A month ago, it was unthinkable that the 49ers would be able to avoid the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL playoffs.
When those three teams appeared to be the best in the NFC, not too long ago, that would have seemed like the perfect scenario for the 49ers.
But that has happened, so perhaps the 49ers are not as fortunate as they initially thought.
The Eagles and Cowboys are not among the best four teams in the NFC, as demonstrated by their elimination from the first round of the playoffs.
For the third straight season, the 49ers will not get the chance to terminate the Cowboys’ season.The troubled team of Jerry Jones was soundly defeated by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
The Eagles were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9, on Monday in the postseason.
The 49ers were two games behind the Eagles in the NFC standings and they were 10-1 when they made their trip to Philadelphia on December 3. At the time, many people regarded Philadelphia as the NFL’s top team.
However, the Eagles lost that game, 42-19, and it’s possible that they also lost their will. In December and January, they appeared to be an entirely dysfunctional squad.
Six of Philadelphia’s final seven games were losses, including a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 that the 49ers cheered for as it guaranteed the top seed with one game left in the regular season.
Not very long ago, one could have assumed that the 49ers were getting a free ride to the Super Bowl if the Eagles and Cowboys choose to watch the remainder of the playoffs from home.
And even though the 49ers are the clear favorites to play for the NFC in Las Vegas, it’s important to give serious consideration to the three remaining teams: Green Bay, Detroit, and Tampa Bay.
After winning the playoffs, each of those clubs appeared to be at the top of their game. In a conference semifinal, the Lions will play the Buccaneers following a dramatic win over Matthew Stafford and the fiery Los Angeles Rams.
The Packers, on the other side of the bracket, looked impressive as they defeated the Cowboys. The explosive quarterback Jordan Love continues to improve with each passing game.
Although the 49ers did not have a great regular season finale, they are hoping that having a bye week would help them play better on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium against the Packers in the divisional round.
This is exactly what the 49ers would have wanted a while back as they get ready to go to the postseason.
Not in Philadelphia. Not in Dallas. Not to worry. Correct?
It begs the question of whether people who wanted the 49ers to stay away from the Cowboys and Eagles should have been cautious about their wishes.
