiming to usurp the 49ers as NFC Champions.

The 49ers famously tied their own record for the largest comeback in NFC Championship Game history last season to defeat the Detroit Lions and reach Super Bowl 58.

Now the 49ers would greatly benefit from the Lions (2-1) knocking off the Seattle Seahawks (3-0) on Monday Night Football to help them close the gap on Seattle in the NFC West after the Seahawks' hot start.

In the eyes of many, a trip to Detroit for Seattle will represent the first true test for Mike MacDonald's Seahawks after narrow wins over the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, and a routine victory against a Miami Dolphins team minus quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

If the 49ers can get back on track in Week 4 and the Lions then hand the Seahawks their first loss, San Francisco would be just a game behind in the NFC West, albeit with the Niners' 0-2 record in the conference giving Seattle a tiebreaker.

San Francisco faces the Lions in Week 17, with both teams aiming to be fighting for playoff seeding at that point in the schedule. The 49ers need to get their house in order after a dreadful two weeks for that scenario to come to pass, and they would be extremely grateful to a Lions, who would understandably be happy to see the Niners fail, for a helping hand in their division race.

49ers’ Brock Purdy gets good news even as he deals with slight injury concern going into Week 4

It should make things easier.