The Niners now have a much better chance of earning the No. 1 seed.
The NFL season is fifteen weeks in. We know pretty well who is who by now. Or do we not? When all is said and done, it is not absurd to believe that the NFC West will contain three playoff teams. The lesson we learned in Week 15 was to be prepared for the unexpected.
The Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The Buffalo Bills virtually put a stop to Dak Prescott’s chances of winning MVP on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers’ performance over the last two weeks in the NFC couldn’t have been better.
The 49ers currently have a 9-1 conference record. The 49ers may still secure the top seed if they defeat the Commanders and the Rams in the last two weeks of the season, even if they fall to Baltimore the following week.
Assume for the purposes of this hypothetical game that the 49ers, lacking key players on defense, are defeated by the Ravens. In addition, we’ll pretend that the remaining games of the season are played as though the top four NFC clubs had suffered four losses.
Since the 49ers prevailed over the Cowboys and Eagles, the Niners already own the head-to-head tiebreaker. However, if San Francisco and Detroit have identical records, the Niners would have the superior conference record and would therefore continue to be the top seed in the NFC. The Lions have suffered three losses to NFC opponents thus far.
Here’s a look at the NFC standings through Week 15:
Divisional leaders
1. z- San Francisco 49ers (11-3)
2. x-Dallas Cowboys (10-4, 4-1 NFCE, 7-3 NFC)
3. Detroit Lions (10-4, 6-3 NFC)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, win over NO)
Wild Card
5. x-Philadelphia Eagles (10-4, 3-1 NFCE)
6. Minnesota Vikings (7-7, win over GB, 6-3 NFC)
7. Los Angeles Rams* (7-7, sweep of SEA, 5-4 NFC)
Need some help
8. Seattle Seahawks* (7-7, losses to LAR, 6-5 NFC)
9. New Orleans Saints (7-7, loss to TB, 4-5 NFC)
Hanging on by a thread
10. Atlanta Falcons (6-8, win over GB)
11. Green Bay Packers (6-8, loss to ATL)
12. New York Giants (5-9, win percentage in common games > CHI)
13. Chicago Bears (5-9, win percentage in common games < NYG)
Playing the spoiler role
14. Washington Commanders (4-10)
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
16. Carolina Panthers (1-12)
The worst three teams are no longer eligible to compete in the playoffs. However, every squad demonstrated that they are more than capable of acting as the spoiler.
For every team placed six or lower, there is little room for mistake. Whether the Vikings make the playoffs will depend on Nick Mullens’ performances against the Vikings twice and the Packers in primetime.
Jordan Love should make the playoffs for a reason, in my opinion. Before playing the Bears, Green Bay plays its last games of the season in Minnesota and Carolina. It’s more of an elimination process than anything else.
Six teams are vying for the final two berths. It would likely be necessary for the Saints to whitewash the Rams, Bucs, and Falcons. Not taking place. So let’s delineate New Orleans with a red line.
Seahawks were swept by the Rams. The Titans, Packers, and Cardinals are sent to Seattle. Three easily won games. After playing the Saints and the Giants, the Rams still have the 49ers. Although Seattle should have a better record than Los Angeles, I believe they will lose to Mike Vrabel and the Titans on the road the following week.
In the greatest position to claim the final two Wild Card slots are the Packers and the Rams.
This past week was the low point for both the Eagles and the Cowboys. It is inevitable that the 49ers will face one or both of these teams again during the postseason. Neither team is nearly as awful as they shown, in my opinion. In the NFL, it’s difficult to win on the road. Consult the Falcons. which highlights how amazing what the 49ers are doing even more.
Philadelphia and Dallas have guaranteed spots in the playoffs. The 49ers are the only team with their division already secured.
