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Week 13 represented a turning point for the 49ers. They’d gotten to No. 16 in the NFL Wire power rankings after their win over the Rams, and they could’ve catapulted into the top half if they’d knocked off the Bills. Instead, they fell 34-24 to Buffalo on Monday night and dipped to No. 19 in the rankings. Now they’re positioned for another turning point heading into Week 14.
San Francisco plays consecutive games against the NFC East’s Washington Football Team and Dallas Cowboys. A couple of losses in those games all but cements the 49ers’ non-playoff fate and resigns them to the bottom third of the NFL Wire power rankings.
A couple of wins puts them back toward the top half, and as NFL Wire power rankings author Mark Schofield notes, puts them back in the thick of the playoff hunt.
The loss does not shut the door on San Francisco reaching the post-season. Thanks to the handy Playoff Calculator from the New York Times, they can still get into the playoffs if they win some games down the stretch. They’ll see Washington in Week 14, and a victory over Shanahan’s old team would be a good place to start.
The 49ers on Sunday host a hot Washington Football Team that toppled the previously undefeated Steelers in a rescheduled game played Monday afternoon.
San Francisco could win, climb in the power rankings and stay in the playoff hunt. Or they could lose and take their place among the NFL’s bottom-feeders.