NFC Playoff Picture: The 49ers are on the cusp of the one seed
It was an excellent Week 15 for the San Francisco 49ers. Not only did they clinch a second successive NFC West title with their blowout road win over the Arizona Cardinals, but the Niners also saw both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles go down to defeats. That mix of results has put the 49ers […]
It was an excellent Week 15 for the San Francisco 49ers.
Not only did they clinch a second successive NFC West title with their blowout road win over the Arizona Cardinals, but the Niners also saw both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles go down to defeats.
That mix of results has put the 49ers in an extremely favorable position in the NFC playoff picture as they look ahead to a mouth-watering Christmas Day matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
NFC Playoff Picture
Key: Italic – Clinched playoff place, Bold – Clinched division
- San Francisco 49ers (11-3) – First in NFC West
- Dallas Cowboys (10-4) – First in NFC East
- Detroit Lions (10-4) – First in NFC North
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) – First in NFC South
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-4) – Wild Card
- Minnesota Vikings (7-7) – Wild Card
- Los Angeles Rams (7-7) – Wild Card
In the hunt
- Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
- New Orleans Saints (7-7)
- Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
- Green Bay Packers (6-8)
49ers in command of one seed race
San Francisco's sixth straight win, coupled with the losses for the Cowboys and Eagles to the Buffalo Bills and Seahawks respectively, essentially gave them a two-game lead over both of the teams considered to be their closest rivals in the conference in the race for the one seed.
Officially, the 49ers' lead is one game, but the Niners hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas and Philadelphia after blowing out both teams this season. While the 49ers have not played Detroit this year, they own the conference record, strength of schedule and strength of victory tiebreakers over the Lions.
No wonder then, that the 49ers are given a 95.6% chance by FTN Fantasy to claim the one seed, a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The New York Times' playoff simulator gives the 49ers a 94 percent shot at the one seed.
When can they clinch it?
The 49ers can, theoretically, celebrate Christmas in style by clinching the one seed on Christmas Day with victory over the Baltimore Ravens, but they will require some help.
Indeed, a win against the Ravens would only be good enough if the Eagles lose to the New York Giants, the Cowboys lose to the Miami Dolphins and the Lions lose to the Vikings.
It's possible, but highly unlikely.
The vastly more likely outcome, is that the 49ers do it by winning two of their last three. They are favored against the Ravens and will be the favorites against both the Washington Commanders and the Rams.
With the Lions and Cowboys facing each other in Week 17, the 49ers will be the one seed if they win their next two games. What a way to ring in the new year that would be.
NFL Power Rankings: 49ers set for top two showdown
They remain the gold standard, for now.
